Snow! Snow! Snow! [Hardcover]

Snow is not easy. To convey, that is. That something white and cold could be as much fun as it is takes ingenuity. For hundreds of thousands of years human beings have been committed to figuring out how nature can be turned into a game of some sort. Snow-based activities are some of our smartest solutions. Now I've seen a lot of snowy picture books come out in 2009. There was "Waiting for Winter" by Sebastian Meschenmoser, mostly notably. There was "Snow Day" by Komako Sakai. Both are extraordinary books about snow, but they're lacking one essential element. While they both show how much fun it is to create snow creatures, they completely forget about that other snow day staple: sledding. Now there are quite a few sledding books out there, that is true, but what "Snow! Snow! Snow!" by Lee Harper does so well is to really show the thrill and the strange sense of peace that comes from plunging yourself headfirst into the unknown. It's a feeling that even little kids can share, and now we have a book on the subject just for them.

"One night the wind howled, and the snow fell all night long." When morning breaks two little boys see that the world is covered in a thick white coat. Thrilled, they rush out with their dad to go down "the best sledding hill in the whole wide world." To best conquer this beast, they put their dad on the bottom, and the boys on top of him in a "triple-decker sandwich". Down the hill they zip, but when they hit a big bump their sled launches in the air and they fly about for a bit. Nothing lasts forever, though, and soon they've plunged back down to earth, onto the sled. "Again! Again!" they squeal, and even the easily perturbed father has to smile as they trudge their way up again.

The nice thing about the text of this book is how young it is. Lee Harper usually illustrates other folks' books, like "Woolbur" by Leslie Helakoski, or "Turkey Trouble" by Wendi Silvano. "Snow! Snow! Snow!" marks his writing debut, and he has chosen one of the more difficult kinds of picture book writing. Easy picture books that say exactly what you want them to, culled down to just eleven sentences, are massively difficult. There's a reason we separate our easy readers into different sections of the library. Truth told, there aren't that many good ones in a given year. This book is one of the few.

The pictures are seemingly simple as well. The family in it could easily be people, but Harper has opted to make them anthropomorphized dogs instead. One reason for this might be the fact that if these were humans the dad would bear an even greater physical similarity to Homer Simpson. There's just something about the guy that brings Homer to mind. Maybe it's the fact that while the kids are always raring to go down the tallest hill or fly high in the sky, the dad just can't quite wipe the look of mild trepidation from my face. Even when he's flying his expression is a wide-eyed befuddlement. Kids reading the book will enjoy the bold watercolors and images, but they'll also be able to find a couple small details hidden here and there. Keep an eye on the raccoon that follows the family of sledders, since it has its own ingenious way of getting down hills.

It's not fair to mention any book in the same breath as Caldecott winner "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers" by Mordecai Gerstein, but I think Gerstein's book and this one have one distinguishing characteristic. Both books give this profound sense that you, the reader, are hovering hundreds of feet above the earth below. When the boys and their dad take off into the sky and find themselves flying alongside the geese, that wordless two-page spread of the three of them as seen from above makes you really feel that you're right there with them. Naturally, you're also inclined to think of "The Snowman" by Raymond Briggs, that other flying winter-based wordless book. Fine company.

There are good sledding books out there, of course. "Snow Day!" by Lester Laminack, for example, has one of the best sled-based covers I've seen. But for younger kids who need a simpler story, albeit one that might give them lovely flying dreams, "Snow! Snow! Snow!" is the way to go go go. Simultaneously peaceful and exciting all at once, it's a great winter addition to any children's book collection.

Ages 4-8.

This is an excellent book to read when snow is in the forecast. The illustrations are wonderful, setting the perfect tone for this very fun book. My 5 year old friend loves this one!

I fell in love with Lee Harper's art the moment I first saw Woolbur. I just smile everytime I see that fluffy little guy! I couldn't wait to see more of his pictures. Imagine my delight when I saw he both authored and illustrated Snow! Snow! Snow! This guy is amazing! I feel like I'm on top of the hill with these characters ready to take off on an amazing ride and then WHOOSH! I'm flying! I love the illustration of them in flight! So awesome. And then the flailing arms when they are about to land--just brilliant! He totally captures the perfect snow day and he's right about everyone having the perfect hill. I love when the kids say, Again! Again! So true. I flipped to the back and saw he illustrated Turkey Trouble which is just perfect for the holidays. But unfortunately, the book store didn't have them in stock. This turkey was flying off the shelves--Ha! I have yet to find a book store that has it in stock it's so popular; so when you go to get Snow! Snow! Snow! get Turkey Trouble too if you can find it, and while you're at it, check out the adorable fuzzy Woolbur!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 5 reviews  4.8 out of 5 stars