Fire and Ice, Sunsets and Snow...

The closest we’ll get to snow here in Southern California is these cute bookish postal stamps paying homage to Ezra Jack Keats’ The Snowy Day.

This weekend, there may have been a first snow in some midwestern, northeastern, and southern cities, but here in Southern California we’re still battling wildfires. And our December Santa Ana winds aren’t helping anything.

The sun is shining, the grass is green 
The orange and palm trees sway 
There’s never been such a day In Beverly Hills, L. A. 
But it’s December the 24th 
And I am longing to be up north…. 
I’m dreaming of a White Christmas…

I suppose a nice(?) side note for those of us out of range of the dangerous fires is the beautiful sunsets we’ve been witnessing, sadly thanks to the lingering smoke in our skies.

It’s so disquieting on the one hand, to hear that people are being evacuated (including the nuns from St. Barbara Monastery in Santa Paula, CA - which thankfully is safe for the moment), while at the same time we're receiving photos from our daughter in New York of our grandsons happily eating snow and making snow angels!

They are thrilled with their first snow of winter, just like Peter, the little hero in the children's classic The Snowy Day.

The source for the story-line in Ezra Jack Keats' picture book came from his memories of snowy days from his childhood in Brooklyn. Above all, Keats wanted to capture the wonderment of a child’s first snowfall, a feeling universal to all children. “I wanted to convey the joy of being a little boy alive on a certain kind of day—of being for that moment. The air is cold, you touch the snow, aware of the things to which all children are so open.” [Keats, Ezra Jack. Autobiographical excerpts in Lee Bennett Hopkins, ed., Pauses: Autobiographical Reflections of 101 Creators of Children’s Books (New York: HarperCollins, 1995) pp. 132-33.]

Children can happily get lost in a read-aloud book like this!  And with all these fires, it's nice to take a snowy break from the news.  Please keep those in our state who are in close proximity to the fires in your prayers...

Boo and Baa in Windy Weather

Had enough of Winter Storm Stella? Say goodbye to March!

Boo and Baa in Windy Weather by Scandinavian author and illustrator (a husband/wife team), Lena and Olof Landström, was the perfect read for my grandsons in New York during the snowy, windy winter days that were brought on by Storm Stella a couple of weeks ago. 

After reading the story, the boys had so much fun making little masterpieces inspired by the book.  They used Q-tips, glue, construction paper, and my daughter's cut out renditions of Boo and Baa for their cute craft project!

Boo and Baa in Windy Weather follows the misadventures of Boo and Baa as they try to get home with their groceries during a snowstorm.  Their trip starts off well enough (they are sledding downhill), but the trek back home is "slow as a snail" as they push their sled uphill.

They pull their caps down so no snow will get in their eyes.  (My older grandson did the same when he went out to play - maybe he was inspired by Boo and Baa!)

Things really become difficult for Boo and Baa when their cabbage suddenly rolls off their sled.  Preschoolers will enjoy the antics and humor of Boo and Baa, as well as the problem solving at the end of the story.

Growing up, I always loved snow days!  They're such a perfect time for catching up on reading. 

But with April around the corner, hopefully much of the northern and eastern U.S. can say "goodbye" to snow.  I'm sure we'll still have wind - time to break out the kites!

I always think of Winnie-the-Pooh when the wind kicks up! What books do you like for Blustery Days?  Here are a couple I can think of...

Pigs and Rabbits in the Snow: Two Adorable Christmas Picture Books

Book #1...Pigs

What's a pig to do? Two pigs, actually.  They don't know what to get each other for Christmas.  But don't worry, they go through this every year, and they will figure it out!  (In spite of the suggestions they get from Opal.)

Because they do care about each other and are the very best of friends, even though they like different things.

Toot and Puddle's Let it Snow, is an adorable story, written and illustrated by Holly Hobbie.  Perfect for preschoolers and up.

Book #2...Rabbits

It's been snowing for hours, it's almost Christmas, and Squirrel and Hare are waiting in the little house at the end of the wood for Little Grey Rabbit to return from market with the Christmas fare.  But where is she?

This is a book you will want to look at again and again.  The pictures by Margaret Tempest are reminiscent of Beatrix Potter.

 

The sweet narration harkens back to all the elements of an old-fashioned Christmas and friendship...

sledding, carol singing, evergreens, presents, and a party.

The author of Little Grey Rabbit's Christmas, Alison Uttley, whose own childhood Christmases were spent in the countryside, has written a story full of warmth that you and your children will love!

EXPERIENCING "SNOW DAYS" WITH BOOKS

Illustration from Holly Claus, The Christmas Princess
by Brittney Ryan, with pictures by Laurel Long and Jeffrey K. Bedick

Shockingly, here in Southern California, we had quite a nippy New Year's, and saw snow not only on the mountains, but at lower elevations on the foothills as well!  

More recently, the weather here has been warm and beautiful, but I've been missing it because I've had to take time off for some "sick days". I've heard many of you in the Midwest and East have had some forced time off for "snow days".

A newbie to Snow Days, my grandson Peter has been thoroughly enjoying the Midwestern snow, just like Peter in The Snowy Day (his favorite story), wearing his red hat and making footprints in the powdery white stuff...he'll have happy memories to bring home to Southern California when he moves back this month with his mom and dad!

Crunch, crunch, crunch.  

His feet sank into the snow.

Ezra Jack Keats' Inspiration:

Just who was the inspiration for Ezra Jack Keats' "Peter"?  This little guy:

"In 1940, Life magazine published a short photo essay focused on a little boy in Liberty County, GA, who was about to undergo a blood test. Keats was struck by the sweet images of the child, and cut the group of photographs out of the magazine. That little boy was the inspiration for Keats' character Peter, the African-American protagonist of The Snowy Day and six books that followed."  (source: npr.org - read more about Keats here).

Baby, It's Cold Outside!
Reading aloud comes in a close second to being out-in-the-snow for my grandson, but it has been a saving grace for my daughter. A few days ago, they experienced -27 degree weather (with the wind chill factor): just too cold to go out!

Here are some exceptional "snowy" books I posted about in past years - great for when there's snow, but it's so cold you have to stay in...and great for Southern Californians who have to experience their SNOWY DAYS (mostly) through books!

A Snowy Book That Will Warm Your Heart:  When It Snows

The Art and Science of Snowflakes and the Determination of a Young Boy From Vermont:  Snowflake Bentley

The Beautiful, Frozen World of Hans Brinker , (from the hand of gifted artist, Laurel Long).

For more recommendations, go here to read my past post, Picture Books in Winter.

"PICTURE BOOKS IN WINTER"

This painting by Kay Crain reminds me of the
rare snow days we'd get during my childhood in Tennessee!

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Summer fading, winter comes--

Frosty mornings, tingling thumbs,

Window robins, winter rooks,

And the picture story-books.

Water now is turned to stone

Nurse and I can walk upon;

Still we find the flowing brooks

In the picture story-books.

All the pretty things put by,

Wait upon the children's eye,

Sheep and shepherds, trees and crooks,

In the picture story-books.

We may see how all things are

Seas and cities, near and far,

And the flying fairies' looks,

In the picture story-books.

How am I to sing your praise,

Happy chimney-corner days,

Sitting safe in nursery nooks,

Reading picture story-books?

Today I'd like to highlight some exceptional picture story-books about snow and winter. Depending on your local weather and where you live,  January can be a month when you're either loving the snow, hating it, or longing for it!  From where I live on the West Coast, if it gets rainy with cold enough temperatures, snow appears on our local mountains. We can load up the kids and be playing in it within a couple of hours...or if the weather is mild, we can just curl up on the couch and enjoy a good picture book about snow!

Those of you who may be snowed in, or facing a looong winter, might - as Robert Louis Stevenson suggests in his cozy verses - try to find some picture story-books that will take you to another place, devoid of snow.  (But I hope you'll still peruse the books I've listed below.  I tried to choose some that might distract you from the coldness and gray slush of winter - that can sometimes feel like an eternity - and instead remind you of winter's haunting beauty and fun - that won't last an eternity!)

SNOW by Cynthia Rylant, illustrations by Laura Stringer. (Pre-S-Grade 3) Few picture books about snow have both the grace and joy of this lovely collaboration featuring Rylant’s and Stringer’s thoughtful words and dreamy artwork. This celebration looks at snow in all its slight variations and considers the effects it has on those it falls upon... There is “the snow that comes softly in the night . . . the snow that brings you peace”, the heavy snow that sends you home from school, and the delicate snow that drifts down, lacey on the trees. In the midst of all this, Rylant reminds readers “that nothing lasts forever except memories.”  Thank goodness for the memories preserved in this wonderful book!

SNOWBALLS by Lisa Ehlert (PreSchool-Grade 2) Ehlert puts a creative twist on one of the favorite traditions of winter - building a snowman, or, in this case, a snow family, including pets. Children who believe snowmen must have charcoal eyes and carrot noses will be inspired by the unique adornments, for each creation here is decorated with the narrator's cache of "good stuff in a sack." Mom's hair is a Guatemalan belt; boy's nose is a toy compass; baby's arms are plastic picnic forks; dog's spots are a collection of buttons.  The bold, rhyming text describes the simple pleasures of the season. The contrasting sensations of the crisp iciness and dreary isolation of winter are effectively created by placing the colorfully decorated white figures against a textured gray background on double-page vertical spreads. The background glows bright orange as the sun appears. Ehlert concludes her book with some winter facts, photographs of snowmen, and a recipe for popcorn balls. -from School Library Journal

IT'S WINTER by Linda Glaser  (Pre-S-Grade 1).  It's Winter is the third book in a series of four titles on the various seasons, and is full of insights about winter.  Its beautiful cut-paper art work, and suggestions for activities to enhance an appreciation of the season will delight your child. All this comes in the form of a first-person story of a girl who observes and appreciates the pleasures of winter.

WINTER: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur, illustrated by Leslie Evans. (PreS-Grade 2.) The beauty of a snowy winter contrasts with the warmth of a cozy, country home in this playful picture book. On each page, a winter-related word provides the basis for an acrostic that reads like a short poem. For the letter C, the verse reads, "Crystals / Of ice as delicate as / Lace ring the / Duck pond," forming the word cold in uppercase letters. A striking, hand-colored linoleum print illustrates each small, boxed acrostic. A girl and her black dog appear in many of the pictures... As the season progresses, the child sleds and skates, then snuggles up indoors by a fire. The final illustration launches the girl into spring with a soccer ball. Younger children will enjoy studying the details and spotting the dog; older ones may be inspired to try their hand at the pleasure of acrostics.  -from American Library Association.

WINTER POEMS by Barbara Rogasky, illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman.  (Reading level: Gr. 3-6, younger for reading aloud.) Beautifully designed and illustrated, this short anthology of poetry celebrates winter.  The selection ranges from ancient Japanese verse through Shakespeare to Wallace Stevens, Richard Wright, Ogden Nash, and David Kherdian. While much of the poetry was not originally written for children and some of it is excerpted from longer works, the clarity of concrete images and the sounds of the words make the verse accessible to young people, particularly when it is read aloud. Hyman's line-and-watercolor images evoke the quiet beauty of winter landscapes and interior scenes as well as the child's experience of winter.

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF SNOWFLAKES AND THE DETERMINATION OF A YOUNG BOY FROM VERMONT

Snowflake Bentley, written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Mary Azarian. (ages 4-8) This beautiful picture book (1999 Caldecott Medal winner) is the biographical story of W.A. Bentley. Young Wilson Bentley was fascinated by the six-sided frozen miracles that are snowflakes, and once he acquired a microscope with a camera, his childhood preoccupation became a scientific life study. His countless exquisite photographs examining the tiny crystals and their delicate, mathematical structures are still used in nature photography today.

 

The wonderful woodcuts by Mary Azarian perfectly highlight the author's tender storytelling and help communicate the homey-ness of the life of this determined and often misunderstood boy, who lived in Vermont with his very supportive parents (they spent their own savings to buy him the special camera when he was only 17 years old!)  When Bentley first begins to use the camera, he makes mistake after mistake, but he doesn't give up!  After much perserverance, he finally figures out how to photograph snowflakes, all the while enduring criticism and scoffing from his neighbors and the local farmers.

Bentley later wrote:  The average dairy farmer gets up at dawn because he has to go to work in the cow yard.  I get up at dawn, too.  But it is because I want to find some leaf, hung with dew; or a spider web which the dew has made into the most delicate ropes of pearls...I take my camera with me, get down on my knees in the wet grass, and photograph these exquisite bits of nature. Because I do this I can show these lovely things to people who never would have seen them without my help.  They will get their daily quart of milk, all right.  Other farmers will attend to that.  But I think I am giving them something which is just as important. 

His hard work paid off and his gift to the world - a book about snowflakes - was finally published.  It's still available today, and if you child is interested, I would encourage you to find it at your local library, or buy it:

SNOW CRYSTALS - by W.A. Bentley and W.J. Humphreys, contains over 2,000 photomicrographs of snowflakes, plus slides of frost, rime, glaze, dew and hail. The introduction by meteorologist W. J. Humphreys discusses techniques of photographing snow crystals, the science of crystallography, classification and markings. Your child will enjoy thumbing through page after page of the beautiful snow crystal photographs!