Names for Snow

by Judi K. Beach, Loretta Krupinski (Illustrator)

CATALOG COPY DESCRIPTION: "Mama, what is snow?" asks a curious little bunny on a crisp winter day. Just as every snowflake is unique, so are the names used to describe snow and its ever-changing nature. Sometimes snow is like the white wings of butterflies, other times it's like a clever magician who makes the landscape disappear! Poet Judi K. Beach's first picture book was inspired by Inuit culture (which has a very precise terminology to describe different kinds of snow), as well as her childhood memories of winters spent in Kentucky and Ohio. Loretta Krupinski breathtakingly renders Judi's sparse, lyrical text in paintings of serene landscapes and bustling borders. This young picture book is perfect for curling up to and sharing on any snowy, winter day.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2003

Reviews

[Lynn Plourde · Rating 4 out of 5]

A creative book naming snow..."kitten when it sleeps in the crook of a window"..."magician when the landscape disappears." Fun mentor text to create a class book with more names for snow plus a springboard to learning different Inuit names for different kinds of snow.

[Kary · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty illustrations

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The text of the book makes this an excellent bedtime story for children. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Child mouse to Mother mouse: "Mama, what is snow?"
Beautiful double-page spread painting depicting her reply: "We call it Welcome in November".
Other names through the year include: "Sheet" (when it stretches across garden beds)
"Wings of White Butterflies" (those soft, full flakes floating down) and so forth.

This evocative and gentle book about snow was not what I expected it would be when I first picked it up. Our story time crowd sat still for this and enjoyed it as much as I did!

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are absolutely adorable. I ended up not using this one for my story time this week because I'm a bit concerned our kids might be confused. All of our kids are learning at least 2 languages and often 3-4 at once, so I tend to shy away from books with made up words/phrases, that sort of thing. But perhaps they would get it? I might try it at another story time if we get a little bit older group of munchkins.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

As it says when you hover over the 2 star mark: it was OK. No ill will.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots to keep kids' eyes busy as they look at the adorable detailed pictures of a bunny family that frame the words.

[Marci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely illustrated children's book I would like to own. :)

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This pretty book describes some of the many ways we can view snow. It captures all the loveliness and variety of the season.