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The Snowy Day

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The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Format: Picture Book
Whose it’s for: Children

Winner of the 1963 Caldecott Medal and The Library of Congress’s Books that Shaped America award.

A young boy named Peter awakens to find that while he was sleeping, snow has piled up outside his window. Peter puts on his red snowsuit and heads outside for a winter adventure. Peter makes snow angels, snow balls, and marvelous tracks in the snow. All the things a child would do when their city is blanketed in snow. Young children will relate to Peter and his wintery adventures, where snowbanks seem like like mountains waiting to be climbed, and snow so deep it’s hard for little legs to walk through.  Like Peter’s desire to play with older children, young listeners are reminded that sometimes you are just too small and you’ll have to wait until you get bigger.

While reading The Snowy Day to a child, it’s hard not to reminisce about your own fun childhood memories of playing in the snow. Peter’s adventures are familiar, realistic and oh so charming! Children and adults will appreciate Ezra Jack Keats simple story and beautiful illustrations. Share this story with a child, talk about your own snowy memories and ask them about theirs. Then, on the next snowy day, head outside and have an adventure, just like our beloved protagonist Peter.

In 2020, The New York Public Library announced that The Snowy Day was the most checked out book in the 125 year history of the Library!

In 2017 the U.S. Postal Service issued a collection of Forever stamps featuring four images from The Snowy Day.

 

Find The Snowy Day in the catalog.

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter

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Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter by Kenard Pak
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter is a relaxing book with beautiful illustrations to ease kids and adults into winter. The story follows a brother and sister who observe the subtle ways of how autumn becomes winter. As they say hello to the elements that make up autumn, like the leaves blowing off the trees and the flowers that will soon leave, nature says hello back with short explanations as to where they’re going. Then, as winter approaches the children begin saying hello to the elements of winter and hear what makes winter special. The illustrator beautifully showcases what makes each season unique. The slow and relaxing tone throughout the book will help others appreciate the change of the seasons.

Find Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter in our catalog.

Hello, Rain!

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Hello, Rain! by Kyo Maclear
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Children

Did you know that rain can be savored, enjoyed? As an adult, I primarily think of how not to get wet when it rains. Yet this book is a celebration of rain! With bright and cheery illustration, the author describes all that happens and all that a person could do when it rains, both indoors and out. She introduces the reader to the adventure of rain.  What does it sound like?  What does rain do?  How can we experience it? And how can we make it a special experience indoors too?

Kyo Maclear invites everyone to slow down and take in their encounter with weather.  I found that even just reading about rain was a delight.

And you can find Hello, Rain! right here!

After Sundown

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After Sundown by Linda Howard and Linda Jones
Who it’s for: Adults
Format: Book

Sela, the reclusive owner of a general store in the eastern Tennessee Mountains finds safety in solitude, Ben the mysterious ex-military man living alone in the wilds of Cove Mountain may be the only man that can break through her protective shell.  For years, he’s kept his distance from Sela and other not really communicating with anyone in the small town that sits below his mountain top home.  Then one day Ben appears at Sela,s store to warn her about the impending solar storm threat, capable of taking down the power grids in communities across the globe.  Sela must now find the strength and courage to step up and become the leader of Wears Valley, the small town where she lives with her aunt, cousin and a community of people that have known her most of her life.  She and Ben discover that in the dark, cut off from the outside world, danger brings together a community of people determined to survive a new way of life.   Along with two guarded hearts in a battle for survival where there is no more playing it safe–in life or in love.  This story had me thing about what if something similar happened around this community?  Would we know how to survive in this situation or would there be panic and chaos like there was with the pandemic and the threat of gas shortages.

Find After Sundown in the catalog!

 

Desert Girl, Monsoon boy

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Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy by Tara Dairman, illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
Format: Book
Who Its For: Kids

At first glance their lives couldn’t be more different. The nomad girl in the blistering dry desert fetches water and tends the camels, taking shelter from the howling sandstorms in her tent. The village boy in the green fields goes to school and tends the goats. He runs home as the monsoon rains begin, helping his family to seal the door and lift their belongings out of rising floodwaters. But as severe weather takes hold, as one family and their animals need water and the other needs dry safe ground, both families journey to the mountains, where they meet and celebrate their safety.
An eye-opening story of two branches of the Rabari people in India; the traditional nomadic herders of the desert and those settled in permanent villages who raise goats. Both groups struggle with weather extremes and climate change which threaten their livelihoods and lives . Author Archana Sreenivasan took special care to accurately portray the cultural distinctions between these two clans and her renderings are just beautiful. I love the illustrations in this story, especially the faces!

Find it in the catalog!

Pup and Bear

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Submitted by Ms. Sue!

Pup and Bear by Kate Banks, illustrated by Naoko Stoop. The Arctic is a big place. The Arctic wolves know that the Big Freeze is on its way. They shelter in a snowdrift. When the bitter-cold turns warm and the Big Melt begins, one lone little wolf pup finds himself afloat on a sheet of ice. He slides into the water and swims and swims until he finally reaches land. He pulls himself onto a snowbank and falls asleep. When he wakes he is face to face with Polar bear. “Will you eat me?” he asks. “Not this bear.” She takes him to her den where she licks him, cleans him, feeds, and keeps him warm. “I am not your mother but I can keep you safe.” Another Big Freeze comes and goes. The bear nudges the wolf who is not a pup anymore. The wolf nuzzles back. Then the wolf sets out into the big wide world. The wolf finds other wolves. Soon he is leading his own pack when he comes across a polar bear cub huddled in a snowdrift. “Where is your mother?” But the cub didn’t know. The wolf sniffs the cub and rubs its fur with a wet nose. “I am not your mother,” said the wolf, “but I can cuddle you and keep you warm.” See this book listed in our catalog