Snow!

Christine Ford

Slide slide down
we glide
Swish swoosh
goes our ride

All the magical moments of a new snow spread across each of these pages. The steady rhythm of Christine Ford’s joyous ode to snow follows two youngsters as they trudge along with their sleds in tow to exult in a day of winter play’from building a snowman and sledding to a hot chocolate warm-up at the end. Painted and paper-collage illustrations capture all the cool contrasts a blanket of white can bring.

From the Growing Tree series comes another fine picure book for the youngest book lovers. Ford’s rhyming verse is age appropriate: “Wiggle wiggle / window squiggle / Frosty smiles / giggle giggle.” The couplets work well with Whitman’s watercolor collage illustrations, and they show readers the great and special things about a snowy winter. Brother and sister and their pet dog spend the day with Dad outside in the freshly fallen snow. They go sledding, catch snowflakes on their tongues, throw snowballs, make a snowman. And as the day darkens, Dad takes them home for a nice warm snack: “Mmm mmm / warm and toasty / Fire glows / hot and roasty / Day of snowy fun is done / Snowy night / has just begun.” Kathy Broderick