A Snow Day for Amos McGee

by Philip C. Stead, Erin E. Stead (Illustrator)

Overview

A cozy tale of winter hope and joy, from award-winning and New York Times-bestselling duo Philip and Erin Stead, perfect for fans of The Snowy Nap and The Mitten.

Amos McGee, the friendly zookeeper, loves spending time with his good friends no matter the season. When snow in the forecast never arrives, he decides to head home and hope it comes another day. But when overnight a surprise snowfall blankets the town in fluffy white, what shall his lovable squad of animals do? Visit Amos and play in the snow, of course!

Amos and his familiar companions are back for this delightfully snowy tale—the latest follow-up to the Caldecott Medal winner A Sick Day for Amos McGee.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250324733
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	09/30/2025
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Philip and Erin Stead are the creators of picture book classics such as A Sick Day for Amos McGee, Amos McGee Misses the Bus, Bear Has a Story to Tell, Music For Mister Moon, and Lenny and Lucy. They live in Michigan with their daughter and puppy.

Editorial Reviews

Three starred reviews
An Indie Next List Pick

★ "An instant wintertime classic; children will snuggle up for rereads for years to come." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "An excellent addition to any collection." -- School Library Journal, starred review

★ "A winter friendship story that will resonate with children and adults alike." -- Booklist, starred review

"Fans of the gentle characters will enjoy this visit, with its eye-pleasing visual hallmarks shown in tidy, thoughtful woodblock print and pencil art." -- Horn Book Magazine

From the Publisher

★ 2025-05-16
The gentle elderly zookeeper introduced in the Steads’ Caldecott Medal–winningA Sick Day for Amos McGee (2010) returns for another break from his usual routine.

Unlike in previous stories, this time, no one is ill, and no one misses the bus. Instead, the much-anticipated first snowfall of the season creates a special day filled with play and hot chocolate. Amos, of course, sets a cozy tone from the start, sipping tea at home while he awaits news of the snow, then commuting by bus to the zoo to finish up some knitting projects for the animals. Each creature receives something from the kindly zookeeper, and most of these knitted items are red, making them stand out from the muted, cool palette of the print-block illustrations and subtly recalling the snowsuit that Peter wears in Ezra Jack Keats’ classic taleThe Snowy Day. Adding just a bit of drama to the quietly enchanting story, the snow doesn’t arrive as expected, instead falling overnight to create “a soft blanket that cover[s] up the neighborhood.” The friends then enjoy the delayed snow day together, their joy best captured in a sumptuous wordless spread showing them in a diagonal, downhill trajectory on sleds, skis, and (in the case of the penguin and tortoise) their own bodies. Amos’ skin is the white of the page.

An instant wintertime classic; children will snuggle up for rereads for years to come.(Picture book. 2-7)

Kirkus Reviews