Big Snow

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