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Snowflakes Fall
In Snowflakes Fall, Newbery Medalist Patricia MacLachlan and award-winning artist Steven Kellogg portray life’s natural its beauty, its joy, and its sorrow. Together, the words and pictures offer the promise of renewal that can be found in our lives—snowflakes fall, and return again as raindrops so that flowers can grow. MacLachlan and Kellogg, who are longtime friends, were moved to collaborate on a message of hope for children and their families following the tragic events in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012. Kellogg lived in Sandy Hook for thirty-five years—he raised his family there and was an active member of the community. With Snowflakes Fall, they have created a truly inspiring picture book that is both a celebration of life and a tribute to the qualities that make each individual unique. In honor of the community of Sandy Hook and Newtown, Random House, the publisher of Snowflakes Fall, has made a donation to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund. Random House is also donating 25,000 new books to the national literacy organization First Book in the community’s honor and in support of children everywhere.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
11 people are currently reading
317 people want to read
About the author
Patricia MacLachlan
125 books806 followersPatricia MacLachlan was born on the prairie, and always carried a small bag of prairie dirt with her wherever she went to remind her of what she knew first. She was the author of many well-loved novels and picture books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal; its sequels, Skylark and Caleb's Story; and Three Names, illustrated by Mike Wimmer. She lived in western Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
June 5, 2022
I have always totally loved loved loved winter as a season, and therefore for me personally, as a 2013 picture book Snowflakes Fall will always both textually and illustratively be primarily and first and foremost a total and delightfully caressing, joyful celebration of snow, of its beauty, of delicate snowflakes with not one of them alike, of how how children play and frolic in and on top of snowscapes and finally how melting snow leads to rain and returning flowers come springtime.
But albeit I do indeed know and equally very much appreciate (after reading about Snowflakes Fall online) that both Patricia MacLachlan’s presented poetry and Steven Kellogg’s accompanying artwork are obviously also meant to be an homage to and a remembrance of the twenty children killed in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I readily (even if also a trifle contritely) must admit my own snow-loving self really and honestly has had quite a lot of intense trouble seeing anything truly painful and heartbreaking within either MacLachlan’s text and Kellogg’s artwork for Snowflakes Fall.
For most definitely, while my logical adult self of course and to a point well realises that Patricia MacLachlan’s musings about remembering children and Steven Kellogg’s illustrations of those twenty empty snow angels are likely harkening back to the horror and the pain of the Sandy Hook massacre, that the young victims are ALL remembered and will never be forgotten, sorry, but my inner child sure is really fighting hard and strongly to ONLY AND UTTERLY read Snowflakes Fall as cheerful and delightful winter fun and gorgeous depictions of wonderful and delightful snowflakes and to thus only consider Snowflakes Fall as being about Sandy Hook as pretty much an afterthought at best. And furthermore, my personal reading and viewing reaction to Patricia MacLachlan’s text and Steven Kellogg’s images in Snowflakes Fall should maybe also raise the question if the intended audience for Snowflakes Fall if the so-called picture book crowd would also and primarily see and approach Snowflakes Fall like my inner child’s reaction, as only, as primarily celebrating winter and really nothing more than this (and that as a picture book about poetically depicting and relishing winter and snow, Snowflakes Fall definitely is wonderful, is spectacular, but that for remembering the young victims of Sandy Hook, I do think that Snowflakes Fall is a bit lacking and also a bit difficult to fathom especially for younger readers or listeners).
But albeit I do indeed know and equally very much appreciate (after reading about Snowflakes Fall online) that both Patricia MacLachlan’s presented poetry and Steven Kellogg’s accompanying artwork are obviously also meant to be an homage to and a remembrance of the twenty children killed in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I readily (even if also a trifle contritely) must admit my own snow-loving self really and honestly has had quite a lot of intense trouble seeing anything truly painful and heartbreaking within either MacLachlan’s text and Kellogg’s artwork for Snowflakes Fall.
For most definitely, while my logical adult self of course and to a point well realises that Patricia MacLachlan’s musings about remembering children and Steven Kellogg’s illustrations of those twenty empty snow angels are likely harkening back to the horror and the pain of the Sandy Hook massacre, that the young victims are ALL remembered and will never be forgotten, sorry, but my inner child sure is really fighting hard and strongly to ONLY AND UTTERLY read Snowflakes Fall as cheerful and delightful winter fun and gorgeous depictions of wonderful and delightful snowflakes and to thus only consider Snowflakes Fall as being about Sandy Hook as pretty much an afterthought at best. And furthermore, my personal reading and viewing reaction to Patricia MacLachlan’s text and Steven Kellogg’s images in Snowflakes Fall should maybe also raise the question if the intended audience for Snowflakes Fall if the so-called picture book crowd would also and primarily see and approach Snowflakes Fall like my inner child’s reaction, as only, as primarily celebrating winter and really nothing more than this (and that as a picture book about poetically depicting and relishing winter and snow, Snowflakes Fall definitely is wonderful, is spectacular, but that for remembering the young victims of Sandy Hook, I do think that Snowflakes Fall is a bit lacking and also a bit difficult to fathom especially for younger readers or listeners).
May 23, 2022
This book...oh this book...What can I say that would ever be worthy of it? The first time I read it, tears were streaming down my face before I reached the end of the first line. Every time I open it up and read it again, the same thing happens. Patricia MacLachlan has been capable of brilliance and has written brilliantly for her entire career, but many decades after the publication of her first story, I believe Snowflakes Fall may be her magnum opus. I was stunned anew with each turn of the page by the enormous emotional power of this book, more powerful than all but a handful of books I have read in my whole life. When I found out the origins of Snowflakes Fall several months before reading it, that the story was created in memory of the kids slain in the tragic 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, I suspected it might be an emotional read, but nothing like this. I'm looking through the book again at this very moment to remind myself of things I need to say about it, and I...I just don't know if I can do this. It's making me cry again right now as hard as the first time I read it. I can hardly see the words on the pages through the tears. I was and continue to be totally floored by this book.
"When snowflakes fall at night
Wailing winds may blow
And frantic, icy snowflakes
scratch the window glass.
Branches fly
And shadows
darken dreams
But then—when we wake in the morning light—
Surprise!
The world shines."
—Snowflakes Fall
Snowflakes. "No two the same—all beautiful." Snowflakes drift softly from the whitened winter sky, a delicate gift landing on the nose or head of someone playing happily in the snowy drifts. There are so many snowflakes in our world, it can be easy to forget how intricate they are in their design, how unlike any snowflake that ever graced our good earth before. Two snowflakes may occasionally look alike, molecularly speaking, but no two are ever exactly the same piece of snow as fell before. They are lovely and radiant, even if one hasn't the time to put them under a microscope and enjoy every fine detail of their structure. They are beautiful just because they exist, for however long they bless our lives with their temporary presence.
But even when the snowflakes melt, their wondrous intricacies draining away into the warm earth that welcomes them into its embrace, they never are truly gone. They gush and flow as water in lakes and rivers, brooks and streams. They continue to fill our lives with joy and remembrance, just in a different way than when they were snowflakes. They drizzle as quenching rain upon our hillsides and gardens, hydrating flowers and trees to grow tall and green in the spring and summer. They never leave us entirely. And when winter comes again, the promise of new snowflakes returns, softly gliding to land gently upon noses and heads lifted eagerly toward the sky, having waiting so long for this moment to arrive. The snowflakes are never truly gone as long as memories of past winters still warm our hearts, and new seasons of snowflakes falling wait to tickle our noses the next time they come around.
I'll go ahead and say Snowflakes Fall is the most powerful picture book I've ever read. It isn't easy to surpass William Steig's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble or Tomie dePaola's Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs and Now One Foot, Now the Other in this regard, but Snowflakes Fall has done it. This book is clearly worthy of five stars, of that I have no doubt. Patricia MacLachlan's metaphoric images of sadness and loss are haunting and unforgettable, some of the most quietly potent I have ever encountered in any book, and her movingly tender reminders of the renewal that is bound to come our way even after all seems forever lost is...it's so beyond anything I've ever experienced, I hardly know how to put it into meaningful words. But Snowflakes Fall is a story brief enough that I don't need to explain further why it means so much to me. You'll know once you read it for yourself. And if ever you find yourself forgetting the truth of renewal of that which is most precious and unique in our lives, pick up the book again to help jog your memory. Just be prepared to sob as uncontrollably as the first time you ever read it, for Snowflakes Fall never loses its power to move a heart intimately acquainted with loss. There may never be a book more emotionally meaningful than this one.
"And when the snowflakes melt
In quiet sun
They fill the chattering streams
Flowing
Rushing
Sending drops of water up
To fall as rain
On places where the snowflakes had been.
Where soon
Flowers will grow
Again.
And when the flowers bloom
The children remember the snowflakes
And we remember the children—
No two the same—
All beautiful."
—Snowflakes Fall
"When snowflakes fall at night
Wailing winds may blow
And frantic, icy snowflakes
scratch the window glass.
Branches fly
And shadows
darken dreams
But then—when we wake in the morning light—
Surprise!
The world shines."
—Snowflakes Fall
Snowflakes. "No two the same—all beautiful." Snowflakes drift softly from the whitened winter sky, a delicate gift landing on the nose or head of someone playing happily in the snowy drifts. There are so many snowflakes in our world, it can be easy to forget how intricate they are in their design, how unlike any snowflake that ever graced our good earth before. Two snowflakes may occasionally look alike, molecularly speaking, but no two are ever exactly the same piece of snow as fell before. They are lovely and radiant, even if one hasn't the time to put them under a microscope and enjoy every fine detail of their structure. They are beautiful just because they exist, for however long they bless our lives with their temporary presence.
But even when the snowflakes melt, their wondrous intricacies draining away into the warm earth that welcomes them into its embrace, they never are truly gone. They gush and flow as water in lakes and rivers, brooks and streams. They continue to fill our lives with joy and remembrance, just in a different way than when they were snowflakes. They drizzle as quenching rain upon our hillsides and gardens, hydrating flowers and trees to grow tall and green in the spring and summer. They never leave us entirely. And when winter comes again, the promise of new snowflakes returns, softly gliding to land gently upon noses and heads lifted eagerly toward the sky, having waiting so long for this moment to arrive. The snowflakes are never truly gone as long as memories of past winters still warm our hearts, and new seasons of snowflakes falling wait to tickle our noses the next time they come around.
I'll go ahead and say Snowflakes Fall is the most powerful picture book I've ever read. It isn't easy to surpass William Steig's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble or Tomie dePaola's Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs and Now One Foot, Now the Other in this regard, but Snowflakes Fall has done it. This book is clearly worthy of five stars, of that I have no doubt. Patricia MacLachlan's metaphoric images of sadness and loss are haunting and unforgettable, some of the most quietly potent I have ever encountered in any book, and her movingly tender reminders of the renewal that is bound to come our way even after all seems forever lost is...it's so beyond anything I've ever experienced, I hardly know how to put it into meaningful words. But Snowflakes Fall is a story brief enough that I don't need to explain further why it means so much to me. You'll know once you read it for yourself. And if ever you find yourself forgetting the truth of renewal of that which is most precious and unique in our lives, pick up the book again to help jog your memory. Just be prepared to sob as uncontrollably as the first time you ever read it, for Snowflakes Fall never loses its power to move a heart intimately acquainted with loss. There may never be a book more emotionally meaningful than this one.
"And when the snowflakes melt
In quiet sun
They fill the chattering streams
Flowing
Rushing
Sending drops of water up
To fall as rain
On places where the snowflakes had been.
Where soon
Flowers will grow
Again.
And when the flowers bloom
The children remember the snowflakes
And we remember the children—
No two the same—
All beautiful."
—Snowflakes Fall
December 5, 2013
"A Snowflake.
A Child.
No two the same--
all beautiful.
A circular sticker with the above quote graces the cover of Snowflakes Fall. The sticker placed by Random House also notes that a donation has been made to The Sandy Hook School Support Fund.
If these two sentiments alone are not enough to encourage you to buy this book for a baby or little friend, just open it and let the pages take you on a journey. The illustrations are breathtakingly beautiful and the writing simple yet meaningful.
In the dedication, each author explains why they contributed to this book. Steven Kellogg hopes to capture the warmth he feels for the Sandy Hook community, which he describes as "an idyllic environment for raising a family". His wish to celebrate laughter and the uniqueness of children comes through loud and clear. Patricia MacLachlan sees the writing as comforting "with the idea of renewal and memory".
As is true with many picture books a young child might not get the underlying message of loss or healing as it applies to the Sandy Hook Community but will delight in the pictures, the words, and the soothing tone of a parent reading the text.
Snowflakes, children, no two the same, all beautiful!
A Child.
No two the same--
all beautiful.
A circular sticker with the above quote graces the cover of Snowflakes Fall. The sticker placed by Random House also notes that a donation has been made to The Sandy Hook School Support Fund.
If these two sentiments alone are not enough to encourage you to buy this book for a baby or little friend, just open it and let the pages take you on a journey. The illustrations are breathtakingly beautiful and the writing simple yet meaningful.
In the dedication, each author explains why they contributed to this book. Steven Kellogg hopes to capture the warmth he feels for the Sandy Hook community, which he describes as "an idyllic environment for raising a family". His wish to celebrate laughter and the uniqueness of children comes through loud and clear. Patricia MacLachlan sees the writing as comforting "with the idea of renewal and memory".
As is true with many picture books a young child might not get the underlying message of loss or healing as it applies to the Sandy Hook Community but will delight in the pictures, the words, and the soothing tone of a parent reading the text.
Snowflakes, children, no two the same, all beautiful!
December 11, 2013
This book is a beautiful collaboration between MacLachlan and Kellogg written to honor the children of Sandy Hook Elementary. I had wondered how this would work in a picture book for young children but, fully trusting this author and illustrator, I pre-ordered it for the school. I just received it today and, wow. It's pretty much just a story about snowflakes and children and how they all are different. Until page 11 or so when the happy peaceful story is broken by this, "Wailing winds may blow/And frantic, icy snowflakes/scratch the window glass. Branches fly/And shadows/darken dreams." But the sun returns the next morning. Then, on page 18 when the children have built snowmen and forts and lie to make snow angels, there are extra snow angels in the snowy field...You see that this is headed to the part where I start bawling, right? The book ends with Spring returning and this line, "And when the flowers bloom/The children remember the snowflakes. And we remember the children--No two the same--All beautiful." You turn the page and see that row of extra snow angels flying away. Seriously. I imagine this beautiful book would help any child dealing with loss. For any child lucky enough to not have pain or loss to deal with it's just a sweet, fun book about winter time fun.
January 6, 2017
Sweet and simple.
Add in the backstory regarding Sandy Hook, and it's so much more.
Add in the backstory regarding Sandy Hook, and it's so much more.
January 2, 2014
Such a beautiful, moving story filled with images and metaphors that will melt your heart.
Snowflakes Fall is beautifully written and full of meaning. The illustrations are gorgeous and magical. This wonder of a book was created as a tribute to the victims of the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that left 20 children, six adults and the gunman dead. The story celebrates the beauty of Winter, the uniqueness of each snowflake and each child, and the amazing circle of life. It's sad and emotional read, but it's also magical in that it leaves you with hope and warmth in your heart.
And when the snowflakes melt
In quiet sun
They fill the chattering streams
Flowing
Rushing
Sending drops of water up
To fall as rain
On places where the snowflakes had been
Where soon
Flowers will grow
Again.
And when the flowers bloom
The children remember the snowflakes
And we remember the children --
No two the same --
All beautiful.
Such harrowing and powerful writing in a childrens book! I'll be honest and admit that out of all the childrens books I own, Snowflakes Fall is the one I cherish the most.
Your children won't know the story behind this book (unless, of course, you'll decide to tell them), nor will they fully grasp it's profound message, but I'm 100% sure they'll sense just how extremely special and precious this story is nevertheless. You just can't miss that.
It's a book worth having on your bookshelf and a special moment worth sharing with your child.
Snowflakes Fall is beautifully written and full of meaning. The illustrations are gorgeous and magical. This wonder of a book was created as a tribute to the victims of the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that left 20 children, six adults and the gunman dead. The story celebrates the beauty of Winter, the uniqueness of each snowflake and each child, and the amazing circle of life. It's sad and emotional read, but it's also magical in that it leaves you with hope and warmth in your heart.
And when the snowflakes melt
In quiet sun
They fill the chattering streams
Flowing
Rushing
Sending drops of water up
To fall as rain
On places where the snowflakes had been
Where soon
Flowers will grow
Again.
And when the flowers bloom
The children remember the snowflakes
And we remember the children --
No two the same --
All beautiful.
Such harrowing and powerful writing in a childrens book! I'll be honest and admit that out of all the childrens books I own, Snowflakes Fall is the one I cherish the most.
Your children won't know the story behind this book (unless, of course, you'll decide to tell them), nor will they fully grasp it's profound message, but I'm 100% sure they'll sense just how extremely special and precious this story is nevertheless. You just can't miss that.
It's a book worth having on your bookshelf and a special moment worth sharing with your child.
September 24, 2014
I was familiar with both the author (Sarah, Plain and Tall) and the illustrator (Pinkerton, Behave!) from my childhood, so when I saw that they had collaborated on this picture book, I knew it was probably going to be pretty good. Snowflakes Fall is a beautiful little book, a tribute to the children who died in Sandy Hook in 2012. Though it was inspired by an awful event, the book itself is charming and sweet, with a lovely message and well-crafted illustrations.
It's a simple premise, told in sparse free verse, about the continuity of life and the precious individuality of each of us. It's a relaxing sort of book to read, and I can imagine kids curling up with this one to read the text and pore over the illustrations. It's one of the nicer picture books I've read lately.
Quotable moment:
http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20...
It's a simple premise, told in sparse free verse, about the continuity of life and the precious individuality of each of us. It's a relaxing sort of book to read, and I can imagine kids curling up with this one to read the text and pore over the illustrations. It's one of the nicer picture books I've read lately.
Quotable moment:
Snowflakes fall
To sit on gardens
And evergreen trees
And the tongues of laughing children—
No two the same—
All beautiful.
http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20...
December 20, 2013
There is often a poignancy to Patricia MacLachlan’s stories, and this is no different. Despite the happiness shown by Stephen Kellogg of the children playing in the snow, and later, in the flowers, the story is also about loss, change of seasons on the surface, and loss of childhood perhaps as time moves on. The beauty of the snow and the snow-play and then the rain, finally flowery spring is extraordinary. At the end, the bittersweet words, “And we remember the children—No two the same—All Beautiful” come after “And when the flowers bloom the children remember the snowflakes.”
This book was one answer to the terrible losses at Sandy Hook a few days over a year ago, and Random House is donating a portion of each sale to the Sandy Hook Support Fund. Because I know this, my perception of the book is changed, yet children reading it will delight in the beautiful snow pictures and the fun all the children are having.
This book was one answer to the terrible losses at Sandy Hook a few days over a year ago, and Random House is donating a portion of each sale to the Sandy Hook Support Fund. Because I know this, my perception of the book is changed, yet children reading it will delight in the beautiful snow pictures and the fun all the children are having.
January 16, 2014
I was anxious for this title to get out of processing at our library. The wait was certainly worthwhile - I just finished reading this to my little girl; I cried. Naomi loved hearing the story.
Snowflakes Fall is beautifully rendered by the very talented Patricia MacLachlan and Steven Kellogg. The illustrations are filled with wonder and whimsy - one is transported into the snowy landscape with great joy! MacLachlan's prose is spot-on, not smarmy or overly sentimental. I believe with several more readings to my little one; I just may succeed it sharing it at story time. It is a book that should be shared as widely and often as possible. The collaboration of MacLachlan and Kellogg is one I certainly would appreciate seeing again!
Snowflakes Fall is beautifully rendered by the very talented Patricia MacLachlan and Steven Kellogg. The illustrations are filled with wonder and whimsy - one is transported into the snowy landscape with great joy! MacLachlan's prose is spot-on, not smarmy or overly sentimental. I believe with several more readings to my little one; I just may succeed it sharing it at story time. It is a book that should be shared as widely and often as possible. The collaboration of MacLachlan and Kellogg is one I certainly would appreciate seeing again!
April 7, 2020
When the flowers are gone, snowflakes fall. No two of them are the same and they are all beautiful. They are animal tracks, boot prints, sled paths, snowmen, forts, and fields of snow angels. And when the sun melts the snowflakes, water flows where the snowflakes once had been. And the flowers grow again, reminding the children of the snowflakes.
And we remember the children -- each beautiful. Each unique.
Written as a tribute to the lives lost at Sandy Hook, this gentle tale of loss and of memory is a tribute to the uniqueness of each individual, reminding us of the renewal in our lives: snowflakes fall, then return as raindrops, helping the flowers to grow once again. It’s a celebration of life and an epistle of hope.
Highly recommended.
And we remember the children -- each beautiful. Each unique.
Written as a tribute to the lives lost at Sandy Hook, this gentle tale of loss and of memory is a tribute to the uniqueness of each individual, reminding us of the renewal in our lives: snowflakes fall, then return as raindrops, helping the flowers to grow once again. It’s a celebration of life and an epistle of hope.
Highly recommended.
November 23, 2013
I think that the illustrations would have been great on their own. The words left so much to be desired!! I was sorely disappointed, because I love Patricia MacLachlan's work, and I've been fortunate enough to meet her on several occasions. I was even more excited that this book's profits go to Sandy Hook. I just don't know how much I'd love reading this aloud to kids. I'll give it a go with the kindergarten next month and we'll see if I change my tune. Until then, it's a 3.
January 1, 2015
The events of Sandy Hook in December of 2012 still affect me deeply two years later. This book by Patricia MacLachlan and Steven Kellogg is a bittersweet tribute to the fallen children and teachers of that day. It is easy enough to read the book without referring to the reason it was written, and can be a good read-aloud for discussion with students to see what connections they make.
August 18, 2019
Gorgeous poetry, but I don't know how much kids will understand it. As a lyrical way for adults to process the horrors of Sandy Hook, which are still traumatic almost seven years later, this is beautiful, though. I'm not usually a fan of Kellogg's illustrations, and that is pretty much the case here, too, but that last page - he nails it. The text and picture are perfection.
June 14, 2013
You can't go wrong with Steven Kellogg and Patricia MacLachlan. The illustrations, message, and dedication are beautiful, moving, and inspiring. When people create art to help themselves cope with a tragedy and share it with everyone, it touches the world and helps everyone else too.
November 21, 2013
This book was written and illustrated in remembrance of the children at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Steven Kellogg lived here for 35 years and wanted to do a book in honor of these special children who lost their lives. His friend Patricia MacLachlan collaborated with him on this project. This is a beautiful book with simple text about snowflakes - each one always different, but beautiful and special like the children of Sandy Hook. Donations by Random House went to the Sandy Hook Support Fund and First Book.
January 9, 2014
Working as a lovely team, the words of MacLachlan and the pictures of Kellogg render this a poignant reminder that life holds seasons that change. Like snowflakes, no one person is the same. Life brings joy and sorrow. When the snow pelts and freezes at night, the morning brings bright sunshine.
A member of the Sandy Hook community for many years, the illustrator grieves the tragic death of teachers and students at the Sandy Hook school. With each publication purchased, Random House makes a donation to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund.
A member of the Sandy Hook community for many years, the illustrator grieves the tragic death of teachers and students at the Sandy Hook school. With each publication purchased, Random House makes a donation to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund.
December 28, 2018
I was a bit disappointed with Patricia MacLachlan's children's book, "Snowflakes Fall". She is an award winning author but this seems like standard type fare. Children are compared to snowflakes being unique beings that they are. The language is pretty flowery. The artwork seems overly sentimental. As a society, we have turned snowflakes into a derogatory term so it is likely I'm influenced by that.
November 15, 2017
Excellent illustrations. We, in 2nd grade, are actually going to be using this book as one of our picture walk books to discuss the changing season, and the needs of living things to prepare for this change. In addition to the beautiful illustrations, the words are descriptive and placed on the page so purposefully.
December 8, 2018
This book had nice words, but no rhyme. This book had nice pictures, and some mystery. A bobcat, referred to on one spread of pages, appears on the next one. The conclusion, that snow becomes rain, and winter weather becomes blooming spring is a bit much. The idea of no two snowflakes alike, and no two children alike was plenty for a great book.
October 2, 2017
If you don't read the author's notes, you might never know this was written for and about the Sandy Hook shooting. But if you do, it turns what could be a sweet seasons change book into a bit of a sob fest.
December 4, 2018
When I got the end of this book and realized that it was a reference to the children who lost their lives at Sandy Hook, I was overcome with emotion. That simple, final sentence, is all one needs to say
And we remember the children-
No two the same-
All beautiful.
And we remember the children-
No two the same-
All beautiful.
December 24, 2018
When it comes to children's books, the bar is not high for gramnar and widow/orphan control but this book doesn't clear that bar. The book is prose, which is fine, but the cadence of phrases from page to page feels really clunky.
March 11, 2020
I introduced this book during storytime as a poem in a picture book. Since the phrase "snowflakes fall" repeats, we used the ASL sign for snow and said it all together. It worked out very well in a group setting.
2020 storytime theme: snowflakes
Reviewed from a library copy.
2020 storytime theme: snowflakes
Reviewed from a library copy.
November 21, 2013
Lovely poetic text and lovely pictures
July 18, 2018
A beautiful tribute to those who died in the Sandy Hook shooting. Also, a good way to teach children about life and death.
August 27, 2018
Beautifully illustrated!! A great book about changing seasons
October 13, 2018
This story shows the delight of children over the changing seasons, the hope and renewal after winter. Fun illustrations. The book is a tribute to individuality.
January 7, 2019
Beautiful illustrations by Steven Kellogg. MacLachlan covers a lot in this poetic book. She even throws in some science.
June 7, 2019
Beautiful. A lovely encouragement to the community of Sandy Hook.
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February 29, 2020I thought this was a cute book. I could incorporate this book in the winter months. I think the students will enjoy this book and will get them excited for snow days.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews