Snow Day

by Betsy Maestro, Giulio Maestro (Illustrator)

Text and illustrations describe what happens after a major snowstorm, from plowing driveways and rescuing stranded motorists to clearing train tracks, airports, and harbors

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

30 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Before beginning her career in children's books, Betsy Maestro was a teacher. Her first book with Giulio Maestro was A Wise Monkey Tale published in 1975, and since then they have collaborated on more than one hundred books. Their on-going American Story series began with the highly acclaimed The Discovery of the Americas and continues to help young readers understand and appreciate our nations history.

The Maestros live with two cats and a goldfish in a converted cow barn in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a big snowstorm leaves a heavy blanket of snow over their town and a Snow Day is declared, the local children are delighted and spend their time playing—building snowmen, sledding and engaging in snowball fights. But for the town's adults it's a busy day of clearing the snow and making the town accessible again. People shovel their driveways and walks and help their neighbors, workers plow the streets, remove fallen tree branches and repair electric lines. State police help stranded motorists on the highway, while big plow trucks begin to remove the snow, and crews do the same at the airport and along the railroad tracks. The ice in the harbor must be broken up by strong ships, and the nearby city must dig out as well...

Published in 1989, Snow Day is a wintry picture book with a difference. Rather than focusing on the beauty of the snowy landscape or the fun that children have playing, as is so common in other picture books about the season, it focuses on the hard work that adults put in, when heavy snowfalls come. Engaging and informative, it offers a perspective on snow days that will be new for many children, who are largely concerned with not having to attend school or other activities. As someone who loves winter, and the depiction of winter in picture books, I do enjoy the more playful picture books about the season, but I also appreciate this look at the hard work it entails. This is only the third picture book I have read from author/illustrator team (and husband and wife) Betsy and Gulio Maestro, but I will certainly seek out more. Recommended to anyone looking for books about the adult world of work, and how it is impacted by winter snows.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s no school today . . . it’s a SNOW DAY!

The storm covered the town with snowdrifts and everything stopped. Cars could not drive on roads, trains could not travel on tracks, boats could not sail in the harbor. While the children build snowmen and have snowball fights, the adults drive snowplows, blow snow off airport runways, mount plows on the front of train engines, and maneuver icebreaker ships through the water. There is much to do before people can return to work, before the stores can open again, before the children can go back to school once again.

This non-fiction book introduces young readers to the involved process of digging out and returning to “normal” in the aftermath of a large snowfall. Colorful and truly representative of the actual aftermath of a snowstorm, the illustrations show the various equipment and describe the process of dealing with snow after a blizzard.

The realistic portrayal of the work involved will help young readers [second and third graders] understand what a blizzard means for those who must dig the town out of the snow so that people can move and businesses can open. It’s also an eye-opening look at snow for young readers who live where snowstorms are not part of their winter experiences.

Highly recommended.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that this book showed what people do on a snow day.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snow Day by Betsy Maestro, illustrated by Giulio Maestro shows and describes how snow is removed after a major snowstorm, ranging for plowing driveways and roads to clearing train tracks, airports, and harbors.

Maestro's detailed, colorful illustrations effectively portray the equipment used to remove snow. Artist Giulio Maestro specifically thanks the Oshkosh Truck Corporation for photographs of their equipment to drawn his illustrations. My favorite images are buried, holiday, clear branches, stranded, runways, tracks, and icebreakers.

I liked this look at the aftermath of a winter storm. Snow removal in the city, at the airport, on train tracks and dealing with ice on bodies of water is described and shown. Having grown up on a farm away from town, having to wait to have fallen branches removed after a storm was a potential if infrequent problem. Last year's snowstorm that stranded cars on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago echoes the hazards of stranded vehicles. Showing airport, train track and harbor ice removal can make children think about storms and community workers in a different light. I found the faces of people a bit off-putting but still give this 4 stars.

Snow Day should be useful when studying weather, snowstorms or blizzards, and community helpers. Recommended for school and public library collections.

For ages 5 to 8, seasons, winter, snowstorm, snow days, snow removal, community workers, and fans of Betsy Maestro and Giulio Maestro.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to the work involved when there is a Snow Day. From icebreaking ships and snowplows to neighbors helping others with their snowblowers, this book provides a fun but realistic picture of all the work involved. For children from the desert regions, where snow this deep isn't common, this is a great introduction to all the effects of that much snow. For children from areas with substantial snow, it is a great book to show all the work that is going on around them while they have fun! Nicely colored illustrations.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realistic treatment of dealing with snow storm, and all that is involved in clearing it out, making it possible to work again. I hadn't thought about how trains dealt with snow on tracks before, even as a person growing up in a snowy part of the country. Great for showing my kids (who live in a nonsnowy part of the country) what snow means beyond the possibility of playing.

[Katherine Keane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great nonfiction title for a snow-themed preschool storytime. It talks about what a big snowstorm is like for both children and adults, as well as describes how various vehicles (snowplows, trains, and airplanes) manage the snow.