Customer Reviews

Stella, Queen of the Snow

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This is a wonderful book to read with your children. My daughter, age 2 3/4 loves this book, even though she has never seen snow. It evokes happy memories of snowy days from my childhood. The watercolor pictures are beautiful with just enough playful detail to keep interesting when reading again and again. This book is well written and well illustrated. Stella is fun, with lots of energy, like Olivia (Ian Falconer).

stella, with her red hair and similar fiesty personality, is the PERFECT guide for both summer and winter fun. both my boys love her wacky, child-like and TRUE explanations of seahorses, snowbanks and fun to be had, either in a bathing suit or snowsuit. the illustrations are lovely, the text is true and the attraction for all is evident. this book should not be missed.

Stella certainly is the Queen of her Domain, which is the world inhabited by her brother and herself. With her flaming red hair (a visual highlight of the book), she rules the roost when Sam sees snow for the first time. Stella's explanations to Sam of how the world functions are occasionally accurate but more often creative, alternative, and imaginary. They provide for some great laughs for children old enough to know the truth (bears don't really eat snowflakes for breakfast, do they. . . ?). Their anonymous and silent dog follows their adventures through building a snowman, building a snow fort for a snowball fight, sledding, and making snow angels. The dialogue is very child-like, without being childish and condescending. It gives kids a voice to which they can probably relate, whether it's the supremely confident Stella or the more cautious Sam.

The book's watercolors are very cool! Gay captures the orange-red of Stella's hair, the "safe" green of Sam's snowsuit, and the traditional brown of their dog. She captures amazing detail without being overwhelming: leaves and birds on the tree branches, the other kids in the snowball fight, the trip up and then down the hill on the sleds, and the making of snow angels (the final picture of the dog is priceless!!). The complexity of the pictures matches the level of the dialogue---somewhere between the intense complexity of a Grame Base, for example, and the beautiful simplicity of Eric Carle. Gay is right on the money.

Bottom line: This is a great book for kids and their parents! Parents will enjoy reading of Stella's parallel universe, and kids who are old enough to do so will enjoy correcting her errors. It's a fun day with Stella and Sam. It's almost worth getting the book for two pictures: Sam standing on a pile of snow, with his pot belly, firmly-secured hat, and green snow suit; and the dog doing the snow angel at the end. If you don't love Stella's hair and attitude, then you need to adjust your sense of humor.

I love this book. The first time I read Stella, Star of the Sea I fell in love with Stella and Sam. I was so excited to see this new book. I am going to read it to my class as soon as possible. It is an excellent book. (Stella's pointed nose and round belly make the book a must buy!)

Meet Stella and Sam, sister and brother pair extrordainaire! Stella is older and wiser, with an imagination as firey and exuberant as her curly flame-red hair. Sam is younger, and a bit on the worried side. His favorite question is "WHY" and he asks it a LOT. His constant questions are prompted by watching his first snowstorm, which both intrigues and intimidates him. Stella introduces Sam to the magic of winter as she patiently answers his question and steals our hearts as she calms his fears. You'll both sympathize with Sam's dilemma (to go out and play or stay inside and watch?) and giggle at Stella's energy, imagination, and explainations ("the water is frozen like a giant silver popsicle"). The pictures are priceless and the dialogue is diverting. Definitely one of the newest, best books in children's literature.