BEAR & HARE: SNOW!

Emily Gravett’s perfect pair from Bear & Hare Go Fishing return for another sweet story in Bear & Hare: Snow!
One morning, Bear and Hare don their winter scarves and venture out into an unexpectedly snowy world. Hare loves snow, and his exuberance is plain to see as the two friends spend the day catching snowflakes, making snow prints, forming snow angels, building snow creatures, and rolling snowballs. Meanwhile, Bear’s somewhat aggrieved expression throughout the pair’s activities belies the gentle text, providing an undertone of gentle humor.
This is lovely story to share with younger children to introduce the concept of snow. Many young children, particularly in Southern California, have never seen snow before. Sharing books about unfamiliar things can help children become aware of new things and new experiences in the world. The pictures and stories in books also help pave the way for more in-depth understanding when they eventually see the real thing.
Explore more wintry stories for younger children (ages 0-2) with Under My Hood I Have a Hat by Karla Kuskin, Jingle Jingle by Nicola Smee, and Red Sled by Lita Judge. For preschool aged children, check out Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London, Rabbit's Gift by George Shannon, and Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson.
Ages 0+

TOYS' DAY OUT... IN THE SNOW!

The delightful characters of Emily Jenkins's beloved Toys Go Out chapter book series are back in a wintertime picture book adventure for a younger new audience. Lumphy the stuffed buffalo, StingRay the plush sting ray, and Plastic the rubber ball encounter all the wonder of a snowy day for the first time in Toys Meet Snow when their little girl has left them at home during her winter vacation. They try to get to the bottom of what snow is exactly--is it frozen water? or a "blanket of peace over the world"?--by catching snowflakes, building snowmen, and making angels in the snow. 

Paul O. Zelinsky's  captivating illustrations shine in this bold color format, and Jenkins's poetic and gently humorous text makes a seamless transition from chapter book to picture book. This sweet and whimsical story will warm the hearts of readers of all ages, but particularly the preschool to second grade set. 

EVER WONDER WHY RABBITS HAVE SHORT, FLUFFY TAILS?



Rabbit wants leaves and flower buds to munch on during the summertime, but he can't reach them.  Couldn't they just fall down? Or, better, yet, is there some other way Rabbit could get closer to the the branches of the tree?  His growing frustration to wait for these tasty treats to fall leads him to think of a clever plan that will get him high into the trees: a song and dance that will cause snow to fall down, even during the summer time!  After delivering an entertaining amount of song and dance, rabbit is in need of much needed rest.  When he awakens, he is involved in an accident and finds that his tail now matches the length of his patience. 

JAMES and JOSEPH BRUCHAC Iroquois tale, RABBIT'S SNOW DANCE will amuse readers and may find themselves humming Rabbit's tune throughout the day.  For Kinder thru 4th grade.  
                                   

MARCO FLAMINGO

MARCO FLAMINGO/MARCO FLAMENCO

Marco Flamingo lives in a tropical paradise but he gets curious about why snowbirds migrate south in the winter. He resolves to flies north and see what winter is all about.
This book is part of The Marco Flamingo Series. Very nice illustrated. The story itself is very cute and easy for children to follow especially if they love birds. Bilingual read-aloud written and illustrated by Sheila Jarkins.
Kindergarten, ages 4-8.

SNOW

Charlie gently explains to Lola why there can't be snow all the time, but the specialness and magic is in it's appearance and disappearance. Another lovely sibling story by Lauren Child, Snow is My Favorite and My Best.

This title is a good one to share with a preschool age child and older.

NATURE'S BEAUTY AT IT'S COLDEST

Wilson A. Bentley, a.k.a. Snowflake Bentley, becomes fascinated with snowflakes at a very young age. As a boy, Wilson tried to draw the snowflakes he inspected with his microscope, but they would always melt before he could capture what they truly looked like. When he turned seventeen, his parents bought him a special camera with a microscope built in so that he could photograph the snowflakes and show the delicate designs of each one. This biography tells the story of an interesting man from the late 1800s, but Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin reads like historical fiction. On the sides of each page are random facts that add to the story. This is a Caldecott Medal winner for the fantastic woodcut illustrations by Mary Azarian. A wonderful story for third grade and up.