Tracks in the Snow

by Wong Herbert Yee, Wong Herbert Yee (Illustrator)

Overview

Just outside my window,
There are tracks in the snow.
Who made the tracks? Where do they go?

A little girl follows tracks outside her window after a fresh snowfall, only to realize that the tracks in the snow are her own from the day before—and that they lead her home. This diminutive and sweet picture book is as cozy as a cup of hot chocolate.

Like Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day, this lovely celebration of snow and winter is just right for the littlest readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312371340
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	10/16/2007
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	186,106
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 4.40(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	AD440L (what's this?)
Age Range:	2 - 6 Years

About the Author

Wong Herbert Yee is the author and illustrator of Who Likes Rain?, Fireman Small and Big Black Bear, among other books. Born in Detroit, Michigan, one of his favorite memories of childhood is of leaving the first tracks on fresh-fallen snow. He also remembers his first grade teacher tacking one of his drawings on the bulletin board—ever since then, he's been an artist. He studied printmaking at Wayne State University. He lives with his wife and daughter in Troy, Michigan.

Editorial Reviews

The simple rhyming text encourages chanting along; Yee's colored-pencil illustrations are meticulously drawn.” —The Horn Book Magazine

“The gentle, rhyming text makes an ideal read-aloud, and young listeners will chime in on the repeated phrases.” —School Library Journal

“This unassuming book will be enjoyed for its petite trim size, its wintry charm, and the gently humorous solution to its small mystery.” —Booklist

“Thanks to Yee's austere, feathery strokes, which resemble colored pencils on textured paper, readers will feel all the invigorating chill and quiet beauty of winter.” —Publishers Weekly

“The soft illustrations provide a comfortable setting for the story and a feeling of safety and happiness. . . . Young children will enjoy this tale of safe adventure and discovery on one's own, with animal companions and an afternoon snack at the end.” —Armchair Interviews

From the Publisher

"Just outside my window,/ There are tracks in the snow./ Who made the tracks?/ Where do they go?" A girl in a bright red coat and striped scarf has great fun trying to solve the mystery, since it requires that she ramble all over the winter wonderland around her home. Working in a diminutive scale that feels just right for the book's small format, Yee (Fireman Small) follows his heroine as she probes the hole of a hibernating woodchuck (a cutaway view reveals the animal snuggled in its underground burrow), and investigates the bare branches from the vantage point of making a snow angel. Then, suddenly overwhelmed by the snow and cold (even though most of her face is swaddled in the scarf, Yee's droopy eyelids convey her fatigue), she has a revelation about the footprints that will bring a smile to readers of all ages. The author's rhymes may be workmanlike ("My feet are getting oh so cold./ There's still no sign of it./ And even though the time is late,/ I really hate to quit"), but the artwork more than compensates. Thanks to Yee's austere, feathery strokes, which resemble colored pencils on textured paper, readers will feel all the invigorating chill and quiet beauty of winter. Ages 2-6. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 2-A little girl bundled in her red coat, striped scarf, and blue mittens follows mysterious tracks in the snow, wondering who made them. She goes out across the yard, along a frozen pond, over a snowy bridge, and into the woods. Ultimately, the trail leads her home and she realizes that she made the mystery tracks the day before. The gentle, rhyming text makes an ideal read-aloud, and young listeners will chime in on the repeated phrases. The soft-focus, colored-pencil illustrations portray a small Asian girl exploring her safe world, but a world transformed by the fresh snowfall. The child happily makes angels in the snow and slides down a small hill on her adventure. The cozy ending, complete with tea and cookies in a snug, warm kitchen, completes this tender celebration of the season.-Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal