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Summary
Summary
An enchanting story told in rhythmic free verse of a young girl exploring the world on a wintry, snow-filled day.
This beautiful picture book uses rhythmic and sensory free verse to tell the story of a young girl exploring the outdoors on a wintry day. Everywhere she goes, the snow fills her with wonder and delight. There are fine pearls of snow, a twirl of snow, a curl of snow. The sky unravels into snow, the pond lathers up with snow, the hills are knitted caps of snow. All she encounters is framed by the snow. It captivates her, swaddles her world, and makes everything snug -- from first light, to the darkness of bedtime.
A. K. Riley has crafted an evocative and playful ode to the winter snow that perfectly captures the magic of a winter's day for a child. The verse alternates from slow to fast, deftly playing with pace and sure to keep readers engaged. Dawn Lo's fresh illustrations create a charming visual narrative of snow-filled scenes filled with joy. With a simultaneously classic and contemporary feel, this enchanting read-aloud is perfect for a winter-themed story time, a discussion of poetry, or a classroom unit on the seasons. It also touchingly explores ideas of how communities and friendships are enhanced through shared experiences.
Author Notes
A. K. Riley is a seasoned bookseller, storyteller and an author of poetry and short prose. Snow Song is her first book for children. She lives in Burlington, Ontario.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
"Fine pearls of snow" begin falling on a residential street that's awash in gentle pastel hues as a dark-haired, beige-skinned child sits on a stoop beside moving boxes. The subsequent spread shows the same kid, clad in a chartreuse puffer coat, trekking through trees: "Through black thread trees/ Swirls the snow./ The winter wind/ Unfurls the snow--." As the snow begins to cap buildings, the child encounters other bundled children in colorful coats, ice skating and pulling sleds behind them, and park benches turn shields amid a snowball fight. Lo's spreads, rendered in gouache and pencil crayon, as well as digitally, evoke Mary Blair's illustrations, with simple faces, soft-edged lines, and shifting angles that immerse readers in the child's perspective. Riley's evocative free verse effectively reflects the joy of the children, depicted with different skin tones and hair colors, as they frolic across a wintry cityscape in this playful ode to winter fun. Ages 3--7. (Oct.)
Kirkus Review
Find new friends in a wintry wonderland. On the title page, a young child with beige skin and short dark hair sits near cardboard boxes still unpacked. On the opening spread, readers see the same child on the building steps, presumably new to the neighborhood. Nevertheless, as the snow begins to fall and children emerge from warm homes with sleds, skates, mittens, and boots, the protagonist soon finds some buddies in a wooded wonderland surrounded by city buildings. Riley's ebullient, poetic text--"The hills are knitted caps / Of snow"--perfectly captures the ecstatic antics of these bundled children in the "Glittery / Skittery / Tickle me! / Snow." Then the pace shifts on the following spread, with long vowels that readers will savor and repeat, lingering on each carefully chosen word. Lo's evocative spreads often shift visual perspective, depicting the snowy day from a bird's-eye view as well as from amid the snowy drifts, immersing readers in the protagonist's experience. The illustrations have an ethereal, childlike quality, using soft lines and pastel colors to depict the glittery joy. One spread in particular shows the four children--each with different skin tones and hair color and texture--close up, lying in the snow, happy to be in one another's company. An excellent read-aloud that can also offer teachers and librarians poetic and artistic examples. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.) A moving-in story for lovers of winter that will last even after the snow has melted. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
