Hello, Snow!

by Hope Vestergaard, Nadine Bernard Westcott (Illustrator)

The joys of a winter day

"Goodbye, Mommy . . .
Here we go!
Through the door
And . . . HELLO, SNOW!"

On the morning of a fresh snowfall, a young girl bounces out of bed, scrambles into warm clothes, grabs her dad, dashes outside, and jumps right into the delights of a snowy day. Whether she's rolling a giant snowball, bumping into a new friend, or tumbling into a pile of white, her spirit and energy are hard to resist.
Playful rhyming text and exuberant watercolor illustrations full of funny antics and details reflect the enthusiasms of a snow-loving girl on this best of winter days.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Fiction, Childrens, Poetry, Family, Juvenile

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 8, 2004

About the author

Hope Vestergaard, a former early childhood teacher, is the author of several books for children. She lives with her husband and two sons, as well as cows, horses, pigs, and dogs, on a small farm outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the morning of a fresh snowfall, a young girl bounces out of bed, scrambles into warm clothes, grabs her dad, dashes outside, and jumps right into the delights of a snowy day. Whether she's rolling a giant snowball, bumping into a new friend, or tumbling into a pile of white, her spirit and energy are hard to resist.
Playful rhyming text and exuberant watercolor illustrations full of funny antics and details reflect the enthusiasms of a snow-loving girl on this best of winter days.

Very good for the "hello" and "goodbye" aspect of dressing- "Hello snowsuit, goodbye knees!"

[Dulce German]

Hello, Snow is a book about kids getting ready for the snow and having fun outside playing in it. The structure of the book is smooth and easy to read. The illustration of the book seems to be made on a computer with soft colors. This book would be perfect for a snow day during the school year. We can read the book to students and after make an activity where they draw down their way of getting ready and what they would do in the snow. I like how the book starts by showing us how the character gets ready to go out (what she puts on) and flows into what she does outside in the snow.

[Sohyun seo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book show a main character did every thing herself and she looks so happy to hang out. Some children don't want to wear their clothes and wake up early but if they read this book, they can think it is a funny thing. In addition, the pictures are very good at understanding what happens to her. They are expressed very easy. This book is very short but very easy and good to children because there are a lot of pictures and short sentences.

[Naomi Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter is obsessed ! We had borrowed this book from the library and I had to purchase it for her ! She has already memorized some of it and she's 3 . It's a cute book about getting her dad ready to play in the snow . I love the humor in it and we crack up laughing together before bedtime Everytime she wants me to read it . My son even joins in from time to time to listen in and laugh along with the book . Definitely a great short story for bedtime.

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a book to introduce a winter activities writing assignment to my 1st graders and hike it’s a short rhyming book with short sentences I like the way it’s written so we could work on prediction. It leaves a lot of room to follow-up with a discussion brainstorming things students do in winter weather to write about.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always amazed at how kids can listen to a long book in storytime if it has that a lyrical cadence to it. I was worried about this one, but the kids were so quiet and almost had that in-front-of-the-TV glazed look, so I knew it must have been good. :)

[Emily Towne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the repetitiveness of hello and goodby and that the book rhymes, I also liked that when the children fell off the sled they got right back up and tried again and again. This is a great winter time book for a young audience.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl wakes to freshly fallen snow and is excited to spend her day enjoying every minute outdoors enjoying herself. This lively rhyming tale shares the enthusiasm and joy of a snow day in a child's world.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book for toddlers about snow!

[BiblioBeruthiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely usable for storytime. Cute, not too long.

[Austin Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Goodbye, Mommy . . .
Here we go!
Through the door
And . . . HELLO, SNOW!"

Made me smile!

[Christine Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snow Story Time. Book in rhyme describing lots of winter fun.

[Lee Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, fun and quick story about a snow day, great for early readers because of the rhyming and the lack of emphasis on text. 3/5 stars.

[The Campbell Family · Rating 5 out of 5]

VERY cute illustrations, rhyming, a festive winter book!

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

2020 storytime theme: Warm Clothes

[Melissa Namba · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good use of repetition and keeping things simple. I really appreciated that the book depicted a couple of tumbles and crashes and emphasized that it is part of the fun and minimized the tears.

[Relyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I use this one to compare and contrast fiction and non-fiction with my kindergarteners.

[Amity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute illustrations, nice cadence to it, on the longer side but not too long. A good addition to wintry readalouds.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story with nice rhyming. Would be good for storytime.

[DiAnne Warfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holt-Delhi library Preschool story time 12-17-2024

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Booklist (November 1, 2004 (Vol. 101, No. 5))

PreS-Gr. 1. A little girl drags her father out of bed in the early morning, bundles up for the cold, and rushes outdoors to play in the snow. After she builds a snowman with a neighbor child and his dog, they all go sledding until the final run ends in a pile-up, and everyone heads indoors for cocoa. Short and cheerful, the rhymed verses offer the voice of the child, who usually expresses herself in terms of hellos and good-byes. In her high-spirited mood, even the act of putting on a sock becomes a form of play: "Hello, sock. / Goodbye toe. / Hold on, piggies--In you go!"Always upbeat and often comical, the artwork captures and extends the joyful tone of the text. Heightened by effective use of white space, the illustrations, ink drawings with watercolor washes, are notable for their expressiveness, economy of line, and warmth of color. This is one winter picture book that lets you feel the snow. An irresistible addition to winter story hours.



Horn Book (November/December, 2004)

New snow, that most joyful of childhood happenings, is celebrated in verse that will have young audiences chanting along by the second reading. "Hello, Daddy. / Goodbye, bed. / Let's get ready, / Sleepyhead! // Hello, pants. / Goodbye, knees. / I don't want / You guys to freeze!" Donning each bit of requisite apparel with exemplary speed, the happy moppet is soon building a snowman, sledding with a friend, and quickly recovering from a crash ("Goodbye, tears... / Let's go again!"). Vestergaard varies the pattern without missing a beat ("Goodbye, snowplow. / Hello, heap!"), rounding off with a willing return indoors ("Time to go? / You made cocoa? / GOODBYE, SNOW!"). Westcott propels the proceedings with spring-loaded, cartoony drawings and cheery colors, adding a dog and kitten for additional bounce and humor. (That dog, however, shouldn't be drinking cocoa, since it's toxic to dogs.) Just the thing after a spirited romp in the snow -- or when everyone is wishing for one.



Horn Book starred (Spring 2005)

New snow is celebrated in verse that will have preschoolers chanting along by the second reading. A young girl builds a snowman, sleds with a friend, and quickly recovers from a crash, rounding off with a return indoors for cocoa. Westcott propels the proceedings with spring-loaded, cartoony drawings and cheery colors, adding a dog and kitten for additional bounce and humor.



Kirkus Reviews (October 1, 2004)

Peering out her window into a world of whiteness, one little girl can't resist the call of the snow. "Hello, morning . . . / Goodbye, night. / I see something / Cold and white!" After pulling her sleepy parents from bed, she begins dressing for the cold. Even a thumb caught in her zipper and a hat that has a hard time staying off her eyes cannot dampen her enthusiasm. Building a snowman and shoveling a giant mountain of snow give way to sled rides. Only the lure of doughnuts and hot cocoa can pull her and her friend away from a full and freezing day. Amusing ink-and-watercolor illustrations accompany rhyming text as she steps on the cat's tail or crashes her sled, sending even the dog flying. Dad gets the worst of it as the sled plows into him, too. Typically, Westcott adds a lot to whatever else is going on and listeners will enjoy finding funny bits as well as watching that cat. (Picture book. 3-6)



School Library Journal (November 1, 2004)

PreS-Gr 1-A young girl wakes up and is excited to see snow on the ground. She drags her father out of bed and gets ready to go out to play, putting on her shirt, pants, socks, and snowsuit. Running outside, she exclaims, "Hello, snow!/Hello, sunshine!/Hello, wind!/Snowflakes tickle/On my chin." When her neighbor comes out, they build a snowman together and then go sledding. After they take a couple of spills, the friends go inside for some cocoa. The rhyming text uses simple language to highlight familiar activities. Done in pen-and-ink and watercolors, the cartoon illustrations are filled with action and humor and reflect the excitement of a snowy day. Vibrant colors make the indoor scenes warm and cozy, while the characters' brightly hued outdoor clothing stands out nicely against the white backgrounds. Although Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day (Viking, 1962) remains the first choice about this popular topic, Hello, Snow! makes an adequate addition.-Rebecca Luhman, Greece Central School District, Rochester, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hello, Snow! by Hope Vestergaard follows a young girl and her day of fun in the snow, told in rhyme.

A young girl discovers snow has fallen, wakes her Dad, gets dressed, makes a snowman, discovers the sled, crashes twice, then runs inside for Mom's hot cocoa.

The text has some varying size fonts. The rhymes generally work, though a couple times the number of sylables per line doesn't match.

Westcott's colorful, detailed, cartoon-like pictures should appeal to young listeners. My favorite images include the cover illustrations, waking Dad, putting on pants, sweatshirt and snowsuit, greeting the snow, making the snowman, two crashes, back inside and the final image.

This is simple but fun. I enjoy the playful cat, loyal neighbor's dog, and the blue bird. The expression of the animals are amusing. The image of the snowman with a cup of cocoa is pretty funny. With a little practice, this should be fun for storytime.

For ages 2.5 to 5, Winter, snow, getting-dressed, rhyme, storytime, and fans of Hope Vestergaard and Nadine Bernard Westcott.

[Patti Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to think about winter with all this November sunshine, but Michigan author, Hope Vestergaard makes me excited about the coming white stuff in her picture book, "Hello Snow!" (Melanie Kroupa Books; Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2004.) Hope's picture perfect rhyme combined with bright and fun illustrations by Nadine Bernard Westcott make each page come alive. I love watching the little girl hurry to get ready, impatient for that first romp in the fresh flakes. Anyone who has grown up in a wintery place knows the feeling and shares in every moment of shoveling, rolling snow balls, making a snow man and finally coming back inside to warm up with hot cocoa. Kids everywhere, whether they've seen snow or not, will love this book!

[Brenda Kimble · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every book has a meaning but this book to me deals with just enjoying a snow day. I liked it because it deals with a specific season winter. This is a story that can be used as a beginning for having the children to talk about other seasons. Holidays can be explored and what seasons they come in. It also illustrated parent and child interaction which is much needed for children to be successful. The pictures are bright and colorful that is also an attention getter for children.

[Stephani Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little girl gets ready and goes out to play in the snow with her dad. This a good book to get kids excited about the upcoming winter and snow. A good idea would be to do a creative writing assignment about what we can do in the snow, or what we did on our favorite time we played in the snow.

Picture book

[Haaley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorites. When I saw my former employer wanting to donate, I snatched it up for my collection.
The rhymes are silly and the illustrations are perfect to go with. It really gets kids involved and is fun to read over and over in my classroom.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun story, rhyme does not always work

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun rhymes, with dynamic and playful illustrations. Perfect for a snow day.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a wonderful progression and is very relatable to any child. Worth a read!

[Stacy Vance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic case of children getting ready to play in the snow. Students really got into the story.