Best in Snow

by April Pulley Sayre, April Pulley Sayre (Photographer)

Overview

Discover the wonderful world of snow with this companion to the celebrated Raindrops Roll!

With gorgeous photo illustrations, award-winning author April Pulley Sayre sheds sparkly new light on the wonders of snow. From the beauty of snow blanketing the forest and falling on animals’ fur and feathers to the fascinating winter water cycle, this nonfiction picture book celebrates snowfall and the amazing science behind it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481459174
Publisher:	Beach Lane Books
Publication date:	10/11/2016
Series:	Weather Walks
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	59 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

About the Author

April Pulley Sayre (1966–2021) was the award-winning author of more than fifty-five natural science books for children and adults, including her award-winning photo-illustrated books Being Frog, Raindrops Roll, and Best in Snow. Sayre’s books received an abundance of starred reviews, have been dubbed ALA Notable Books (Raindrops Roll; Rah, Rah, Radishes) and won a Geisel Honor (Vulture View). Learn more at AprilSayre.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/17/2016
Sayre follows Raindrops Roll with an attention-grabbing tribute to snow, pairing striking photographs with snowflake-delicate verse. Squirrels, deer, and other animals make cameos (“A freeze. A breeze./ A cloud. It snows./ Snowflakes land/ on a squirrel’s nose”), but it’s Sayre’s images of feathery ice crystals, pine needles caked in dripping icicles, and riverscapes blanketed in white that capture the essence of winter’s magic. An enlightening closing spread addresses a range of topics about snow (such as why snowflakes sometimes “plaster one side of a tree branch but leave the other side bare”), offering some scientific heft to balance the artistry and poetry of the preceding pages. Ages 3–8. Agent: Emily Mitchell, Wernick & Pratt. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

A companion volume to Raindrops Roll (2015), this exceptionally handsome picture book offers a closeup look at snow. Crisp, concise phrases point out what happens before, during, and after a snowstorm, leading children from one idea to the next (freeze, cloud, snow, wind, sun, drips, slush) and ending with a sentence that echoes the beginning phrases. In the middle section, accompanying four large photos on two double-page spreads, these words relate to sunlight after a snowfall: “Air warms. / Snow softens. / It drip, / drip, / drips. / Snowmelt / forms / icicle tips.” Elements of the text are sometimes slanted, curved, or arranged in ways that underscore their meanings. While the lyrical narrative alone could be read in a minute, the variety, intricacy, and beauty of the photos give viewers many reasons to pause and look closely at each striking image. Sayre has a well-deserved reputation for exceptional nature photography and dependable science writing for young children. The appended “Secrets of Snow” section presents additional information related to observations made within the book. Combining eye-catching photos and a spare, poetic text, Sayre's latest informational picture book is uncommonly rewarding for one-on-one sharing and highly recommended for preschool and primary-grade units on snow. — Carolyn Phelan

September 15, 2016 - STARRED REVIEW Booklist

12/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—Gorgeous photographs complement evocative and economic verse in this poetic exploration of the winter water cycle. Alliterative language flows and pulses in a rhyming progression: "Air warms./Snow softens./It drip, drip, drips./Snowmelt/forms/icicle tips." A perfect storytime or one-on-one selection; readers of all ages will want to snuggle up and settle in to appreciate this gem.

School Library Journal

★ 2016-07-20
This striking photo essay engages curious readers as the world of snow is revealed in all of its frigid manifestations. Be it a shivering, huddled squirrel or a cardinal posing as a vermilion exclamation point within a maze of snow-laden branches, the frost-flecked forest creatures gazing forth from Sayre's compelling compositions contrast perfectly with the stark descriptions. “A freeze. / A breeze. / A cloud. / It snows.” The economically precise language entices and beguiles in a rhyming progression that accompanies a series of photos that range from dark gray clouds to drifting snowflakes to a brittle pane of ice fractals. The photos are stunning. Two red-winged blackbirds are captured in midair, about to land on a feeder; snowflakes on a red squirrel’s coat stand out in a double-page–dominating close-up; individual drops of water are captured melting from ice-encrusted fir needles. Stealthily introduced science concepts unfurl amid a visual symphony of meteorological splendor. The appended science facts perfectly accompany each line of poetry reproduced from the body of the text, harmoniously blending the author’s twin disciplines of science and creative writing. A lesson-enriching bibliography is also provided. Adult companions of young explorers will find in Sayre's latest nature study an ideal vehicle for early STEAM curricula and activities at home or in school. (Informational picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews