Now, hopefully snow days are almost over, but should a snowy day present itself, at least you'll be ready with a stack of books. Here are eight recommendations.
1. No Two Alike by Keith Baker
Are two snowflakes the same? Two branches? Two roads? Two houses? Are we all alike? "Almost, almost, but not quite." A cute little story that introduces children to the concept of similarity and uniqueness.
2. Polar Bear Night by Lauren Thompson
With illustrations by Stephen Savage, Polar Bear Night tells the story of a little bear who goes exploring in the night. He sees the seals sleeping. He sees the whales swimming, he sees the stars and the moon. They "light up everything the little bear loves. And the little bear shines bright with light too." Filled with appreciation for the world around him the little bear finds his warm, cozy den, where his mother waits. He is home.
3. Snow by Uri Shulevitz
The streets are gray, the rooftops are gray---everything around the little boy is gray. Until, one snowflakes, then two, then three. The little boy says it is snowing, yet no one believes him. It will melt they all say. But soon the snow covers the streets and the rooftops. Everything is covered in a blanket of white. The boy was right. Snow!
4. When Snowflakes Fall by Carle R. Sams II & Jean Stoick
When snowflakes fall what will you do? The mice will scurry about, making a warm bed of leaves. The hummingbirds will stay in a sunny garden until spring. The chipmunks will gather more nuts. The deer will stay warm in their thick winter coat. The woodpecker will tap, tap, tap on trees for bugs to eat, and the polar bears will snuggle in close.
The text is a bit lacking in this one, but the photographs add a nice touch.
5. Winter by Gerda Muller
A book without text, Winter illustrates what snow days are like. You can catch snowflakes on your tongue, you can play snowball games, you can slide on the ice, you can feed the birds or make a snowman. You can go ice skating, cuddle up with a book in a cozy chair...and soon, before you know it, there'll be tiny buds bursting through the snow. Spring is coming.
6. Who's That? Arctic Animals by Tad Carpenter
A lift-the-flap book, Who's That? Arctic Animals is the perfect little snowy-themed book for little ones who love to find things.
7. Z is for Zamboni by Matt Napier
Wintertime always reminds me of ice skating, so when I cam across Z is for Zamboni I was hopeful it would be a good find.
Parts of the book are clever which is why I'm keeping it on the list, but other parts of the book (some of the illustrations of adult hockey players) are definitely for older children. In one illustrations an adult hockey player sits on a bench scowling. I find this particular illustration a bit jarring, and too menacing for young children. In other parts of the book the illustrations seem inviting. The cover illustration as well as an illustration of two children playing, or an illustration of child putting on his skates, are well done.
As for the text, it's generally well thought out ("A is for arena...C is for coach, D is for defenseman...H is for hall of fame, I is for Ice: like a pond on a winter's day....") although on some pages, the names of hockey players are mentioned, which again, only seems appropriate for older children.
All-in-all, it's book which I'm sure children who love hockey will enjoy, but I personally wouldn't buy it for a child under 4.
8. The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett
To end this post on a high note, you can't go wrong with The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett. A lovely rendition of the famous fairy tale, the Three LIttle Bears.
Enjoy!