Snow day

Maybe the fact that we get tons of snow in winter made this book a favorite of my 2 1/2 year old son, but whatever the reason he insists on us reading it each night. He loves the "eating" pages where the family enjoys breakfast, then snacking later and a homemade stew for dinner. He takes in every page and probably imagines himself in each page. From the cozy playtime in front of the fire to swooshing down the hill on a sled, it's a winner with us.

I checked the book out of the library, and I am considering buying because 4 weeks was not enough for my [...]daughter. She loved both the poetic style and the pictures. Even the invented words brought out curiosity about what they meant and why they were used. Overall this books brings the delightful feeling of a chilly yet cozy snow day that even a toddler gets!

My daughter is only two but loved hearing the language in this book and looking at the pictures. The words bring alive what a snow day is like and are pure poetry. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to relive a snow day as a child or who wants to introduce their child to the magic of words. I completely disagree with the other reviewer. They do not understand that language is to be played with. This is how we encourage our children to play with their words and become readers and writers.

From the opening of the book /A cozy, curled lump in the quilt./ to the end /The quilt closes and quiets. Child nestles with Mama. Snow day melts to dreams./, I've tried to capture the pure joy and magic of a snow day--the magic I remember growing up in Maine with snow days. The family in this book shares breakfast /Steamy oatmeal in a brown sugar 'n' cream bath./, the power going out /Wooooo-ooooo! Wild, whirling wind crashes limbs to lines./, getting dressed to go outside /Nubby mittens. Pom-pommed, pulled-down cap./, sledding / Kwoosh! Thud! Trudge!/, and a warm bath /Soapy soak. Boat-filled bath. Towel wrap. Flannels with footies./ until they fall asleep with sweet-dreams of their snow day.To me, a snow day is a special gift from Mother Nature--a chance to stay home as a family and share books, games, and laughter. The snow slows the busy-ness of the world, and the simple pleasures of hot chocolate, playing pretend, wearing long johns, and home-made stew can be savored. Illustrator Hideko Takahashi did a wonderful job of capturing the details and wonder of a snow day--even though she grew up in an area of Japan with NO snow! Hideko's images have fun, unexpected details like a house appearing to blow in the storm, a braided rug you can almost feel, and a card castle so detailed you want to blow it down.I hope this book will encourage children and classes to create their own special "day" books--picnic day, camping trip, city visit, etc. Simply start with a web and create scenes for that special day and then write a little "poem" describing each part of that day. It's fun--try it!I wish everyone the magic of snow days--all year long!