Big Snow

by Jonathan Bean

While "helping" his mother with holiday housecleaning, a boy keeps a watchful eye on the progress of a winter storm.

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

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 2013

About the author

Jonathan Bean is an award-winning artist who has illustrated many books for kids, including the critically acclaimed Bad Bye, Good Bye by Deborah Underwood. He is a two-time winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for his books At Night and Building Our House.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anxious for snow - lots of snow! - young David continually asks his mother about its arrival, and continually finds that the tasks she sets him - helping make cookies, cleaning the bathroom, making the bed - remind him of the flaky white substance he has on his mind. Eventually, after making lots of extra work for mom, David takes a nap, waking as his father gets home, and discovering that a big snow has finally arrived...

A fun little story about a young boy's eager anticipation of a snow storm, Jonathan Bean's Big Snow pairs engaging illustrations with an entertaining tale that highlights both a boy's imaginative world - everything David does suggests snow to him - and the warm and loving home life he leads. I appreciated the fact that David and his parents are brown-skinned - are they African-American? Latino? it isn't clear... - but that this isn't at all the focus of the story, as unselfconscious diversity is often the best kind. Recommended to children who eagerly await the snow, as I did myself as a girl, and to anyone looking for picture-books that are perfect winter-month selections.

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute little book about a little boy who is so excited about the impending "big snow" storm. In order to keep him occupied, his mom assigns him little chores to do around the house, as they're expecting guests for the holidays.

Each chore gets his little imagination going, reminding him of the storm he's eagerly anticipating. He ends up making a mess of things. It's so funny to see his mom's expressions as she cleans up after him–mildly annoyed but so patient. Reminded me of growing up, except The Carpenters and Kurtis Blow were always playing in the background when mom was cleaning. She was a woman of eclectic tastes.

Thanks for recommending this, Lisa. I can't wait to check out Building Our House!

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the things I loved about this book: 1) There is a real sense of place and of the lives of the different families in the little protagonist's neighborhood. 2)There are wonderful details tucked into the illustrations--so much to discover! 3)The images of snow falling--from the first small sprinkles to the steady pelting of no-nonsense flakes and the changing aspect of the skies captures the progression of a serious, Big Snow so perfectly. 4) The family is Black. There's no special reason for them to be Black, but they are. Good decision, Mr. Bean.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pale neutral toned illustrations; repetition of phrases; fun story; appeal to most young kids. Full review to come.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

David is really hoping for a big snow and pesters his mother about it all day. To distract him, she has him help with all the chores, but David just keeps checking the weather outside. Eventually, David and his family get to enjoy the weather together. A good group read aloud with great pictures.

[DoRena · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many "child waiting for snow" books, and this is one of my favorites. Little surprises and details in the illustrations make it shine.

[Amy Jewell]

An opening I would use for the book Big Snow, would be to ask my students if they remember a time when Lincoln had a "big snow". Students love recounting personal stories and I bet several students would have something to share. I would tell them about the time in October 1997 that Lincoln got a surprise "big snow" and much of Lincoln lost power-there was no school for a whole week! I will ask if any of their parents have told them about that "big snow".

Opening moves include: inviting the students to make personal connections to the book, as well as sharing a personal connection I myself have with the text.

I chose this book as it fits well into my text set of winter weather for a 1st grade class. The pictures are wonderful and there are many things to look at on each page. This book fits in well with the other books I chose as they are all related to winter weather, mainly snow-which Nebraska has gotten a lot of lately!

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Haha - this is really a book for parents. You'll commiserate with the mom in the story and then chuckle and smile a knowing smile.

Ages: 3 - 6

Cleanliness: nothing to note.

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[Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute tale of a small boy anticipating a "Big Snow." His mother tries and almost succeeds in keeping him busy while the snow starts to fall outside. When Dad finally gets home, the boy gets his wish as they all go outside to have fun in the snow.

Cute and for me very nostalgic type illustrations accompany this tale and the addition of a lovely ginger cat on most of the pages charmed me completely. A cute fun tale for little ones reinforcing the need for patience and the understanding of it's lack in little ones easy distracted and anticipating fun.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I'm not looking forward to winter weather at all, I loved this sweet story about a little boy eagerly awaiting a big snow storm. David is so excited about the prospect of a big snow, that all through the day he checks on the weather. He tries to help his mom make cookies, clean bathrooms, and make beds for the holidays, but he is driven to distraction by the snow. I love the illustrations in this book, especially the progress of the falling snow over the course of the day in David's yard.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this one in hardcover and I'm so glad I did. I wait all year for BIG SNOW so I completely get this protagonist. I've been looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint, and I had set the bar very high, believe me. I always love Jonathan Bean's illustrations, but this book is the first one of his that really speaks to me through art AND writing. It's a simple story and I love that. It lets the snow have center stage! I'm in love!!!!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book - with plenty of repetition for young listeners, and a depiction of young attention spans that will have adults chuckling with recognition, this is a perfect snowy day book to share. The two-page spreads depicting the neighborhood as the day progresses and the snow accumalates really capture the feeling of a snowy day spent at home.

[Chance Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming little story about a kid waiting for a big snow. He causes a lot of messes while he waits, and his mom has to clean them up, but at least he helps her in his dreams? The illustrations help show a nice progression of time, and the snow looks soft and cool.

[Cosette · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book to read when it's not snowing!

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parents need to know that Big Snow focuses on a little boy's anticipation of a big snowstorm. Main character David's hope for winter fun is mostly drama-free but does result in an anxiety-driven dream in which the storm occurs inside his home and is difficult to manage. Young children may be prompted to share their weather concerns following the story. David's neighborhood is culturally and economically diverse. His next-door neighbor has a menorah in the window, there are neighbors of different races and ages, and David's family is African-American. The overall effect is subtle as it portrays a normal multicultural environment. It's a great read for preschoolers and early readers



Educational value


Though not intentionally educational, Big Snow serves as a conversation starter on weather and seasons, about which children are naturally curious.



Positive messages


Big Snow offers a positive look at the wonder of winter weather and imaginative play. The background illustrations also provide a positive look at the diverse community surrounding the main character. The home next door to David has a menorah in the window, there are neighbors of different races and ages, and the main characters are African-American. The overall effect is subtle as it portrays a normal multicultural and socioeconomically diverse environment.


Positive role models

Main character David is a typical preschooler who lets his imagination and focus on snow get the better of his chores. An interesting note is that his mother offers redirection as a parenting solution to engage her wiggly preschooler.


This is from commonsensemedia.org


Booklist (October 1, 2013 (Vol. 110, No. 3))

Preschool-Kindergarten. Dressed in snow jacket, scarf, and woolly hat, David disconsolately drags his sled up and down his snowless backyard. When Mom tries to distract him by asking him to help bake cookies, he scatters sugar and flour all over the table and floor, creating an indoor snowstorm. Other “helping” tasks (soapsuds in the bathtub, changing white sheets) produce only more reminders of the anticipated snowfall. When David naps and dreams of a very big snow, howling through the doors and piling in drifts inside the house, Mom desperately tries to vacuum it up. Finally, Dad arrives home, and all three bundle up and trudge outdoors to check on the real blizzard. Cookies and hot chocolate end a totally satisfying day. Bean (Building Our House, 2013) uses soft pastels to depict a warm kitchen, loving parents, and a yellow cat, whose presence can be spied on every page. The detailed outdoor scenes of houses, birds, people, and warmly lit windows convey a neighborhood community waiting for a December storm to arrive.



Horn Book (November/December, 2013)

It’s mid-December. Mom is cooking and cleaning in preparation for house­guests, and David is waiting for the first big snow of the season. He continually asks his mother questions about the predicted snow, and she responds to each question with the suggestion that he help her with her housework while he waits to find out about it. But everything they do together (adding flour to the cookie dough, spraying foaming shower cleaner, putting white sheets on a bed) reminds David of snow and sends him outside to check on the weather. At naptime, he has a wild dream about a snow so big it comes drifting into his house and, upon awakening, he finds that there has indeed been “big snow,” though it’s nothing a plow and shovel can’t handle. Bean’s superbly patterned text builds anticipation, and his pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations make clear links between what is going on in David’s imagination and what is happening out in the real world. The warm illustrations showing brown-skinned David’s cozy home provide a nice contrast to the occasional wordless double-page spread showing the outdoors, with an ever-increasing amount of snow. Young readers are sure to identify with David’s longing and excitement. kathleen t. horning



Horn Book starred (Spring 2014)

David is waiting for the first snow of the season, and he continually asks his mother questions about it. At naptime, he has a dream about a snow so big it drifts into his house. Upon awakening, he finds that there has indeed been "big snow." Bean's superbly patterned text builds anticipation; his pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are warm and clear.



Kirkus Reviews starred (September 1, 2013)

David tries to help his mother with Christmas housecleaning, but his mind swirls with thoughts of the big snow predicted to fall that afternoon. The flour he measures for cookies reminds him of a snow's initial, light dusting; soapy bubbles seem like fat flakes piling up; clean bed linens appear as white-blanketed pastures. With each association, the boy abruptly abandons his task to go "check the weather." Children and caregivers will recognize the familiar scene--how many times have little helpers gone missing? They'll also hear the echoes of their own conversations, of hopeful questions about a snow's arrival and accumulation, breathlessly posed again and again. These repeated behaviors, the cycle of questions and answers and a boy's coming and going, structure this seasonal story and capture the cozy monotony of a domestic day indoors. Sandy browns and lemony yellows make the warmth of David's home palpable--even its smells and rhythms, almost. As the snowstorm gets bigger and bigger, readers survey its progress by noting changes on delightfully detailed double-page spreads of David's backyard and surrounding neighborhood. Dusky pinks, cool whites and blues deliver a muted winter afternoon and evening, effectively contrasting with the glowing luminescence of twinkling windows. Winter's chills, rituals and resulting familial closeness, rendered in simple, surprisingly poignant drawings, make this a perennial read at first frost. (Picture book. 2-6)



Publishers Weekly (June 17, 2013)

A "big snow" can't arrive soon enough for a boy named David. Mom tries to keep him occupied with household tasks, but everything he does only makes him think about what's happening outside (flour, bathroom cleaner suds, and white bed sheets all remind him of accumulation). When it's clear that David's help is actually creating more mess, Mom suggests a nap-and David, in turn, dreams that the snow has turned into a vengeful, invasive blizzard: "[W]ild wind pushed flakes through window cracks.... [I]t roared and blew open all the doors and piled drifts around the house." Never mind being careful what you wish for-how are David and his mother going to clean up this huge mess? This is another terrific offering from Bean (Building Our House); his subtly rhythmic prose and elegant, astute watercolors hit just the right notes of comedy, suspense, and fantasy. The dream scene of Mom vacuuming the snow out of her drift-covered living room is at once deeply silly and a tribute to the indomitable will of mothers everywhere. Ages 3-6. Agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.



School Library Journal (September 1, 2013)

PreS-Gr 1-This delightful picture book charts a child's excitement over the imminent arrival of a snowstorm. Readers first see David standing in his yard, staring anxiously at the sky. There's no snow yet, but the youngster waits bundled in coat, scarf, and hat with his red sled in tow. Inside the house, his mom peers at him through the curtains. She attempts to distract him with chores: cookie baking, bathroom cleaning, changing sheets in the guest bedroom. Each task, however, holds his attention for just a few minutes, then: "the flour, white and fine, made David think of snow." The suds and new sheets evoke a similar response, and, each time, David dashes out to check the weather. Mom patiently suggests David eat lunch and take a nap. He dreams that the storm piles drifts throughout the house as he and his mother struggle to push them back outside. Bean's storytelling builds a delicious contrast between the cozy indoor scenes and neighborhood panoramas that depict the storm's arrival. These parallel David's emotions: impatience, excitement, and wonder. Bean's well-executed illustrations capture the tenderness of David's family, and add appealing details, such as the cat that wanders in and out. David is a worthy, small-town successor to Peter from Ezra Jack Keats's classic The Snowy Day. This wonderful tale begs to be read aloud.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

[Tara Schloetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

David is so distracted by the coming snow that he is unsuccessful in helping his mother with anything around the house! While David is waiting for the snow, his mom tries to distract him by asking him to help make cookies, clean the bathrooms, and change the sheets. However, each time David finds a way to get off task because whatever he is doing makes him think of snow—the flour in the cookies, the suds from cleaning the bathtub, and the white sheets on the bed. Finally, the snow is coming down hard and thick, so David and his parents go play in the snow. This would be a fun picture book to use as a read aloud to young children. The illustrations are funny and show David getting distracted and his mom cleaning up after his messes, which kids will find comical. Kids can also relate to David waiting for snow to come, and then waiting again for the snow to stick so they can play with it. This would be a great read aloud book to use in the winter months, when it might be snowing at a child’s house as well.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids really liked this one. There's a big snowstorm expected and David is excited and keeps asking about the snow- when it will come, if it will be big, etc. Mom keeps trying to get him to help with different things to distract him. But each distraction his Mom gives, he ends up coming right back to snow. One thing I liked was in every task something reminds him of the snow, and the same words used to describe the task, the same words are applied to the snow. So when making cookies, the flour is "white and fine" which reminds him of snow and he goes to check outside and snow is starting to fall, "white and fine". Suds are "white and fluffy" and then there's other things too. My kids I think mostly love the pictures. It always starts with David looking helpful, but then he makes a huge mess instead when it reminds him of snow. Instead of helping make beds, he ends up making a fort and a snow scene. I would definitely read it in winter time and with toddlers (my youngest just turned 3 and loved it, but my 7 year old also really liked it).

[Haylie Dillard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brought back memories as a little kid always excited to play in the snow. I would get detracted by everything because I would just want it to snow so I could go play. Reading this book, I was able to notice that every little thing reminded the little boy of snow and he just always went out to check if the snow was big and covered up everything (flour reminded him of the snow, he got a dream of the snow, the bath reminded him of the snow). Overall, this is a fun children's book to read in the winter time.

Big snow is a book based on an afternoon where a little boy named David. He knew it was going to snow and kept bugging his mom while she was trying to do her daily chore. Davids mom was calm and collective when David get interrupting her. We were able to see the transformation of the development through the book of how the snow formed.

[Gina Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

David can't wait for the snow to fall, but wonders if it will be a "big" snow. While waiting, his mother wisely gives him tasks to do around the house to keep him busy, but to David's frustration, something about each task reminds him of snow. This book reminds of my childhood as I waited for the snow each year so my siblings and I could go sledding, make a "snow factory, and all the imaginative things that happen with the white canvas of winter in a child's mind. I appreciated the progressive illustrations which showed what a child's world looks like from the first snowflake. I think my favorite part was the surprise twist at the end where Mom vacuums up the "big" snow which invades the house.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes we want out of curiosity.
Then we keep on wanting because we want-want-want.
After a while what we want might become all we can think about.
Then flip, like a little switch inside, and all of a sudden we might fear that very thing.

Jonathan Bean's story about little David and his longing for snow...
Has given rise to an uncommonly thought provoking picture book...
providing a story that even the youngest picture book readers may find intensely real
and deeply personal.

FIVE STARS of admiration to author and artist Jonathan Bean.
In particular I admire
that pitch perfect
happy ending.

[Kalynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you live in a place that has "big snow" then this story will delight your young readers, because of their ability to connect to the reality and the excitement. If you don't live in a place that has "big snow", this story helps to demonstrate how snow can accumulate. It also helps to describe the different features of snow, like "white and fine", or "white and fluffy", each description connecting to a inside activity, like seeing the flour while making cookies. I love that juxtaposition! As a bonus, I love how it shows this young boy helping his mom bake, clean, and make the bed.

[FM Family · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 3.5 year old was super resistant to reading this book but ended up enjoying it in the end. It's a bit of a strange book, I liked that the premise was that the mom kept trying to engage the kid in helping out with the chores, to mixed results. The part where he takes a nap in an armchair by the front door once it's already dark was strange to me, but that's just my adult brain, no kid would care. She LOVED the fact that the mom tries to vacuum up all the snow that comes in during the dream snowstorm.

All in all a good addition for that early winter, getting in the mood for snow feeling.

[Savannah Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

David the main character has been patiently waiting for snow to arrive. I love this as a mom because it shows the child participating in household chores! I also love that he is checking the weather and uses a ruler to measure the snow. I think the town pics are my favorite though because it gives you talking points about how you travel in the snow, what tools you need to help you in the snow, and occupations that have to work through the snow. Perfect book to read in winter snow days!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little boy is anxiously awating snow. While he waits, his mother has him help with various chores, which reminds him of different parts of snow. He abandons his chores to check up on the progress of the snow.

What I didn't like about the book was the fact that he kept abandoning his chores. And the illustrations clearly show the annoyance in the mother.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is nothing like the anticipation of snow when you are young. It fills you with excitement and hopes for the kind of storm that makes a big entrance! It might bring an unexpected day home from school or just a new adventure to play in it! This book honors the feelings that ignite when there is a snow storm brewing and the pure joy that follows.

[Miss Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young boy is very excited about the snow. He keeps asking his mother if it will be a big snow. She distracts him with things to do around the house, but he has to keep checking on the weather. He even dreams about the snow being everywhere. Then finally when his father comes home the answer is YES, it is a Big Snow!

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this story are wonderful, and funny. The kids laughed at the page where the mother is attempting to vaccum the snow up from her living room. I also loved the ending and the family time.

Kids enjoyed this one.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

David can't wait for the snow, but wait he must. His mother tries to distract him with tasks while he's waiting for the snow. Eventually he falls asleep waiting and dreams about a Big Snow. He wakes to find that there is, in fact, a big snow.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: David helps his mom with chores as he waits to see if there will be a big snow.

Why I Read This: RAR

Review: This book was fine. It's nice that he's doing something productive with his mom while he's waiting.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahh...the calm before the storm. You know that weather event is coming and as a kid you just can't wait. David hangs out and helps mom with all the boring adult stuff...just waiting....and then the magical snow happens, and the fun begins.