Snow Dude

This book is so cute, I'm a media specialist, and found this book for my nephew for Christmas after the book arrived I wrapped it up with his other items. During the last week of school I found myself needing a book to read to my students so I ran home and unwrapped his gift so that I could read it to them. Everyone loved it and we all were laughing by the time it was finished. The pictures were fabulous!

The Snow Dude is a modern Gingerbread Man (with a nod to Frosty) who gets away from his creators and merrily taunts everyone who wants his company. Told in perfectly metered rhyme, with bright and modern illustrations, it's a relief from fairy tale updates that work too hard and somehow don't satisfy. It's perfectly natural to believe that the Snow Dude has an inborn talent for boarding and that the whole town follows him on his happy chase. My only criticism is that the story stops following the Gingerbread Man just at the pivotal point: he gets to the edge of the water and doesn't know how he'll cross. No fox shows up to make a deal; in fact, nothing happens--the children tell the assembled crowd that everyone can build his own Snow Dude, a party ensues, (which is nice) and everyone forgets all about the chase and the crossing of the water. Maybe that was Kirk's point:Here is where MY story is different. This is an enjoyable book that I have used for several storytimes (ages 3-7) with great success.