Snow Is...

by Laura Gehl, Sonia Sánchez (Illustrator)

Overview

From award-winning author Laura Gehl, a sparkling, lyrical picture book about the magic of an early snow.

It’s dawn and there is snow all around. The wonder of winter’s first snowfall brings the magic of changing seasons and sees a family sharing the perfect snow day with coziness and togetherness from dawn to dusk.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665915595
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Publication date:	10/29/2024
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Laura Gehl is the author of One Big Pair of Underwear, Cat Has a Plan, Goat Wants to Eat, Pig Makes Art, Dog Can Hide, Cat Sees Snow, Frog Can Hop, Snow Is..., You’re the Sprinkles on My Ice Cream, You’re the Pumpkin in My Pie, and The Elevator on 74th Street. She lives with her husband and their four kids in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Visit her online at LauraGehl.com.

Sonia Sánchez’s picture book, Here I Am, written by Patti Kim, received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, who called her illustrations “beautiful, evocative” and raved, “Sánchez has captured a kaleidoscope of emotion and powerful sensations in a way children will grasp completely.” Her illustrations have been nominated for the prestigious Eisner Award in the category of Best Painter. Sonia lives with her husband and a cat in Barcelona, Spain.

Editorial Reviews

2024-07-19
A shadowy blue color scheme accented with red pairs with gentle rhyming verse in a cozy ode to snow.

This book treats snow as an unalloyed joy; no shoveling, wet pant legs, or numb fingers appear here. Instead, readers follow an Asian-presenting child and father throughout a day of cavorting in the snow, accompanied by an energetic dog. The verse scans well, encompassing both abstract evocations of snowy weather (“Snow is a plop / and a flop / and a squish. / Snow is a flutter, / a swoosh, / and a swish”) and more concrete experiences (“Snow is a hoard that is set for attack. / Snow is Dad’s face… / when a snowball / goes WHACK!”). The digital illustrations have a homey, pastel-like quality that—despite the chilly subject matter—imbues the playful tableaux with warmth. With a limited palette of whites, blues, and grays, Sánchez captures the quietly luminous quality of shadows on snow, broken by pops of red from the family’s clothing. From snowball fights to fort-building to sledding, the father and child enjoy their romp until the arrival of a second, Black-presenting adult and a bundled, brown-skinned baby, who usher the group back inside as the sun begins to set. More coziness ensues at home before child, baby, and dog pile into bed together.

A sweet wintry celebration.(Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews