SO MUCH SNOW

What do you do when there’s snow on top of snow on top of snow? You have a (snow)ball!

Designed to be held vertically, this nearly wordless picture book challenges readers to reexamine the white space of the page as two humanoid figures dressed in bright yellow and deep blue emerge from their completely covered home into a snow-white world. The artistic choice of blanketing the page in white means that the protagonists’ actions are often obscured. Their bodies disappear behind snowballs and snow boulders, and the white-on-white design means that readers must interpret some movements and actions, much like a person watching a mime show. This one will have children shivering with delight as they try to figure out the movements of a snowball fight or the act of building a colossal snow person—a well-placed gatefold proves just how colossal as what appears to be a yellow mountain is revealed as a mammoth carrot. Larger storytime groups may find the mostly spare illustrations difficult to see, but this one is clearly meant to be shared one-on-one or in smaller groups, and storytellers who feel comfortable engaging readers with open-ended questions and breaking for discussion will find this a blizzard of fun. The added detail of a die-cut cover creates an appealing look that will draw in curious readers. Characters’ skin is bluish-gray.

Brisk fun for everyone!