Big Snow

Starred review from June 17, 2013
A “big snow” can’t arrive soon enough for a boy named David. Mom tries to keep him occupied with household tasks, but everything he does only makes him think about what’s happening outside (flour, bathroom cleaner suds, and white bed sheets all remind him of accumulation). When it’s clear that David’s help is actually creating more mess, Mom suggests a nap—and David, in turn, dreams that the snow has turned into a vengeful, invasive blizzard: “ild wind pushed flakes through window cracks.... t roared and blew open all the doors and piled drifts around the house.” Never mind being careful what you wish for—how are David and his mother going to clean up this huge mess? This is another terrific offering from Bean (Building Our House); his subtly rhythmic prose and elegant, astute watercolors hit just the right notes of comedy, suspense, and fantasy. The dream scene of Mom vacuuming the snow out of her drift-covered living room is at once deeply silly and a tribute to the indomitable will of mothers everywhere. Ages 3–6. Agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown.

Starred review from September 1, 2013
David tries to help his mother with Christmas housecleaning, but his mind swirls with thoughts of the big snow predicted to fall that afternoon. The flour he measures for cookies reminds him of a snow's initial, light dusting; soapy bubbles seem like fat flakes piling up; clean bed linens appear as white-blanketed pastures. With each association, the boy abruptly abandons his task to go "check the weather." Children and caregivers will recognize the familiar scene--how many times have little helpers gone missing? They'll also hear the echoes of their own conversations, of hopeful questions about a snow's arrival and accumulation, breathlessly posed again and again. These repeated behaviors, the cycle of questions and answers and a boy's coming and going, structure this seasonal story and capture the cozy monotony of a domestic day indoors. Sandy browns and lemony yellows make the warmth of David's home palpable--even its smells and rhythms, almost. As the snowstorm gets bigger and bigger, readers survey its progress by noting changes on delightfully detailed double-page spreads of David's backyard and surrounding neighborhood. Dusky pinks, cool whites and blues deliver a muted winter afternoon and evening, effectively contrasting with the glowing luminescence of twinkling windows. Winter's chills, rituals and resulting familial closeness, rendered in simple, surprisingly poignant drawings, make this a perennial read at first frost. (Picture book. 2-6)

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September 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 1-This delightful picture book charts a child's excitement over the imminent arrival of a snowstorm. Readers first see David standing in his yard, staring anxiously at the sky. There's no snow yet, but the youngster waits bundled in coat, scarf, and hat with his red sled in tow. Inside the house, his mom peers at him through the curtains. She attempts to distract him with chores: cookie baking, bathroom cleaning, changing sheets in the guest bedroom. Each task, however, holds his attention for just a few minutes, then: "the flour, white and fine, made David think of snow." The suds and new sheets evoke a similar response, and, each time, David dashes out to check the weather. Mom patiently suggests David eat lunch and take a nap. He dreams that the storm piles drifts throughout the house as he and his mother struggle to push them back outside. Bean's storytelling builds a delicious contrast between the cozy indoor scenes and neighborhood panoramas that depict the storm's arrival. These parallel David's emotions: impatience, excitement, and wonder. Bean's well-executed illustrations capture the tenderness of David's family, and add appealing details, such as the cat that wanders in and out. David is a worthy, small-town successor to Peter from Ezra Jack Keats's classic The Snowy Day. This wonderful tale begs to be read aloud.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2013
Preschool-K Dressed in snow jacket, scarf, and woolly hat, David disconsolately drags his sled up and down his snowless backyard. When Mom tries to distract him by asking him to help bake cookies, he scatters sugar and flour all over the table and floor, creating an indoor snowstorm. Other helping tasks (soapsuds in the bathtub, changing white sheets) produce only more reminders of the anticipated snowfall. When David naps and dreams of a very big snow, howling through the doors and piling in drifts inside the house, Mom desperately tries to vacuum it up. Finally, Dad arrives home, and all three bundle up and trudge outdoors to check on the real blizzard. Cookies and hot chocolate end a totally satisfying day. Bean (Building Our House, 2013) uses soft pastels to depict a warm kitchen, loving parents, and a yellow cat, whose presence can be spied on every page. The detailed outdoor scenes of houses, birds, people, and warmly lit windows convey a neighborhood community waiting for a December storm to arrive.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)