Snow Sisters!

by Kerri Kokias, Teagan White (Illustrator)

Overview

Just like snowflakes, no two sisters are alike, but together, they can share the perfect snow day. Siblings, snow-bunnies, and fans of the Frozen movies will all find something to love in Snow Sisters!

When snowflakes fall, two sisters react in different ways. One is excited and the other is wary. The first sister spends the morning outdoors, playing until she's all tuckered out. Meanwhile, the second sister stays indoors, becoming ever more curious about the drifts outside. Soon, they switch places, and spend the second half of the day retracing each other's footsteps. But each sister puts her own unique spin on activities like sledding, baking and building.
     The simple mirrored text is spare and lovely, and each spread is split to show what each sister is doing independently--until at last they come together in the sweet, satisfying conclusion. LeUyen Pham's Big Sister, Little Sister meets Kate Messner's Over and Under the Snow.

"Chock-full of ideas for fun on a snowy day . . . A nice addition to sibling shelves that shows that fun can also be had apart." --Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101938850
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	01/02/2018
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	34 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

KERRI KOKIAS credits most of her story ideas to her "fly on the wall" personality. This means she's both a keen observer of social interactions and a nosey eavesdropper. Snow Sisters is her first picture book. She lives in Seattle with her family.

Visit her at kerrikokias.com

TEAGAN WHITE is a freelance illustrator specializing in playful watercolors and illustrated typography. Originally from Chicago, Teagan now lives and works in Minneapolis, where she received a BFA in illustration from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design in 2012. She has written and illustrated a variety of picture books including Adventures with Barefoot Critters and Amy Krouse Rosenthal's That's Me Loving You.

Visit her at tinymothstudios.com

Editorial Reviews

10/23/2017
The title of Kokias’s first picture book describes two contemporary siblings with different approaches to a snow day. The boisterous redhead, who appears on left-hand pages, digs out her winter gear (“Coat. Scarf. Hat. Mittens. Boots”) and runs outside to lob snowballs. The composed brunette on the right sets herself up with cocoa, blankets, and books, and later whips up a batch of cookies (“Baking. Making”). Just when readers think they have the sisters pegged, the brunette heads outside, the redhead comes indoors, and the words that appeared in the first half are assigned to the other sister, their order reversed. The girls’ distinct personalities still shine: the redhead’s “Making” and “Baking” is far less tidy (Mom is seen sweeping up), and the brunette’s “Building” and “Throwing” results in a snow castle. The drawings, almost too pretty in the first half, become more captivating and even surprising: how will each sister put her spin on the words? It’s a neatly conceived study of two independent sisters who are fully capable of enjoying a day on their own terms. Ages 3–7. Author’s agent: Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Nicole Tugeau, Tugeau 2. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"Captivating and even surprising. . . . It’s a neatly conceived study of two independent sisters who are fully capable of enjoying a day on their own terms." —Publishers Weekly

"Chock-full of ideas for fun on a snowy day . . . A nice addition to sibling shelves that shows that fun can also be had apart." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

02/01/2018
PreS-Gr 1—This wintery tale is all about how two very different sisters celebrate a snowy day. The spare text describes each sister's actions such as, "Coat. Scarf. Hat. Mittens. Boots." for the messy redhead and "Cocoa. Blankets. Books." for the more organized brunette. The book details each sibling's day, and the gouache and watercolor illustrations depict each sister's opposing behavior and how they find common ground. One sister sits in the window seat while having a sweet tea party during, "Playing. Spotting." The messy sister jumps on the couch and throws game pieces on the ground during, "Spotting. Playing." This book will be enjoyed as a one-on-one read or with a small group. The detailed illustrations elevate this winter book above most. VERDICT A first purchase for libraries in snowy climates, or for those looking to add more books to their sibling shelves.—Brooke Newberry, La Crosse Public Library, WI

School Library Journal

2017-09-26
Two sisters who could not be more unalike in personality enjoy a snowy day in different ways. Except for the final page, Kokias' clever text reads the same backward and forward, following the two white girls through their day. The redheaded sister is thrilled with the snow outside and rushes to put on outdoor gear. Meanwhile, the brunette settles in to read with hot cocoa and a blanket. While the redhead throws snowballs and tracks animals, her sister bakes, makes paper snowflakes, and engages in pretend play. But then: "Cold. Wet. Brrr." The two sisters cross paths in the center of the book as they switch places and activities, and with the redhead inside, an obvious difference between the two becomes even clearer: the brunette is neat, the redhead messy. The focus remains on the sisters and their fun, though their redheaded father and brunette mother do appear in the baking scenes in the kitchen. The softly colored gouache-and-watercolor illustrations are chock-full of ideas for fun on a snowy day, whether inside or outside. The final page shows the two at last enjoying time together as "Snow sisters!" The girls' expressions are a bit one-note, and children may find it easier to identify with the exuberant redhead than the nearly flawless brunette.A nice addition to sibling shelves that shows that fun can also be had apart. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews