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Summary
Summary
A boy makes a snowball and is about to throw it when he hears "Stop! . . . Let's do something else." So the boy and the snowball make a snow angel, build a snow fort, and make a snowman instead. The boy decides to take the snowball home. When the snowball starts to melt, the boy rescues it by putting it in the freezer, where the snowball meets some very nice frozen foods and a tray of ice cubes too. The snowball meets flowers and butterflies in spring, sea and sand in summer, and apples and colorful leaves in fall.
This is a great read-aloud. Children will enjoy shouting the refrain "Help! I'm melting!"
There is back matter about the seasons and the three states of water.
Author Notes
Elliot Kreloff is a best-selling illustrator of picture books, easy readers and board books, some of which he also wrote. A desire to illustrate the same scene in different seasons sparked the idea for The Luckiest Snowball, his first book for Holiday House. The father of a grown daughter, Elliot lives in New York City.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--A very lucky snowball has the opportunity to see all the seasons of the year with the help of a new friend. Izzy is playing outside in the snow one wintry day when a snowball they are about to fling suddenly speaks up and begs not to be thrown. Izzy overcomes the surprise very quickly, names the snowball Larry, and the two play together in the snow. At the end of the day, they head inside, but the warmth indoors causes Larry to exclaim, "Help! I'm melting!" So Izzy places the lucky snowball safely in the freezer where he waits for Izzy to return. Each season Izzy retrieves Larry from the freezer to briefly visit the world outside and each time when it gets too warm Larry yelps, "Help, I'm melting!" Finally, it's winter again and Larry happily returns home, grateful that he's had the opportunity to see the changing seasons. This fun story will spark readers' imaginations and get them thinking about all the particular kinds of fun to be had throughout the year. The digital collage illustrations are bright, chunky, and colorful. Each season is given a few pages to shine and readers will enjoy finding the different signs of the changing seasons as the year progresses. A short description of each season with a "Did you know?" section and two-question prompts to spark conversation are appended. VERDICT Entertaining and chock-full of excellent resources, this picture book is a great addition to a classroom library, or any library looking to add stories about the four seasons.--Laken Hottle, Providence Community Library
Publisher's Weekly Review
Izzy is just about to throw a snowball when it suddenly pipes up: "WAIT! STOP!... If you throw me--BLAM!-- it's the end of me." So begins Larry the snowball's yearlong odyssey. Izzy keeps Larry safe in a freezer populated by a rotating cast of characters--"sherbet, frozen peas, and twelve ice cubes," then "a pie, dinner rolls, frozen green beans, and a giant turkey"--taking him out once each season. Each of Larry's adventures--to see spring flowers, visit the beach in a cooler, and jump in fall leaves--ends when he shouts: "HELP! I'm melting!" When winter comes again, Larry says goodbye: "Winter is my home." Kreloff illustrates this tale with digital collages that evoke the mixed textures of traditional cut-paper assemblages and capture the nuances of snowball personality. Readers may want to make room in their freezers for Larrys of their own. Ages 3--7. (Sept.)
Kirkus Review
A boy adopts a talking snowball, storing him in the freezer and introducing him to the changing seasons.Izzy, who appears to be about 4, is surprised one snowy winter day when a snowball he's just packed, illustrated as a snowy white talking head, speaks to him. The boy and his dog play with the snowball, making snow angels and a snowman. Izzy names the snowball Larry and puts his new pal in his home freezer for safekeeping, where the snowball befriends food items and ice cubes. Each season Izzy takes the snowball on an outing that lasts until the snowball complains, "Help! I'm melting!" These words are presented in large display type composed of attractive hand-cut letters. When winter returns, Izzy restores Larry to the snow-covered out-of-doors, where the snowball concludes he is lucky to have seen all the seasons and to have made a special friend. The slight plot is elevated by delightful illustrations in bold, digitally produced collage that has a cheery overall effect. The unlikely character of the snowball displays some hilarious expressions as he faces temperature changes, and the outdoor scenes of the boy, dog, and snowball playing together are charming. The boy and his mother present white. Several concluding pages offer basic information and discussion questions on the seasons and on water changing from a solid to a liquid state (though not a gas).A fair-to-middling story saved by striking illustrations with lots of sparkle. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
