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When It Starts to Snow
What if it starts
to snow?
What do you do?
Where do you go?
What if it starts to snow. What do you do? Where do you go?" So begins this winter story, as each animal--from a mouse to a bear--tells us what it will do and where it will go when the snow starts to fall. Each takes cover in its own special home, except for one. Can you guess who?
Phillis Gershator's chant-along verse encourages listener participation, and is best enjoyed when read aloud. The inquisitive text and dashing illustrations by Martin Matje make this a delightful picture book for reading under the covers when the weather gets chilly. Poetic and imaginative, When It Starts to Snow celebrates winter in all its cozy glory.
to snow?
What do you do?
Where do you go?
What if it starts to snow. What do you do? Where do you go?" So begins this winter story, as each animal--from a mouse to a bear--tells us what it will do and where it will go when the snow starts to fall. Each takes cover in its own special home, except for one. Can you guess who?
Phillis Gershator's chant-along verse encourages listener participation, and is best enjoyed when read aloud. The inquisitive text and dashing illustrations by Martin Matje make this a delightful picture book for reading under the covers when the weather gets chilly. Poetic and imaginative, When It Starts to Snow celebrates winter in all its cozy glory.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 11, 2008
I wasn't going to bother reviewing this book, but I discover that I'm about the only one that has read it, and so I think it would be a disservice to the author not to say something.
Our two girls have, in a bit over a year, have apparantly consumed most of the children's literature appropriate to their intellectual level - once again proving Sturgeon's Law. It's getting harder and harder to find something fresh at the library to read to them. Most of what is good, is also famous, and most of what is famous and good, we have read to the girls.
I found this book by recourse to an old fashioned linear search of the shelfs, examining each title a book cover at a time and looking for likely suspects. I picked the book up the day before the first good snow of the season, and we have read it to the girls a couple of times since then. I can't say that they were entralled, but it's a pretty good book with charming illustrations and it's probably is worth adding Phillis Gershator to the list of children's authors to explore.
The structure of the story is extremely simple and is based like so many children's books for toddlers on simple rhyme, refrain, and repetition. A large variaty of animals are questioned how they respond to a snow, and each responds in a way that forms a antiphony. It's a proven formula though as an adult you may find it tiring and some of the verses are a bit of a stretch in order to fit the pattern.
Our two girls have, in a bit over a year, have apparantly consumed most of the children's literature appropriate to their intellectual level - once again proving Sturgeon's Law. It's getting harder and harder to find something fresh at the library to read to them. Most of what is good, is also famous, and most of what is famous and good, we have read to the girls.
I found this book by recourse to an old fashioned linear search of the shelfs, examining each title a book cover at a time and looking for likely suspects. I picked the book up the day before the first good snow of the season, and we have read it to the girls a couple of times since then. I can't say that they were entralled, but it's a pretty good book with charming illustrations and it's probably is worth adding Phillis Gershator to the list of children's authors to explore.
The structure of the story is extremely simple and is based like so many children's books for toddlers on simple rhyme, refrain, and repetition. A large variaty of animals are questioned how they respond to a snow, and each responds in a way that forms a antiphony. It's a proven formula though as an adult you may find it tiring and some of the verses are a bit of a stretch in order to fit the pattern.
February 7, 2017
The title of this book is When It Starts to Snow by Phillis Gershator and Illustrated by Martin Matje. It was published by Scholastic Inc. in 1999. It has 32 pages and the grade level is from Preschool-2. The genre of this story is Speculative Fiction. The Lexile level of this book is 400L and the guided reading would be a J.
This story is about many animals such as a cat, a black crow, and a beaver and what they do during the time that it snows. It shows what each animal does to keep safe during the cold times. This is how children can see what animals hibernate, come out and play, and how to keep warm by having a warm coat. Not all animals adapt well with the cold weather, so they have to find different ways to keep themselves safe. I really liked this story because you can relate it to students that live in our area because we have snow. They can understand how many animals, and ourselves have to try to find ways to be warm.
A teaching idea that I would use with this book would be to create a story as to what you would do in the snow and to create a picture that correlates with your story. The CCSS that relates to this activity would be,
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.3
Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
This relates well to how the students can express their writing and what they would do during the snow and how it is a personal connection.
This story is about many animals such as a cat, a black crow, and a beaver and what they do during the time that it snows. It shows what each animal does to keep safe during the cold times. This is how children can see what animals hibernate, come out and play, and how to keep warm by having a warm coat. Not all animals adapt well with the cold weather, so they have to find different ways to keep themselves safe. I really liked this story because you can relate it to students that live in our area because we have snow. They can understand how many animals, and ourselves have to try to find ways to be warm.
A teaching idea that I would use with this book would be to create a story as to what you would do in the snow and to create a picture that correlates with your story. The CCSS that relates to this activity would be,
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.3
Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
This relates well to how the students can express their writing and what they would do during the snow and how it is a personal connection.
December 7, 2020
It's nice to know
since we don't have snow.
since we don't have snow.
October 4, 2023
Multiple different forest animals answer the question "where do you go when it starts to snow?".
A sweet science-themed storybook. Recommended for storytime and classroom/homeschool use.
A sweet science-themed storybook. Recommended for storytime and classroom/homeschool use.
December 28, 2018
I love snow and this is a great introduction to what different animals do when it starts to snow. The muted colors and gray skies just make you feel like it is snowing. I thought it was interesting that all the animals seek shelter and hunker down BUT the little boy goes out to play in it.
With the rhyming scene and repetition this could be read by a beginning reader as the pictures give clues to the text.
With the rhyming scene and repetition this could be read by a beginning reader as the pictures give clues to the text.
September 5, 2024
Told in question and answer format with rhyming text, we see what a variety of different animals do when it begins to snow in the winter. This is a fun, easy-to-understand book with nice illustrations. This is suitable for kids preK-1st grade as is, and if you clip a few spreads together to shorten it, could also be used with toddlers in story time.
January 6, 2017
I liked this book, I wish my daughter was a little more into it. I had to return it to the library so we only read it once. I might give it a shot if I did a snow storytime again.
April 16, 2018
This book talks about what different animals do when it snows. The illustrations are drawn in muted colors, although they are fun to look at. This would be a good book for talking about winter.
November 21, 2019
I like how the book educated the audience about what each animal does when it starts to snow. It's a fun and cute book to read to children.
September 8, 2021
The rhythm and sentiment of this book greatly appeal to me as a snow lover.
December 16, 2021
It’s a great book!
December 5, 2025
A quick, repetitive read that explores a bit of what animals do in winter in a way that is accessible for young children who may be learning about hibernation for the first time.
January 11, 2026
I read this book at a storytime and a dad today told me he bought it for his son and asks him to identify the animals, just like I did at storytime!! 🥹♥️
September 25, 2012
1. Genre: Picture Book---concept
2. Summary: This book is about what animals do in the wintertime when it snows, and what a little boy does too.
3a. Critique: illustrations
3b. The illustrations are simple with strong contrast color use and shading, to emphasize the bleakness of winter. The proportions of the animals' body parts are unrealistic, but are made to please young children by providing a cartoon-like quality.
3c. Some body parts which are not proportionate include the legs of the birds, the beak of the crow, the neck of the goose, the arms of the beaver, the body of the hen, the gobble of the rooster, and the claws of the bear. The illustrator does this to emphasize the most recognizable feature of the animals' bodies.
4. This book is relevant to the changes of the seasons, and how the behavior of animals change as well.
2. Summary: This book is about what animals do in the wintertime when it snows, and what a little boy does too.
3a. Critique: illustrations
3b. The illustrations are simple with strong contrast color use and shading, to emphasize the bleakness of winter. The proportions of the animals' body parts are unrealistic, but are made to please young children by providing a cartoon-like quality.
3c. Some body parts which are not proportionate include the legs of the birds, the beak of the crow, the neck of the goose, the arms of the beaver, the body of the hen, the gobble of the rooster, and the claws of the bear. The illustrator does this to emphasize the most recognizable feature of the animals' bodies.
4. This book is relevant to the changes of the seasons, and how the behavior of animals change as well.
March 10, 2016
So you know what I need in my room? Is a big shelf just for SNOW books! Because every one I've seen is a GREAT one and this one is too. It's about what everyone does when it snows. For me that's sitting and watching it and then going out and getting all cold and wet so that when you come inside you feel EXTRA cozy! And then you have hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream. That's not just a good story. It's a good DAY!
(March 2016)
OK, I had to read this one AGAIN! And there's a part I forgot about, and that's with all the animals, there's this one guy called a sloat. He looked like a rat or some kind of weasel or something, or maybe a bandicoot. But we have to find out more about this guy.
I like this one because all the animals go different places when it starts dumping but the KID goes OUT to PLAY IN IT!!
So it's still a good one.
(March 2016)
OK, I had to read this one AGAIN! And there's a part I forgot about, and that's with all the animals, there's this one guy called a sloat. He looked like a rat or some kind of weasel or something, or maybe a bandicoot. But we have to find out more about this guy.
I like this one because all the animals go different places when it starts dumping but the KID goes OUT to PLAY IN IT!!
So it's still a good one.
January 30, 2012
A rhythmic snow story that captures the hushed feeling of snow falling, focusing on how each type of animal reacts to the snow. Depending on the child, there could be more discussion on animal behavior in winter. My preschool ESL students reacted favorably, even though there are more words per page than I usually share--I think because of the poetic language and illustrations that communicate visually what the animals are doing.
January 27, 2013
Our youngest borrowed this book from her elementary school library and was excited to share this with us. The rhyming narrative is short and entertaining and the illustrations are colorful and cartoonish. It wasn't overwhelmingly memorable, but it's fun to read aloud. We enjoyed reading this book together.
September 23, 2011
An enjoyable children's read, which was a favorite of my daughter when she was a toddler. She loved to hear about all the animals, and what they would do, and where they would go, when it starts to snow.
November 13, 2013
This is a darling book about a little kid who goes around asking all of the animals what they will do when it starts to snow. It's well-written and beautifully illustrated. Repetition of certain phrases is great for language learning as well.
February 8, 2009
Cute children's book...I had to do 10 book critques for school and this was one of them.
December 10, 2009
The text has good rhythm and the tone of voice tends to get playful because of it. Illustrations are dull and mostly greys and browns, but text pulls it through.
January 5, 2010
3.5 stars.
March 2, 2010
For all the early childhood classes that talk about what animals do in winter, this will be a welcome read-aloud.
November 30, 2010
Meh. It was cute enough, but there are so many books on this subject I wasn't overly wowed by this particular telling or the illustrations.
March 29, 2011
Rhyming text - all the creatures describe where they go when it starts to snow.
September 3, 2011
Very clever and cute!
May 9, 2020
Read at Preschool Story Time at the Tenley library on 8/22/13: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...
January 27, 2014
Great for early listeners to be engaged with pointing and using clues in the pictures.
February 17, 2016
This book is about what the animals do when it snows.
June 26, 2020
How do each of the animals stay cozy when it starts to snow? I like snow books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews