If It's Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws!

by Kim Norman, Liza Woodruff (Illustrations)

If it's snowy and you know it,
roll a snowball up and throw it,
if it's snowy and you know it, clap your paws.
 
Now in board and perfectly abridged for the youngest another irresistible winter-themed romp from Kim Norman and Liza Woodruff, the team behind the delightful Ten on the Sled ! This humorous variation on the classic song “If You're Happy and You Know It” introduces a group of adorable animals playing joyfully in the snow. They ice skate on a lake, catch snowflakes on their tongues, sculpt snowcritters, and make a frosty fort. But can they go with the flow when their wild adventure drifts in a surprising direction? Young readers will laugh and sing along!

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Storytime, Music, Childrens, Folklore, Christmas

26 pages, Board Book

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Kim Norman is the author of more than a dozen children’s books published by Sterling, Scholastic and two Penguin imprints. Titles include Ten on the Sled, (Sterling) which spent weeks on Barnes and Noble’s Top Ten bestseller list and has been released in Korean and German editions as well as appearing in Scholastic Book Fairs in schools around North America. I Know a Wee Piggy, was reviewed in the New York Times, and is listed on the Texas “2x2 Reading List,” as well being offered by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Kim has a long history of theater & musical performing, which she enjoys including in her school visits and presentations. Songs and videos on her website, kimnormanbooks.com

Reviews

[Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun winter riff on "If You're Happy and You Know It." AJ's giggles are beyond compare and for the grownups, some really moments in which references to ice sculpting, maritime travel and the environment are rhymed in perfectly! A hoot of a book!

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our story time crowd loved doing the actions to this variation on a familiar song. Of course our performers SANG the story.
...clap your paws ...taste a flake ...grab your skis ...sculpt a friend (we actually inserted an action song at this point -- "Once There Was a Snowman, snowman, snowman. Once there was a snowman tall, tall, tall. In the sun he melted, melted, melted. In the sun he melted small, small, small." You can listen to the tune here: http://grooveshark.com/#!/search/song... Be sure to have the kids stand up and stretch and then shrink down to the floor)!
...build a fort ...give a roar (the kids LOVE this) ...blow a kiss ...share a meal (rub tummies) ...warm your paws (the text says "soak your toes" but it was easier to do the "warm your paws" action, plus we had to change the phrase "hold a steamy cup of cocoa to your nose" to "to your jaws").

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really cute and it's to the tune "If you're happy and you know it". Each verse is super cute and some of them are funny. I thought the author did a really good job of making the text flow while still having each line make sense.

The illustrations were cute. My daughter really enjoyed seeing all the animals do the silly things - like a Moose skiing.

This is a book we will likely pick up during the winter each year.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars **If this book makes you laugh clap your hands (clap clap) the pictures were really cute and fun so clap your hands (clap clap) I would recommend it to you, and you might just like it too, and this book makes you laugh clap your hands (clap clap)**
I loved the wording and the pictures in this book! Just fun!

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit long for toddler/preschool storytimes but could be fun for a kindergarten or 1st grade class.

[Maija · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I sang this in the tune of "she"ll be coming round the mountain"...

[Katrina Dombrowsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the phrases are a little tongue-twistery, and I paperclipped a few pages together to make it a little shorter. But overall, a fun book to read (or sing!) aloud in the wintertime.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute! Read/sang this one at work today with my storytime kids.

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A celebration of a wintry day, written in whimsical rhyming poems that match the tune of "If you're happy and you know it...". Each double-page spread offers a new stanza. Kids can sing along to the familiar song (as I found myself doing). The animal characters are fun and the story, which depicts a day full of snowy activities, is arced nicely. The illustrations are also amusing and complement the story well. Makes an awesome read-aloud due to the song's rhythm. The experience is sure to leave readers smiling and clapping.

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it's a happy book and you know it, clap your hands for kid's author Kim Norman, who redoes the Happy and You Know It song with an Antarctic flavor, with seals, moose, even penguins having fun in the snow, sharing Cocoa, even hiding in a warm cave to snuggle in bed, read books and spend quality time together as family and friends. A celebration of life and the warmth we create even in the coldest parts of our world, wherever we live in. Keep the warmth forever, even in cold places like...Tampa Bay in summer! Boom!
Four stars
We're happy and we SNOW IT!!!
SO LET'S ROCK!

[Christine Kallner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just adore all of the winter themed picture books by this author/illustrator duo that spin off of classic children's songs. Definitely go for the full size book rather than the abridged board book editions though -- the board books leave so much out and they are so much better in their full versions.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun spin-off on the "if you're happy and you know it clap your hands," song - only with winter animals engaging in wintery activities.

Illustrations are great. Kids voted to give it 5 stars and wanted to look at all the pictures again.

[Jennifer Margeson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like it but for preschool I far prefer her first release in this series, Ten on the Sled. I sing both stories within the same lesson, one at the beginning and the other at the end. Lovely illustrations and a catchy storyline that fits within the song

[Clwseattle · Rating 5 out of 5]

If It's Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws! is a HAPPY book with the the cadence of the children's song "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands". The rhymes are fun and funny and the illustrations are hysterical. I loved it!

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really feel that this must be sung. Very fun/silly drawings of all the animals.

[Cosette]

Note to self: CGCFCGC

[Kenson and kirra · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like books that my mom sings. this is one of our favorite songs, but it didn't tell us to do much. it's hard to act out making a snowman or sking

[Linda Gibbons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great SingAloud title! My kindergarten classes love this story and join right in.
Perfect for these fridgid January days in Minnesota.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rhyming book that can be sung to If You're Happy and You Know it, Clap Your Hands. Very fun, beautifully illustrated, winter story told in excellent rhyme.

[Rhianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever rhymes with a familiar tune make for a storytime success!

[Kt · Rating 4 out of 5]

You cant help singing the words.

[Laura McLoughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of a winter themed story time I attended with my 2 year old. Pretty cute version, the main problem is that not all of the actions are actually do-able.

[Trisha Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book for storytime, and bonus, you can sing the whole thing. It's also a great book to get the kids moving.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. Used for winter storytime. The animals have fun doing winter activities. Kids loved to see what would happen next.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute take on the song if your happy and you know it only each verse is about animals in the snow. Preschool and up

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this out loud to kindergartners. It is a pretty good read aloud and a good starting point for talking about all of the fun things you can do in the snow.

[Smurf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was adorable. The rhyming was perfect and the pictures were fun to look at. This truly was a very sweet, fun little book to read.

[Kelly Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten arctic-region animals gather for a day of sledding, snowball fights, and forts that leads to some misadventures on floating ice. The day is saved when a beluga tows them back to shore, and they relax afterward with a meal, a fire, and some stories. The narration is set to the rhythm of "If You're Happy and You Know It."

This book is so much fun to sing because the lyrics are complex and the pace of the song makes it extra challenging. It's well-written and keeps the meter perfectly. I was a little cautious because I didn't like "Ten on the Sled," but this was an unmitigated success!

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so hopeful that this would be a great addition to alternative versions of If You're Happy and You Know It. However, it was a bit too involved and strayed from the more well known repetitiveness (it made it hard for children to follow or sing along). This wasn't a bad rendition, it was merely something that did not fit my story time needs.

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can’t sing this book

It’s illustrated with bright colors and has an appropriate length

Perfect for this time of year

It’s a one and done

Wouldn’t recommend adding it to a classroom library that has limited space