Hello, Snow! (Melanie Kroupa Books) [Hardcover]

Hope Vestergaard (Author), Nadine Bernard Westcott (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Series: Melanie Kroupa Books

The joys of a winter day

"Goodbye, Mommy . . .
Here we go!
Through the door
And . . . HELLO, SNOW!"

On the morning of a fresh snowfall, a young girl bounces out of bed, scrambles into warm clothes, grabs her dad, dashes outside, and jumps right into the delights of a snowy day. Whether she's rolling a giant snowball, bumping into a new friend, or tumbling into a pile of white, her spirit and energy are hard to resist.
Playful rhyming text and exuberant watercolor illustrations full of funny antics and details reflect the enthusiasms of a snow-loving girl on this best of winter days.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1–A young girl wakes up and is excited to see snow on the ground. She drags her father out of bed and gets ready to go out to play, putting on her shirt, pants, socks, and snowsuit. Running outside, she exclaims, "Hello, snow!/Hello, sunshine!/Hello, wind!/Snowflakes tickle/On my chin." When her neighbor comes out, they build a snowman together and then go sledding. After they take a couple of spills, the friends go inside for some cocoa. The rhyming text uses simple language to highlight familiar activities. Done in pen-and-ink and watercolors, the cartoon illustrations are filled with action and humor and reflect the excitement of a snowy day. Vibrant colors make the indoor scenes warm and cozy, while the characters' brightly hued outdoor clothing stands out nicely against the white backgrounds. Although Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day (Viking, 1962) remains the first choice about this popular topic, Hello, Snow! makes an adequate addition.–Rebecca Luhman, Greece Central School District, Rochester, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. A little girl drags her father out of bed in the early morning, bundles up for the cold, and rushes outdoors to play in the snow. After she builds a snowman with a neighbor child and his dog, they all go sledding until the final run ends in a pile-up, and everyone heads indoors for cocoa. Short and cheerful, the rhymed verses offer the voice of the child, who usually expresses herself in terms of hellos and good-byes. In her high-spirited mood, even the act of putting on a sock becomes a form of play: "Hello, sock. / Goodbye toe. / Hold on, piggies--In you go!" Always upbeat and often comical, the artwork captures and extends the joyful tone of the text. Heightened by effective use of white space, the illustrations, ink drawings with watercolor washes, are notable for their expressiveness, economy of line, and warmth of color. This is one winter picture book that lets you feel the snow. An irresistible addition to winter story hours. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1st edition (September 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374329494
• ISBN-13: 978-0374329495
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,264,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

As a kid, I was a book fiend. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on, including encyclopedias, cereal boxes, and "grown-up" books. I lived at the library, checking out the maximum number of books allowed each week and blasting through the summer reading programs. When I exhausted the youth and young adult departments at the library, I walked to the flagship Borders store and read new books, cover-to-cover, in one sitting. (I was gentle, I promise. And all the books I buy now more than make up for my childhood borrowing!)

When I was eight or nine, I wrote this sentence in my journal: When I read a good book I feel like I'm hiding inside it, watching the story happen around me. This is still true today. When I read a great book, I fall right in and I'm oblivious to everything else.

When I was in college, Jane Yolen, Patricia MacLachlan and Jane Dyer visited my Children's Lit class. I distinctly remember thinking, "That's a cool job!" But it didn't occur to me that it could be my job. I was planning to be a psychologist or teacher. I taught in early childhood programs for many years before I considered writing my own stories. After reading hundreds of books to young kids, I was fascinated by their responses to different books. Why did they love books I hated? Why didn't they love books I loved? What made a good book good? Eventually I started putting my own words to paper, and later, that led me here.

It's actually a little odd writing this biography. As a writer, I'm always looking for ways to improve my craft and better understand the writing process, so I'm intrigued by the personal backgrounds of my favorite authors. But as a reader, I prefer not to be aware of the writer at all. I just want to fall into books, and I don't blame anyone else who feels the same way. I hope readers fall into mine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SAY 'HELLO' TO FUN!, October 12, 2004

By 

Children's Book Collector (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hello, Snow! (Melanie Kroupa Books) (Hardcover)

I have always been a fan of Nadine Berbnard Westcott's art, but in HELLO, SNOW! I get the bonus of a well-written, fun, and fast-paced read.

This book is perfect for preschoolers who like to dress them selves. As the child in the book puts on each article of clothing for a day in the snow, she says 'hello' to the clothing and 'goodbye' to something else. Here is an excerpt to illustrate:

"Hello, pants.
Goodbye, knees.
I don't want
you guys to freeze.

Hello, sock.
Goodbye, toe.
Hold on piggies--
In you go!"

The action heads outdoors, for even more fun with a snowman and sledding and fun with friends.

A perfect read for cold winter days!

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun in the snow., March 29, 2008

By 

Heidi (New Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hello, Snow! (Melanie Kroupa Books) (Hardcover)

This was a fun picture book about playing in the snow. While I feel my son might have been a little old for it, he thought it was fun. I would recommend it for grades Preschool - 1st.

4.0 out of 5 stars Musical Rythemic Lyrics, March 23, 2008

By 

Jill Griffin "teacher" (Boston, Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hello, Snow! (Melanie Kroupa Books) (Hardcover)

This cute book uses catchy musical rythmeic lyrics to entertain the children througout the story. Children, age 18 months to 4, will love this book. This book encourages self-help skills, such as getting dressed, and promotes phonemic awareness. Children can easily clap to the rythem of the story.