First Snow by Peter McCarty

Stay Warm This Winter with Great Books

Winter break can be a great time to spend some extra time reading with the children in your life.  Cozy up together with one of these seasonal picture books and you’re sure to feel warm.

First Snow by Peter McCarthy

Pedro travels a long way to visit his five cousins.  He has never seen snow and does not like to be cold, but when the fluffy flakes start to fall, he gamely goes outside with his family.  When the neighborhood kids convince him to try sledding, he sees just how fun the snow can be. Pedro’s hesitation might be understated in McCarty’s soft illustrations and straightforward text, but the payoff, when Pedro comes around, is grand.

 

Big Snow by Jonathan Beanbig snow

David knows exactly how fun and dramatic snow is, and he knows that the snow falling today is predicted to be huge.  While he waits for the snow to accumulate he helps his mother with tasks at home.  Sugar, soap suds, and white sheets remind him of snow, and he repeatedly goes outside to check on the storm’s progress.  By the time David wakes up from his nap, the drifts outside measure up to the snow of his imagination, just in time for an early evening walk (with snow up to his knees) with his parents.

cold snap

Cold Snap by Eileen Spinelli

Snow is already on the scene at the start of this book, covering every inch of a town called Toby Mills.  Day by day, the temperature drops lower and lower and the icicle hanging off the nose of the statue of General Toby grows longer and longer.  With warm drinks, baked goods, knitting and bundling, the people in the town care for themselves and each other, showing that community warms hearts and hands.

blizzard

Blizzard by John Rocco

In 1978, when he was a young boy, author John Rocco experienced one of New England’s biggest snowstorms in history.  This is his story.  At first the blizzard is fun, but when the snow plows can’t clear the streets of his neighborhood and the family runs out of milk, our narrator takes it upon himself to trek to the store for supplies.  He fashions snow shoes out of tennis rackets, pulls a sled, and stops along the way to check in with neighbors about what they need.  It’s a big adventure for a small boy, and he pulls it off with determination and fortitude.  And the reward?  Telling his family all about it over a steaming cup of hot cocoa.

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