Snow Day [Hardcover]

Daniel Peddle (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 2000 | Age Level: 2 and up

One sunny winter day, a child has a wonderful time building a snowman.But what happens to the snowman after the child goes home? A wordless story full of fresh, cold air and the beauty of winter follows the play of light and the natural rhythm of the unfolding day. A new way of looking at the world waits inside the covers of this delightful little book.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Youngsters will be caught up in this wordless picture book right from the eye-catching snow-white front cover, overlaid with the spot-varnished images of a carrot nose and two coal eyes. Peddle's impressive debut pairs delicate, spare watercolors with a clever design to chronicle the beginning and end of a snowman in a single day. The artist opens with a white foreground and a tiny figure of a child below the yellow horizon. On subsequent pages, shadows lengthen as the child builds a snowman, the sun sets and the snowman stands alone against a deep blue sky filled with holiday-card snowflakes. At the turn of the page, the snowman perches atop the planet in a field of stars. The spaceship view disappears when dawn arrives, and finally, all that remains is a smudge of stick arms, pieces of coal and a carrot on a page as pristine as the snow itself. Peddle conveys a strong sense of narrative in the visual echoes he sets up. For instance, as the boy assembles the two bottom spheres of his snow creation, the head-sized noon sun appears to complete the picture. This playful configuration sets the stage for the later image of a one-dimensional snowman engulfed in the sun's halo. His witty approach allows children to enjoy the natural progression of the snowman's fate. Ages 3-up. (Jan.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-In a minimal style, using large areas of snowy white and tiny figures, the artist details the short but lovely life of a snowman. A happy snowsuited child rolls three balls for his creation under a glowing orange early morning sky, adding sticks for arms, pieces of coal for buttons and eyes, and a carrot nose. The afternoon sun shines on the finished work, casting blue shadows, and then sinks with a flaming aura in violet dusk. For a while the snowman reigns supreme atop the world in a star- and snow-filled night, but when a warm sun reappears in a pinkish dawn glow, he melts into a gold-rimmed circle. The delicate, simple watercolors tell the wordless story with charm and beauty.
Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers (January 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385326939
• ISBN-13: 978-0385326933
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #424,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Snow Day, March 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Snow Day (Hardcover)

This is one of the most wonderful books I've come across in a while. By narrating this story visually, the wordless story opens itself up to a wide array of interpretations, from the literal to the philosophical, reminiscent of classics such as The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery, which was clearly a visual influence. The story revolves around a snowman, built with exuberance by a young boy. The snowman stands triumphant in his prime during the crisp snowy night like an olympic gold medalist, only to experience his inevitable downfall with the coming of the bright sunny morning, like some tragic hero or the common man. Lovingly painted in watercolor with a nod to Japanese influences, Daniel Peddle fully understands how to play with his visuals, in his illustrations and the negative space. He utilizes the whole page, with the negative space representing the glorious snow, which takes up almost the entirety of nearly every page. It's just brilliant. This book is an instant classic that can be enjoyed by a child as well as an adult and especially together. This book will make a delightful gift to any child and I plan to get several copies to give away for the holidays.

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect bedtime story, April 24, 2003

By 

Kalan (lexington, KY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Snow Day (Hardcover)

I feel as calm as a first snow in an open field when I look at this book.
A whole story with no text, narrated visually with beautiful simple paintings of a boy making a snowman from light till dusk, then going home leaving the snowman only to melt the next day. My 3 year old son loves looking at the pictures & telling the story to me.