Millions of Snowflakes

by Mary McKenna Siddals, Elizabeth Sayles (Illustrator)

"One little snowflake falls on my nose. It makes me shiver from my head to my toes." A little girl plays outside on a cold winter day, counting each snowflake as it falls softly to the ground. Bundled in her warmest snowsuit, she savors the snow, tasting each flake as it falls on her tongue, and makes snow angels. Simple rhyming text captures the joy of a winter afternoon while teaching basic counting skills. Exuberant pastel illustrations invite young readers to join the fun.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Fiction, Counting, Christmas, Poetry

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

We liked this book, with its rhymes and the illustrations were adorable.

[Danielle T · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute picture book starting with counting flakes until you jump from five to the titular million. Perfect for reading the day before snow.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Booklist (Vol. 95, No. 5 (November 1, 1998))

Ages 2-3. As in Tell Me a Season (1997), Siddals has written a book for preschoolers with minimal, but descriptive text--a kind of playful poem about the natural world. This one, which rhymes, is about anticipating a snowfall, and all the great things a child can do in the snow, such as catching snowflakes and making snow angels. Sayles uses a cool palette of pinks, blues, and lavenders. Her pastel paintings begin small, floating in white space ("one little snowflake falls on my nose"), but the pictures grow with each spread as the snow fall becomes heavier--" millions of snowflakes in my hair" --until they finally fill the page. It's as if she zoomed in on one snowflake and then pulled back, expanding the field of view to reveal the complete scene of a little girl frolicking with her dog. This is a book, like Uri Shulevitz's, Snow (1998) or Ulli Steltzer's black-and-white photo essay Building an Igloo (1995), that will get an enthusiastic reaction from active young children.



Horn Book (Spring 1999)

In this small-format counting book, a girl counts falling snowflakes from one to five. The brief rhyming text captures the simple pleasure of cavorting in newly fallen snow, as do the lavender and blue pastel illustrations, which start off as small squares surrounded by white and grow in size as the numbers increase.



Kirkus Reviews (1998)

Siddals (Tell Me a Season, 1997) again looks to nature for inspiration in her tale of seasonal delight. This simple counting story celebrates a child's wonderment at the marvel of a snowfall. "Two little snowflakes get in my eyes./Blink! Blink! What a surprise!" Beginning with one lone flake falling on a child's nose, the gentle verse explores the various destinations of one, two, and more snowflakes, from nose to tongue, chin, and hand. "Millions of snowflakes in my hair./Snowflakes falling everywhere!" Moving from the first depiction of a solitary snowflake and gradually enlarging the focus to encompass the final full-page blizzard, Sayles's pastel illustrations deftly capture the essence of a child's pleasure in snow. Using delicate hues and softly drawn images, she recreates the quietude of a world blanketed in white. A sparkling salute to the frosty season.



School Library Journal (September 1998)

PreS-A short rhyming text captures a little girl's delight as she romps with her dog in a wintry landscape. The heavily bundled youngster counts, touches, and tastes the snowflakes as they fall around her. Linda Brennan's Flannel Kisses and Lezlie Evans's Snow Dance (1997, both Houghton) both welcome winter in rhyme; their longer texts and larger formats lend themselves better to group sharing than Millions of Snowflakes. However, Siddals's book is perfect for small hands, and Sayles's evocative illustrations in pastels create winter surroundings made for playful exploration.-Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MN

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really sweet counting, winter story. Unfortunately, it didn't arrive in time for my lap time this year, so I didn't get to use it. 1/24/13

I love this and the one little toddler that came out for lap time on our coldest day did too. 1/7/14

Went over very well in my toddler snow program. 1/27/14

Used again for my Lap Time program and it was my favorite and went over well. Maybe 4.5

[RC · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sweet, winter counting book is a perfect companion to a snowy day. With gentle illustrations and simple words, this is a great book to share with an child or early reader. The muted colors and short prose all echo the quiet scene that the book lays out. It is a simple, sweet story-perfect for a snowy day.

[Sherry Thornberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book about snowflakes has wonderful; illustrations and captures the true feeling of being in a gentle snow. The pictures make it easy to decipher the text. This book also demonstrates counting to five.

Video reading at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8TJK...

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

*This book is a not counting to a million. There is one phrase at the end the references a million snowflakes.*

A little one is exploring snowflakes and counts to five. This paired well with snowflakes on the flannel board.


2020 storytime theme: snowflakes

Reviewed from a library copy.

[Jami · Rating 3 out of 5]

The shortest bedtime story I've ever read. My daughters and I just looked at each other when it ended. "Read it again." she said. It was two minutes well spent overall I'd say.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and sweet beginning reader!

[Kit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute counting book.

[Colleen]

Hello, Sunshine! unit 5
More Read Alouds

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was perfect with the pre-k class. They were able to anticipate some of the rhyming words and help count the snowflakes.

[Sydney McClure · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for younger grades. It helps with counting and seasons. Inferencing can be taught as well, which I saw in my kindergarten classroom today.

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rhyming, counting picture book about winter and snow with lovely illustrations.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read aloud,adapted into braille for the blind.

[Liz Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, simple, quiet

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable counting picture book. The rhyming is perfect. :)

[Library Lady Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect book for a toddler story time about snow.
Simple counting concepts repeated throughout the book.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a gentle book! Gorgeous, soft illustrations. Works really well with preschoolers and toddlers in a circle time.

[Desiree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book for young children. Nice illustrations.

[Ashley Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Counting and rhyming winter fun.

[Hanna Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

❄️

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute rhyming, counting winter picture book.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short and sweet picture book with simple rhymes about playing in the snow.

[Meghan Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute counting book of snowflakes falling one by one until there is five. I love that there is an action after each one. The book is quite small, but I hope to use it for a smaller group during a storytime on snow. I like the fact that I can get the audience to join in on the actions along with the story. It can be very interactive.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

On a snowy day, millions of snowflakes fall around an awestruck child.

[Aaliyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

We really loved this book! Very fun!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son thinks the kid in the illustrations is him. Too cute.

[Kim Bogren Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This almost wordless counting book is perfect for the youngest child and celebrates the delight children feel when playing in the snow. Enjoy before you revel in your own snowy play with your child!

[Stacia Leigh]

Read the ebook version in my browser and was truly disappointed. Illustrations and text were duplicated and jumbled, making for a poor reading experience.