Snow Much Fun!: A Winter and Holiday Book for Kids

by Nancy Siscoe, Sabina Gibson (Illustrator)

Overview

A charming picture book about the joys of a snowy day, featuring handmade felt characters—just perfect for reading by the fire.

The first snowflakes are finally falling—and Berry and Ginger are SNOW ready!

They can’t wait to be sledding, ice-skating, and snowman-building. But Willow is not so sure...

A celebration of friendship and winter wonder, this is a cozy treat for young readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062741127
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/29/2019
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	895,443
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Nancy Siscoe confesses that she loves winter the way her character Willow does—with cocoa and cookies. Nancy is a children’s book editor, and Snow Much Fun! is her debut picture book. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Sabina Gibson is a textile artist known for her soft-sculpture design. She uses her needle and thread to tell stories and brings her animal characters to life through the use of clever photography and delicate homemade settings. In addition to illustrating books like Little Bird, Be Quiet!, by Kirsten Hall, she is the writer and illustrator of Unicorn Magic and Little Wood: Wolfie Paints the Town, among others. Sabina also designs children’s products for Crate & Barrel. Follow her on Instagram at @mountroyalmint.

Editorial Reviews

10/21/2019

Two furry friends try to overcome a third’s reluctance to play outside in this twee tale of a snow day. After “moving a little bit slow,” snow-averse rabbit Willow tries out sledding, skating, skiing, and making “snow bears and snow hares” with the encouragement of Berry the bear and Ginger the fox before revealing a latent passion for ice hockey. The rhyming text is studded with snow puns—“SNOW WAY!”—and the illustrations show cozy indoor periods alongside the trio’s outdoor adventures. Gibson’s photographs of her soft-sculpture creations, posed in a charmingly appointed miniature pastel-hued world of cotton-ball snow bears, bitsy felt accessories, and handmade furniture, will captivate those with a yen for the teeny tiny. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

This tale of friends enjoying wintry activities at home and out in the snowy world is downright charming.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Will captivate those with a yen for the teeny tiny.” — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

11/15/2019

PreS-Gr 1—Berry, a white bear, and Ginger, a beige squirrel, convince their hesitant friend Willow, a blue rabbit, that playing in the snow is fun. After it snows "through a day and a night," Willow accompanies Berry and Ginger outside, though she would much rather stay indoors and eat marshmallows. But she soon discovers the enjoyment of sledding, ice skating, and building snow animals. As well as making cookies for her friends, setting out popcorn and apple garlands for the birds, and even skiing. In fact, it is Willow's suggestion that the trio play a game of ice hockey after they enjoy cocoa in front of their warm fire. The text features some interesting rhymes such as "whoosh, shoosh, smoosh!;" "twirling and whirling;" "gliding and sliding;" and "flopping and plopping." Gibson uses handmade props and photography to create the charming illustrations. The three friends, who resemble stuffed animals, are clothed in knit sweaters and felt scarves and vests, sport bootielike skates and cloth hockey helmets, and build cotton-ball snow creatures. Readers will recognize many of the materials that form the furniture in their cozy cottage. VERDICT This delightful offering is a celebration of the joys of winter and may encourage reluctant youngsters to give new activities a try.—Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MA

School Library Journal

2019-06-30
Three animal friends enjoy winter activities such as sledding, skating, and ice hockey as well as baking cookies and creating garlands of popcorn and apple slices for birds.

The anthropomorphic characters are a white bear named Berry, a beige squirrel named Ginger, and a timid, pale blue bunny named Willow. The bear and squirrel are excited to play outdoors in the snow, but Willow prefers staying indoors with cocoa and marshmallows. Berry and Ginger encourage Willow, and she finds she enjoys ice hockey when she scores a goal. Intriguing photographic illustrations use small fabric sculptures for the animals with tiny props and relevant costumes such as felt skates and knitted sweaters and hats. The animals are photographed in miniature scenes of snowy outdoor settings and inside the cozy, pink house the friends share. A loosely rhyming text uses different rhyme schemes on each page, with evocative rhyming word pairs describing the activities of the animals. The language includes rich vocabulary such as "squooshed," "whoosh," "whirling," and "shimmering," and a running gag uses puns with the word "snow" substituted for "so" as in the title.

This tale of friends enjoying wintry activities at home and out in the snowy world is downright charming. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews