The Snow Family

From School Library JournalPreSchoolGrade 2On a beautiful winter day, a group of mischievous snow children watch as a family builds a snow child that comes to life. The human boy observes this magical transformation and joins the snow children in a snowball fight. Trouble begins when they wake up a grouchy bear, but Jacob's parents arrive in the nick of time to save them. Jacob becomes concerned that the snow children don't have families to care for them, and he and his parents build a snow mom and dad for them. The pictures are large, colorful, and often encompass a twopage spread. The faces are expressive, and the closeups of the father and mother kissing their son are especially captivating. The combination of rhyming verse and pictures of snowfilled landscapes and a cast of characters with coal eyes and carrot noses make this an entertaining readaloud. Team it up with Uri Shulevitz's Snow (Farrar, 1998), Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day (Viking, 1962), or Jane Yolen's Owl Moon (Philomel, 1987) for a perfect winterthemed storyhour.Sheilah Kosco, Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria, LACopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.Product DescriptionA young boy decides to build a snow family to take care of his snowboy the way his parents take care of him.From Publishers WeeklyWith their rotund white bodies, coal eyes and carrot noses, this strange tale's nine 'snow children' don't look like classic fairies. Yet they behave like forest imps, making mischief in the winter woods and enticing a human boy named Jacob to play their dangerous games. Unlike the snowchild gang, Jacob has a family; awkward rhymes describe his loving relationship with them ('His mother tightens Jacob's scarf./ She gives his cheek a pat,/ and a kiss upon his little nose,/ just like that!'). So, after the icy delinquents irritate a bear and endanger Jacob's life, the boy builds frosty, friendly parents to keep them in line. Although the powerful sweetness of the poetry is compromised by clumsy syntax, the flawlessly finished paintings have an authority that the writing lacks. Kirk's (Hush, Little Alien) laundrybright whites and fresh colors dazzle the eye in every spread. Yet the artwork's sheer precision leaves a sliver of ice where this book's heart should be. Ages 38. (Sept.)Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.From BooklistAges 38. Snow children playing outside on a winter's day are fascinated by a young boy building a snow boy with his parents. Soon Jacob spies the snow children, and he joins them for a festive snowball fight. When he realizes that the snow children lack parents to care for them, Jacob builds a snow mother and father ('With legs to lead the little ones, and arms to hold them tight'), resulting in a happy, loving snow family. Celebrating the joys of snow play and the rewards of family love, this magical tale is a readaloud delight: ''Whoosh! ' blows the northern wind, 'CAW!' laughs the crow.'Crunch! ' go the little boots on freshfallen snow.' Lush, vibrant, detailed paintings endow characters and the wintry farm landscape with depth and richness, conveying the varying snow family and human perspectives. The endearingly mischievous, bedraggled snow children, with traditional coal mouths and eyes, carrot noses, and a hodgepodge of hats and scarves, illustrate the tender message. An inventive story, both gentle and loving. Shelle RosenfeldCopyright American Library Association. All rights reservedReviewPraise for The Snow Family:An IRA/CBC Children's ChoiceAbout the AuthorDaniel Kirk is the author and illustrator of several books for children, including his own Go!; Snow Family; and Hush, Little Alien. He is the illustrator of TuggaTugga Tugboat, My Truck is Stuck! and ChuggaChugga ChooChoo.