IT’S SNOWING! IT’S SNOWING!

The magical excitement of winter is the focus of this entry in the I Can Read series from prolific poet Prelutsky, who offers 16 rhyming poems for children who are reading fluently on their own. The poems are set with a longer line length, and in large type with lots of white space between lines, giving the effect of an illustrated story rather than a poetry collection, and making this collection easier to read than most poetry for new readers. Most of the poems are humorous or just plain silly fun in Prelutsky’s familiar fashion, but a few are more introspective, adding a touch of melancholy to the more exuberant offerings. The appealing illustrations by Abolafia follow one dark-haired little boy and his dog as they explore their wintry world: skating, throwing snowballs and creating a jolly snowman friend who is poignantly reduced to just a black hat, a carrot and lumps of coal on the final page. (Poetry. 5-9)