Emily and the Snowflake

by Jan Wahl, Carolyn Ewing (Illustrator)

Emily waits and waits for the first snowflake for Christmas, and her wish is granted in a very different way.

Genres: Picture Books, Fiction, Christmas, Childrens, Holiday

32 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

Jan Wahl was an American author best known for his imaginative and influential children’s books, which combined wit, warmth and a deep respect for young readers. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Wahl showed artistic promise early, performing piano on children’s radio programs and appearing on stage alongside legendary magician Harry Blackstone Sr. He studied at Cornell University, where he took classes with Vladimir Nabokov, and continued his education in Europe as a Fulbright scholar before completing graduate studies in the United States.
Wahl began publishing children’s books in the mid-1960s and quickly became a prolific and celebrated voice in the field, ultimately writing more than 120 works. Titles such as Pleasant Fieldmouse, The Furious Flycycle and Humphrey’s Bear earned him a devoted readership and critical acclaim. His stories were frequently illustrated by major artists, including Edward Gorey, Maurice Sendak and Mercer Mayer, and were praised for their playful tone, emotional intelligence and sense of empowerment.
Beyond writing, Wahl led an unusually rich cultural life, working with filmmakers, writers and artists, lecturing widely on film history and literature, and maintaining close ties to both the literary and cinematic worlds.

Reviews

[Jane]

Emily and the Snowflake is a delightful Christmas story that my preschool classes loved over my years of teaching four-year-olds. I lived in areas where we didn't get snow every winter, just some of them so many of the children had never experienced snow coming down.

This was a wonderful book about how snow will melt and how a family celebrates Christmas morning together. I used it to lead discussions with open ended questions to hear about how the families in my classroom celebrated Christmas and had traditions.

The illustrations are soft and very appealing.

[Dawn]

So...instead of an actual snowflake you get a paper snowflake and a puppy you name Snowflake? Stupid.

[Reena]

Excellent children's Christmas story!

[Daniel]

Possibly a fun little Christmas book for children, but also possibly trying to tell a little too much story in the short picture book format.

Has Emily been wanting a dog for a long time? Is she really satisfied with getting a dog when what she's trying to do is capture an actual snowflake? Is making Christmas cookies, with frosting, a necessary part of this story?

It's something different to read, but it's never been a requested book in our house and probably not in too many homes.

[Pam]

Well, there was definitely something about this book that I didn't like. I think I felt bad for the puppy who was all alone in the basement all night before Christmas. I felt he'd be scared and cold away from his mom for the first time in the basement...and then he gets put in a box. I think I'm oversensitive, but puppies need to roam.12/19/13

12/21/14 I liked it a little better this year. Go figure.

[Angela Nelson]

I really like the story. I think it was interesting how the parents had a secret for the entire story. I thought it was cute how Emily caught the first snowflake but it melted.

[Mellanie C]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12854466