Frozen Noses (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Dorothy Donohue (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS Three round-faced, cut-paper kids bedecked in colorful patterned clothing make their way outside for a snow-filled afternoon. Throwing snowballs, building a snowman, sledding, and skating occupy their time until they head back inside for cocoa and "Winter warm." The story is written as a poem with clipped, clumsy phrases in four-line stanzas. The author attempts to spice up the uninspired rhythm with energetic words, but fails: "Slide, collide/Get good at gliding/Hit a skid/Whoops! All a-sprawl!" The collage illustrations also work hard to create a sense of fun, with a sweater-clad dog added for entertainment, but they, too, are oddly deliberate. The kids and even the swirling snow seem stiff and frozen on the page. Ezra Jack Keats's classic The Snowy Day (Viking, 1962) is a better choice for exploring the joys of winter. Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The fun and frustration of a winter's day are energetically described in this brightly illustrated picture book: "Frozen noses / Tingly toeses / Sniffle, snuffle / Winter's cold!" Instead of using only standard picture-book words, Carr uses a rather sophisticated vocabulary. Words such as quiver, veer, and collide are folded so effortlessly into the rhyme that it seems a wonder such language isn't used more often in books for the very young. The collage illustrations, which appear to be paper or felt, feature a multiracial trio of friends whose brightly colored clothing contrasts nicely with the gray snow and sky. The book starts with a snowball fight and a sleigh ride and ends, as all winter days should, with a soothing cup of hot cocoa and a nap. Marta Segal

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823414620
• ISBN-13: 978-0823414628
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #398,607 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cute Book for the Very Young - a review of "Frozen Noses", January 18, 2007

By	Pam Tee "Harmless" - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

The verse in this book is not all that great (see example below), but it does cover the essentials of a snowy winter with colorful cut paper pictures. Children bundle up, make and throw snowballs, make a snowman, sled (no helmets), ice skate, fall down (a lot :) and then have cocoa and a nap (wahoo!).

Text example for your perusal:

Lace my skates up
Tie them tightly
Ready, steady
I won't fall

Slide, collide
Get good at gliding
Hit a skid
Whoops! All a-sprawl!

Three Stars [C+]. The colorful artwork is the best part of this book. The text is okay and would be a nice book to snuggle down with on a frosty, snowy day. Age range: four and under.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple childhood pleasures, January 15, 2001

By	Mosaic36 - See all my reviews

When adults look out the window and see snow, they may think of shoveling, spinning tires, and wet footprints in the house. When children see snow, they see sledding and sliding and building snowpersons. That's what the children in this book go outside to do. Adults and children alike, however, can enjoy the universal pleasure of sipping cocoa by the fire when they come inside to get warm! This is a warm story for families to share in front of the fireplace - or the space heater - whatever you have available to help get cozy on a winter day.

1.0 out of 5 stars Inane Prose, January 19, 2009

By	BookMommy "BookMommy" (Detroit area United States) - See all my reviews

I am a mom of two little ones and an early childhood teacher and I must say this is book is so awful it actually makes me mad. It's like the author was trying to write some artsy-fartsy poetry book for toddlers?! I love introducing poetry to very young children but the prose in this book is so inane, it's ridiculous. The illustrations are lovely and unique- like construction paper cut-outs. I'm going to cut up the book and use the illustrations for our Winter and snow discussions instead. I've never ever written a negative comment about children's books actually- that's how much this book frustrates me!