Names for Snow [Hardcover]

Judi K. Beach (Author), Loretta Krupinski (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 2003 | Grade Level: P and up

CATALOG COPY DESCRIPTION: "Mama, what is snow?" asks a curious little bunny on a crisp winter day. Just as every snowflake is unique, so are the names used to describe snow and its ever-changing nature. Sometimes snow is like the white wings of butterflies, other times it's like a clever magician who makes the landscape disappear! Poet Judi K. Beach's first picture book was inspired by Inuit culture (which has a very precise terminology to describe different kinds of snow), as well as her childhood memories of winters spent in Kentucky and Ohio. Loretta Krupinski breathtakingly renders Judi's sparse, lyrical text in paintings of serene landscapes and bustling borders. This young picture book is perfect for curling up to and sharing on any snowy, winter day.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2--Beach takes readers through the season as an adorable rabbit family cavorts in the snow, bakes cookies, and engages in wintertime activities. "Mama, what is snow?" a young rabbit asks at the beginning of the story. The narrator switches from "We call it…," as in "We call it Welcome in November," to "Call it…," as in "Call it Kitten when it sleeps in the crook of a window," which changes the tone of the text. Some of the images, both verbal and visual, are quite sweet--for example, "…Magician when the landscape disappears" or "…Trickster when it appears April First"--but others are not so satisfying. "Call it Mother when it dusts" is confusing. Is it the snow that "whistles through the trees" or does the wind make the noise? Krupinski's charming gouache illustrations are warm and comforting. Border pictures of the endearing creatures, clad in wintry clothes, alternate with gorgeous farm expanses with hardly a rabbit in sight. However, the inconsistent use of borders and spreads makes this title seem as if it wants to be two books. Not a first purchase.--Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-K. A mouse child asks its mother, "What is snow?" The answer comes in this quiet mood piece as the mother describes a season filled with endless possibilities for naming snow. From the first welcome flurries of November through a surprise April snow, Beach's evocative, poetic text is accompanied by lush paintings of winter landscapes and farm life, with charming borders depicting the mouse family skiing, sledding, getting ready for Christmas, and enjoying the comforts of home. Krupinski combines the naturalistic illustration style of her earlier Dear Rebecca, Winter Is Here (1993) with the whimsical mice found in A Visit from St. Nicholas: And Santa Mouse, Too! (1998). This will work well as a starting place for imaginative word play and an introduction to metaphor. Louise Brueggeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (October 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786819375
• ISBN-13: 978-0786819379
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #943,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly joyful celebration of winter season wonder, October 6, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Names for Snow (Hardcover)

Beautifully illustrated with the artwork of Loretta Krupinski, Names For Snow is a delightful picture book inspired by Inuit culture, as well as author Judi Beach's fond and personal childhood memories. Inuit Native Americans spend so much of their lives in winter that it is said they have over fifty names for snow. In Names For Snow, a mother rabbit shows her child the many names and sides of this wintry phenomenon, from Harmonica when it whistles through the trees, to Kitten when it sleeps in the crook of a window, to Trickster when it appears on April first, and more. Names For Snow is commended for young readers as being a thoroughly joyful celebration of winter season wonder.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magic of Metaphor, June 5, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Names for Snow (Hardcover)

When snow becomes a magician or a trickster, a family member or prayer, you have entered the metaphorical world of Judi K. Beach. A wonderful template for a winter "game" when snow keeps you and the kids housebound. Ask them, "What would you call this snow?" and hold onto your pens when they answer! Wonderful illustrations by Krupinski keep the very young interested.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EVERY PAGE IS A DELIGHT, February 4, 2004

By 

A. L. Straayer (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Names for Snow (Hardcover)

I hate snow, but I love this little book. I love the cat
sitting in the window sill, I love the barnyard scenes, the
geese in the corn, the fire in the fireplace, the moon glistening,
the snowman, the sled on the porch, the scarecrow in the field, and the bunnies having fun outdoors in
the snow and inside in the cozy warm house. It reminds me so
much of my own youth on the farm. My granddaughter loves it too.
We read it nearly every day.