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Danny's First Snow
"Look at the snow!" says Mommy.
Danny watches the white flakes dance outside his window.
But what is snow? Danny wonders, and he goes out to see for himself.
Snow is friendly, but it can also be fierce. It just depends on your imagination!
Danny watches the white flakes dance outside his window.
But what is snow? Danny wonders, and he goes out to see for himself.
Snow is friendly, but it can also be fierce. It just depends on your imagination!
40 pages, Hardcover
First published October 23, 2007
19 people want to read
About the author
Leonid Gore
41 books9 followersLeonid Gore is an award winning artist, illustrator and author. Born and raised in Belarus, he studied art at the Academy of Arts in Minsk. Since 1990, he has been living in the United States, where his enormous talent has been recognized throughout the publishing world. He has illustrated over thirty children’s books, five of which he also wrote. Critics have praised his work as "visually stunning" and "brilliant.” His books have been honored as IRA Children's Choice books and Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year, have received starred reviews from the School Library Journal, and the Kirkus and Boston Globe/Horn Book magazines, and have been recognized as part of 100 Great Children’s Books by the New York Public Library.
Leonid has illustrated the covers of many distinguished books, including those written by Eve Bunting, Phillip Pullman, Avi, Jim Murphy, and Franny Billingsley.
His paintings have appeared on the covers of Washington Post, and inside Tennis Magazine, Sporting News Magazine, Auto Week, Inside Sports, Fine Cooking, Medical Economics, Guideposts, and Scenario.
His original artwork has regularly been accepted into the prestigious Society of Illustrators juried Original Art Shows, and The Annual Exhibitions of the best in current illustration.
Leonid Gore lives in Oakland, New Jersey, and works out of his studio on the banks of the Ramapo River.
(source: author's website)
Leonid has illustrated the covers of many distinguished books, including those written by Eve Bunting, Phillip Pullman, Avi, Jim Murphy, and Franny Billingsley.
His paintings have appeared on the covers of Washington Post, and inside Tennis Magazine, Sporting News Magazine, Auto Week, Inside Sports, Fine Cooking, Medical Economics, Guideposts, and Scenario.
His original artwork has regularly been accepted into the prestigious Society of Illustrators juried Original Art Shows, and The Annual Exhibitions of the best in current illustration.
Leonid Gore lives in Oakland, New Jersey, and works out of his studio on the banks of the Ramapo River.
(source: author's website)
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 16, 2012
Hum, maybe all this unexpected wintery weather we've been having lately has made me feel extra nice and cozy, because I seemed to enjoy this book much more than most reviewers. I really enjoyed Danny meeting the snow for the first time. I feel the story captures a child's imagination, their wish to find friends even in the most unlikely places, and even how they sometimes enjoy frightening themselves a little. The ending is just so adorable! And I love the illustrations, for me they captured beautifully the snow scene, as well as the cozy warmth of Danny's home. I'm fast becoming a Leonid Gore fan :-)
November 30, 2018
Cute first snow story.
September 25, 2023
Little bunny Danny has his first adventure on a snowy day.
What a surprise! All the trees, bushes, and grass were gone.
Imagination is Danny's loyal companion, as he has a ton of adventures, in this quirky-free-form picture book.
Funny thing about imagination: Sometimes it's fun, but sometimes it's not. Even when a book has as few words as this one, that message shows very clearly.
I really love the text on the last two pages, but no spoiler from me, no no! I'll simply give this book FIVE BRIGHT STARS.
What a surprise! All the trees, bushes, and grass were gone.
Imagination is Danny's loyal companion, as he has a ton of adventures, in this quirky-free-form picture book.
Funny thing about imagination: Sometimes it's fun, but sometimes it's not. Even when a book has as few words as this one, that message shows very clearly.
I really love the text on the last two pages, but no spoiler from me, no no! I'll simply give this book FIVE BRIGHT STARS.
December 11, 2022
Danny the rabbit experiences his first snow fall. As he explores his surroundings and how the fallen snow can bring about adventures. Danny runs, jumps and sleds and when he returns home he's excited to discover what tomorrow will bring.
December 23, 2014
Booklist (October 1, 2007 (Vol. 104, No. 3))
Preschool-Kindergarten. After snow falls all night, a small rabbit wakes up to find his world transformed. Mommy dresses him in his warmest scarf, and he rushes outside, only to find that all the trees, bushes, and grass appear gone. In their place are what seem to be a little chick, a downy lamb, a prickly hedgehog, and an ostrich. The little bunny asks them if they want to play, but they remain as silent as the snow. Then he sees scary, silent wolf shapes, and he runs and runs until he spots what looks like an elephant, big enough to scare any old wolf away. Highly textured to give the look of swirling snow, Gore’s unframed acrylic-and-pastel pictures stay true to the toddler’s viewpoint, using warm shades when Rabbit is snug in his house, then white and chilly blue as he explores the exciting, scary snow-covered shapes he sees in the world outside. Preschoolers will enjoy feeling superior to the innocent bunny/kid, even as they recognize the magic and wonder of how snow can change everything they think they know.
Kirkus Reviews starred (October 15, 2007)
An appealing little rabbit named Danny experiences his first snowfall in this delightfully original view of a youngster's introduction to a snow-covered world. When Danny takes his sled outside to play in the snow, he thinks the familiar trees and bushes around his house have been replaced by fluffy, white animals. He plays leapfrog over the snowy shapes, moving gradually into the forest, where the taller trees begin to look like scary wolves. Running back toward home, Danny rides his sled down a snow bank that looks like a sleeping elephant, back to the welcoming sight of his mother waiting in the doorway of his own cozy cottage. Gore's soft-focus illustrations in acrylic and pastels have a dreamy, impressionistic quality that enhances the snowy scenes, and his cover illustration of the charming bunny boy sticking out his tongue to catch a snowflake captures an enchanting moment of childhood discovery. Preschoolers will delight in Danny's misinterpretation of the snow-covered trees and bushes, especially the "wolves," skillfully creating just the right level of dramatic tension. The simple, well-written text, original plot and perceptive illustrations make Danny's story a treat for wintry story times. (Picture book. 2-5)
Publishers Weekly (October 15, 2007)
The exquisite illustrations in this story about a first snowfall will delight young readers. When Danny, pictured as a rabbit, ventures outside after a heavy snowfall, the landscape surprises him: "All the trees, bushes, and grass were gone. And who were these new friends?" Gore's (The Sugar Child) intricately textured acrylic and pastel illustrations isolate the "friends": Danny hops over a chick (a tiny snowdrift), a prickly hedgehog (a small bush caught in snow) and even an ostrich (a taller bush). Eventually, Danny becomes alarmed by the larger forms, imagining them as wolves. Gore's snow creatures are just scary enough without being overwhelming, and when Danny remembers his mother's advice ("When you get scared, run!"), his run home becomes the most suspenseful part of the book. The gentle denouement, as Danny slides down a "sleeping elephant," leads in to a snowy-soft bedtime ending. "Now do you know what snow is, Danny?" asks his mother, and Danny answers, "Yes, Mommy. I know what snow is today," he says, "but I can't wait to see what it will be tomorrow!" Gore achieves remarkable shapes and surfaces, with green pines transformed into bears that gradually melt away as the day advances. His illustrations show what the text need not explain: that ordinary snowflakes can transform the familiar into a world of wonder. Ages 3-7. (Oct.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal (December 1, 2007)
PreS-K-As a young rabbit rushes out to play one wintry morning, he asks his mother, "What is snow?" But Mom leaves it to Danny to figure it out for himself. He sees that the trees and bushes are covered in white and have taken on the shapes of different kinds of animal friends. He leapfrogs over the smaller ones. When he tries to scale "the ostrich," it's too tall, and he trips over the branches. As Danny gets cold and tired, the big white mounds all start looking like wolves. He runs, hops, and zigzags all over, knocking the snow off the bushes in the process. Danny is puzzled as to where all of his friends have gone. At the end of the day, when Mom asks if he discovered what snow is, he answers, "Yes, Mommy. I know what snow is today-but I can't wait to see what it will be tomorrow!" The acrylic-and-pastel illustrations in muted colors expertly convey the frosty feel, and the blanketed bushes actually assume the various animal shapes. This is a pleasant romp, but it never does explain what snow really is.-Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
Preschool-Kindergarten. After snow falls all night, a small rabbit wakes up to find his world transformed. Mommy dresses him in his warmest scarf, and he rushes outside, only to find that all the trees, bushes, and grass appear gone. In their place are what seem to be a little chick, a downy lamb, a prickly hedgehog, and an ostrich. The little bunny asks them if they want to play, but they remain as silent as the snow. Then he sees scary, silent wolf shapes, and he runs and runs until he spots what looks like an elephant, big enough to scare any old wolf away. Highly textured to give the look of swirling snow, Gore’s unframed acrylic-and-pastel pictures stay true to the toddler’s viewpoint, using warm shades when Rabbit is snug in his house, then white and chilly blue as he explores the exciting, scary snow-covered shapes he sees in the world outside. Preschoolers will enjoy feeling superior to the innocent bunny/kid, even as they recognize the magic and wonder of how snow can change everything they think they know.
Kirkus Reviews starred (October 15, 2007)
An appealing little rabbit named Danny experiences his first snowfall in this delightfully original view of a youngster's introduction to a snow-covered world. When Danny takes his sled outside to play in the snow, he thinks the familiar trees and bushes around his house have been replaced by fluffy, white animals. He plays leapfrog over the snowy shapes, moving gradually into the forest, where the taller trees begin to look like scary wolves. Running back toward home, Danny rides his sled down a snow bank that looks like a sleeping elephant, back to the welcoming sight of his mother waiting in the doorway of his own cozy cottage. Gore's soft-focus illustrations in acrylic and pastels have a dreamy, impressionistic quality that enhances the snowy scenes, and his cover illustration of the charming bunny boy sticking out his tongue to catch a snowflake captures an enchanting moment of childhood discovery. Preschoolers will delight in Danny's misinterpretation of the snow-covered trees and bushes, especially the "wolves," skillfully creating just the right level of dramatic tension. The simple, well-written text, original plot and perceptive illustrations make Danny's story a treat for wintry story times. (Picture book. 2-5)
Publishers Weekly (October 15, 2007)
The exquisite illustrations in this story about a first snowfall will delight young readers. When Danny, pictured as a rabbit, ventures outside after a heavy snowfall, the landscape surprises him: "All the trees, bushes, and grass were gone. And who were these new friends?" Gore's (The Sugar Child) intricately textured acrylic and pastel illustrations isolate the "friends": Danny hops over a chick (a tiny snowdrift), a prickly hedgehog (a small bush caught in snow) and even an ostrich (a taller bush). Eventually, Danny becomes alarmed by the larger forms, imagining them as wolves. Gore's snow creatures are just scary enough without being overwhelming, and when Danny remembers his mother's advice ("When you get scared, run!"), his run home becomes the most suspenseful part of the book. The gentle denouement, as Danny slides down a "sleeping elephant," leads in to a snowy-soft bedtime ending. "Now do you know what snow is, Danny?" asks his mother, and Danny answers, "Yes, Mommy. I know what snow is today," he says, "but I can't wait to see what it will be tomorrow!" Gore achieves remarkable shapes and surfaces, with green pines transformed into bears that gradually melt away as the day advances. His illustrations show what the text need not explain: that ordinary snowflakes can transform the familiar into a world of wonder. Ages 3-7. (Oct.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal (December 1, 2007)
PreS-K-As a young rabbit rushes out to play one wintry morning, he asks his mother, "What is snow?" But Mom leaves it to Danny to figure it out for himself. He sees that the trees and bushes are covered in white and have taken on the shapes of different kinds of animal friends. He leapfrogs over the smaller ones. When he tries to scale "the ostrich," it's too tall, and he trips over the branches. As Danny gets cold and tired, the big white mounds all start looking like wolves. He runs, hops, and zigzags all over, knocking the snow off the bushes in the process. Danny is puzzled as to where all of his friends have gone. At the end of the day, when Mom asks if he discovered what snow is, he answers, "Yes, Mommy. I know what snow is today-but I can't wait to see what it will be tomorrow!" The acrylic-and-pastel illustrations in muted colors expertly convey the frosty feel, and the blanketed bushes actually assume the various animal shapes. This is a pleasant romp, but it never does explain what snow really is.-Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2013
(I’m thankful that the author used capital letters in the text of the story.)
I had forgotten that I had read danny*s first snow before—when Steven was living with us. But I remember now his reaction to it: he didn’t get it.
Gore has drawn “delicate pastels and acrylics” of snowy outdoor scenes where the trees and bushes look like different animals. Steven couldn’t figure out where the animals were. On one page where he did see them, he didn’t understand that it was also a picture of a tree with snow on it.
But I can hardly blame him – I’ve never seen trees and bushes that look like that and I’ve seen plenty snow-covered nature. The story itself wasn’t anything special, either.
I’m sorry, Leonid, but I think it’s worth only 2 stars.
Written & illustrated by: Leonid Gore 2007
Published by: ginee seo books NY 2007
I had forgotten that I had read danny*s first snow before—when Steven was living with us. But I remember now his reaction to it: he didn’t get it.
Gore has drawn “delicate pastels and acrylics” of snowy outdoor scenes where the trees and bushes look like different animals. Steven couldn’t figure out where the animals were. On one page where he did see them, he didn’t understand that it was also a picture of a tree with snow on it.
But I can hardly blame him – I’ve never seen trees and bushes that look like that and I’ve seen plenty snow-covered nature. The story itself wasn’t anything special, either.
I’m sorry, Leonid, but I think it’s worth only 2 stars.
Written & illustrated by: Leonid Gore 2007
Published by: ginee seo books NY 2007
January 16, 2015
I thought that this book was okay. I liked the idea that the child in the book used his imagination to see different animals made from snow. He acted like they were his friends (imaginary) and played different games with them throughout the book. It is this little child's first snow fall and he is just figuring out exactly what snow is. I think that I would probably just read this book in my classroom for fun if I had extra time. It might be a good book for a new student that has never witnessed snow before in their life. The illustrations are soft and really pretty. They are so delicately drawn that it really looks like snow is falling throughout the entire book. I would recommend this book for creative play or maybe just to read at home. I think this book might be good for a preschool or kindergarten classroom.
February 12, 2008
On this snowy February, it seems appropriate to note a new snow book. Danny the rabbit asks his mother, "What is snow?" But he doesn't really find out what snow is until he goes outside to play in it. Using his imagination, he sees all sorts of snow animals including a hedgehog, a donkey, scary wolves, and even a snow elephant. Pair this with _Froggy Gets Dressed_ for a fun pre-school storytime.
February 6, 2008
The grainy, perhaps pointillistic art style works better in the snow sequences--indoors Danny and his mother just look like they're slightly out of focus. The story is also going to go over the heads of a lot of smaller kids, and I'm not sure that older kids are going to find it appealing.
Just another snow book--and not one that's going to give books like "The Snowy Day" a run for their money.
Just another snow book--and not one that's going to give books like "The Snowy Day" a run for their money.
December 4, 2010
Danny doesn't know what snow is so he goes out to play and find out. Danny sees new friends in the snow and the illustrations show these different animals but they aren't real. As he continues to play Danny things he sees scary wolves and begins to run away. Great story to teach imagination and show how Danny uses his imagination to play in the snow.
April 28, 2008
My daughter and I could not connect to this book because we do not live in an area that gets even the lightest of snow falls. However, for kiddos who hold fond memories of snowy days I'm sure this book will be a hit.
November 18, 2008
i wanted to like it more than i do just based upon concept. bunny experiences first snow and when outside sees all things transformed by the snow. eh. sad that didn't take to it as it would be a good preschool winter outreach book. maybe for someone else?
June 15, 2010
Our girls have never seen snow, so this looked like a fun book to read with them. It has great illustrations and you can see how vividly Danny imagines the snow "animals." Good to read on a hot evening...I feel cooler already! We've read this one a couple of times.
March 21, 2011
Very simple story, but great for the type of read aloud where you want students to focus on the illustrations and what they can see from the pictures. The illustrations are very imaginative and provide a lot to discuss along with the text that dots the page.
April 1, 2015
I appreciate the story's celebration of imagination, but I wasn't a fan of the fuzzy illustrative style and felt like the switch from carefree playing in the snow to being terrified of wolves was jarring.
January 1, 2016
This is a cute story of a young rabbit named Danny who goes out to play in the snow for the very first time. He is a very imaginative bunny who sees both friend and foe in the piles of snow but ultimately has lots of fun.
March 15, 2016
Cute story about a young rabbit's first time out in the snow. His imagination allows him to see friends and foes in the snow. He runs from them and away from danger and continues on his way. He can't wait for the next time it snows...
March 18, 2016
Cute story about a young rabbit's first time out in the snow. His imagination allows him to see friends and foes in the snow. He runs from them and away from danger and continues on his way. He can't wait for the next time it snows...
February 27, 2009
I like the illustrations.
October 30, 2010
Pretty cute book, but nothing out of the ordinary here. Nice, "wintery" illustrations.
December 28, 2011
So my niece did not approve of this one ... mostly because it was a BOY bunny. Pictures were darling ... just wasn't my most favorite story ever.
January 19, 2013
sweet, possibly storytime material if you are interested in telling it with animation.
July 23, 2016
With a story that imagines all sorts of living things out of the shapes that snow makes when it covers the trees, this story captures the magic of a little one's first sight of snow.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews