THE SNOW DAY
by Komako Sakai and illustrated by Komako Sakai
Little rabbit wakes to find it’s been snowing all night long. Excited about the snow day, the pajama-clad tyke bolts for the door, but Mommy doesn’t want her little one to catch cold. Together they must wait for the storm to subside, and the dark-lit day is filled with a series of quiet, intimate moments: Little rabbit makes a snow dumpling on the apartment balcony; mother and offspring play cards to pass the time; the two silently watch the snow fall and feel the solitude of the empty streets. “Mommy, we are all alone in the world,” says the meditative bunny as the snow swirls around them, creating a vast canvas of white and grey. Sakai’s muted palette and grainy illustrations perfectly capture the quiet, opaque atmosphere of a snowy day. The cant of rabbit’s ears and clever compositions subtly indicate the little one’s emotional state: Tighter, denser compositions denote when rabbit is safe inside; open, expansive urban landscapes with ample negative space capture the freedom of playing in fresh-fallen snow. A reassuring story, perfect for a winter’s day. (Picture book. 3-5)