Stella Queen of the Snow (Paperback)

by Marie-Louise Gay (Author, Illustrator) "Sam had never seen snow..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
It's Sam's first snowstorm and he has a lot of questions. "Is the snow cold? Can you eat a snowflake? Where does a snowman sleep? How many snowflakes are there in a snowball?" His big sister, Stella, has the answer to every question because she is very knowledgeable on the subject, being Queen of the Snow. "Polar bears eat snowflakes for breakfast," Stella informs Sam.

"With milk?" asks Sam.

"Yes," says Stella. "And sugar."

The two venture out into the white wonderland, exploring the tastes and textures of snowflakes and snowballs, the thrill of sledding ("I think I'll walk down," says Sam), and the magic of snow angels. Worldly Stella instructs her cautious little brother in all the ways of winter in the way only a big sister can.

Readers will be gratified at the return of Stella, Star of the Sea's adorable, true-to-life siblings. Popular award-winning author-illustrator Marie-Louise Gay has created another breathtakingly cute picture book about confident, carrot-top Stella and her earnest but uncertain little brother. Gay's watercolors of blackbirds on denuded tree branches, a brown pup wading through belly-deep snow, and the beaming siblings flailing their limbs to make snow angels are simply perfect. And her kid-dialogue is perfection squared. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K-Stella and her little brother, Sam, first introduced in Stella, Star of the Sea (Groundwood, 1999) return in a new adventure as Sam experiences his first snowstorm. As in the prior book, he is timid and plies his exuberant sister with myriad questions about what snowmen eat, how many snowflakes are in a snowball, etc. Stella's answers are an amusing combination of fact and fancy as she gently urges her brother to shed his fears and share her delight in the day. This is a charming story of successful sibling mentoring, simply but effectively told. Gay's line-and-watercolor illustrations flow across double-page spreads and complement both the humor and the message of the tale.
Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin (July 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1865083305
• ISBN-13: 978-1865083308
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,324,602 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The cutest ever!, September 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Stella, Queen of the Snow (Hardcover)

Meet Stella and Sam, sister and brother pair extrordainaire! Stella is older and wiser, with an imagination as firey and exuberant as her curly flame-red hair. Sam is younger, and a bit on the worried side. His favorite question is "WHY" and he asks it a LOT. His constant questions are prompted by watching his first snowstorm, which both intrigues and intimidates him. Stella introduces Sam to the magic of winter as she patiently answers his question and steals our hearts as she calms his fears. You'll both sympathize with Sam's dilemma (to go out and play or stay inside and watch?) and giggle at Stella's energy, imagination, and explainations ("the water is frozen like a giant silver popsicle"). The pictures are priceless and the dialogue is diverting. Definitely one of the newest, best books in children's literature.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Queen is Right!!, February 8, 2002

By	ROGER L. FOREMAN (Bath, Maine) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Stella, Queen of the Snow (Hardcover)

Stella certainly is the Queen of her Domain, which is the world inhabited by her brother and herself. With her flaming red hair (a visual highlight of the book), she rules the roost when Sam sees snow for the first time. Stella's explanations to Sam of how the world functions are occasionally accurate but more often creative, alternative, and imaginary. They provide for some great laughs for children old enough to know the truth (bears don't really eat snowflakes for breakfast, do they. . . ?). Their anonymous and silent dog follows their adventures through building a snowman, building a snow fort for a snowball fight, sledding, and making snow angels. The dialogue is very child-like, without being childish and condescending. It gives kids a voice to which they can probably relate, whether it's the supremely confident Stella or the more cautious Sam.

The book's watercolors are very cool! Gay captures the orange-red of Stella's hair, the "safe" green of Sam's snowsuit, and the traditional brown of their dog. She captures amazing detail without being overwhelming: leaves and birds on the tree branches, the other kids in the snowball fight, the trip up and then down the hill on the sleds, and the making of snow angels (the final picture of the dog is priceless!!). The complexity of the pictures matches the level of the dialogue---somewhere between the intense complexity of a Grame Base, for example, and the beautiful simplicity of Eric Carle. Gay is right on the money.

Bottom line: This is a great book for kids and their parents! Parents will enjoy reading of Stella's parallel universe, and kids who are old enough to do so will enjoy correcting her errors. It's a fun day with Stella and Sam. It's almost worth getting the book for two pictures: Sam standing on a pile of snow, with his pot belly, firmly-secured hat, and green snow suit; and the dog doing the snow angel at the end. If you don't love Stella's hair and attitude, then you need to adjust your sense of humor.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant Memories, July 9, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Stella, Queen of the Snow (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book to read with your children. My daughter, age 2 3/4 loves this book, even though she has never seen snow. It evokes happy memories of snowy days from my childhood. The watercolor pictures are beautiful with just enough playful detail to keep interesting when reading again and again. This book is well written and well illustrated. Stella is fun, with lots of energy, like Olivia (Ian Falconer).