When the Snow Falls

by Linda Booth Sweeney, Jana Christy (Illustrator)

A snow-day journey with Grandma highlights all of the beauty, magic, and fun of winter.

With sparkling flakes calling from outside, this sister and brother bundle up for an outdoor adventure with Grandma. In the hushed woods, they see and hear wildlife thriving under a new blanket of snow. In the bustle of town, they help their grateful Grandpa dig out. Then, it's time to get sledding!

Snowy scenes capture the beauty of freshly fallen snow, and the lyrical verse delights in the magic of playing in the snow and the warm comfort of family.

Genres: Picture Books, Poetry, Storytime, Family, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Adventure

32 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2017

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is hard for me to rate. I really liked the illustrations. But I didn't like the text. In fact, I don't even think the text is necessary; the pictures are strong enough to convey the story on their own, and this could've easily been a nice wordless picture book. Each page has a four-line rhyme about winter stuff. Some of the rhymes are a bit clunky. All are a bit too simple and not very interesting.

With different text (or even no text at all), I think I would've liked this one more. The illustrations are really cute, so that's where most of my enjoyment of the book came from.

[Bella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking for the cat that appears on only the first page. It doesn't show up anywhere else since. Where has it gone?

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for a snowy storytime!

[Raven Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoiler: The fact that all of the sudden the parents disappear and the kids are now at Grandma's house is odd. I had to go back and re-look at the illustrations to see what happened. However, the bi-racial family is done as "normal." There is no telling you that "Grandmas is black and Grandpa is white." It just is. In fact, I did not realize that until the re-look. It was just that normalized which made it my favorite part of the book.

[Arin · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Reviewed for ACL]
On a winter morning, a brother and sister awake to a window painted with frost and the meadows and trees around their farmhouse blanketed in white. School and piano lessons are cancelled—it’s a snow day! In this delightful follow-up to Sweeney and Christy’s When the Wind Blows (2015), colorful full-page pencil and mixed-media illustrations depict three generations of an affectionate multiracial family enjoying a full day of wintery fun, from skiing across the countryside to building snow people and racing saucers down a hill in a bustling city park. On each spread, four lines composed of rhyming two-word phrases carry readers through the scene, and every four spreads begins with “when the snow falls…”, lending a rhythmic repetition that will engage young readers. A fitting choice for winter storytimes and bedtimes, this simple story flips the well-worn literary script of children journeying to grandma’s house in the countryside to instead show farm kids visiting their urban-dwelling grandparents, and leaves readers with the familiar cozy feeling of being snuggled by the fire in the company of loved ones and mugs of hot cocoa.

[Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful wintery read. This heartwarming story features all the fun that a snow day brings with it. There's so much to do when it snows! Each page illustrates that fun. Told in rhyme, and paired with cheerful, and bright illustrations, makes for a picture book we'd definitely recommend picking up this winter.

We really enjoyed the story, and loved that the illustrations feature all the fun this diverse family has on their snow day. From a farm, to the country, the woods, a bustling city, the warmth of home and more. This story had us wishing we could share in this family's snow day fun.

REVIEWED http://mundiekids.blogspot.com/2017/1...

[Juliana Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the rhyming 2word/4line verse. Grandma came to the farm for a sleepover but has to go home in the snow. School has been canceled and it looks like mom and dad are staying home to take care of the farm. Luckily, Grandma and the kids (and their dog) find a makeshift sled (wooden chair strapped to to skies) in the barn and make their way through the woods, over the bridge, and into the city where Grandpa is shoveling the sidewalk in front of their brownstone. Grandma goes inside while the kids stay out and play with Grandpa. They end their day in Grandma's house with popcorn, cocoa, and warm soup... perfect!

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

We just had our first snow fall here in Cleveland, just a trace, but enough for me to want to read about about snow with my preschoolers! I found this one in the new books and took a look at it. Not bad! It filled the bill nicely! We are working on rhyming and this book is in verse! The subject was nicely covered- the fun and hassle of snow! and the illustrations were lovely. I was intrigued by the sled/ski chair in the book. I wonder where one of those might be purchased?!

[Katherine Bowman · Rating 2 out of 5]

The picture were amazon in this book and really tell the story by themselves, the words are almost unnecessary. Though the pictures were really good the words itself were not the best, they were written in a way that was simple and short and would be easy for little kids to read but there were some larger words in the text. This to me makes it not a good book because children would have a hard time reading it and even if they would read the words they would get lost in the pictures.

[Alanna Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love this book!

I love that it rhymes and how it captures everything I love about the winter including snuggles and hot cocoa. The pages are short and snappy which is great for holding the attention of my 6 month old. The illustrations are beautiful and the characters are diverse which I also love. I watched read alouds on YouTube for weeks before choosing this book to buy.

A gorgeous homage to winter ❄️

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rhyming simple text with one and two syllable words describe a snow day events.
"Pencil sketches, mixed media assembled and painted digitally" show a multicultural family with a family living in the country and grandparents who live in the city. Double page spreads help the feel of the wide expanse of snow covering everything.
Very similar to Lynn Plourde's "Snow Day."

[Marcie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that the illustrations made it so you often could not tell the race or many of the family members. The four line, two word (subject-verb) sentences did not seem to get monotonous but might upon multiple read alouds. Illustrations are nice. I did not read the first When the Wind Blows but it got great reviews so I probably should.

[Maggie Ignasiak · Rating 1 out of 5]

Though the pictures are very lovely, they lack a certain fluidity (hello, what happened to the parents by the end, and also, where did grandpa come from?? because the chalk board ONLY said Grandma was sleeping over!) It's also probably too lengthy to make for a great read aloud, for my tastes anyway.

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book for the study of seasons. It touches on hibernation, transportation and winter recreation. Simple rhyming text is great for beginner readers and as a read aloud. Soft illustrations really bring the feel of the snowy scenes to life.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is winter? This book describes things that happen in winter, especially when one is outside. Short, brief rhyming text, makes it appealing for even the younger ones. The illustrations are quite lovely and truly depict the essence of the winter season

[Katlyn Kirkwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an adventures one. I gave it four stars because it of the quality of context and picture. I liked this book because it would be used to help introduced the different seasons with the younger elementary grades.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple rhyme scheme (subject + rhyming verbs) and colorful scenes of winter activities combine to create a story as satisfying as a hot bowl of soup after an afternoon romp in the snow. A welcome 21st-Century update of “The Snowy Day” with multiracial children and biracial grandparents.

[Laura Salas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful follow-up to WHEN THE WIND BLOWS. I love terse verse, and this is just such a lovely example of the awe and adventure of a snowy day. A great read-aloud (and also an excellent example to show verbs, if you happen to need that in your classroom)!

[Megan Royce · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Snow Falls is great for older kids who can sit through a longer book. The book is slow and has repetitive stanzas that make it easy to follow. Each scene is incredibly detailed, so there is a lot for children to look at and take in.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, punchy rhyming verse is almost enough to make me want to bundle up and go sledding in the snow. Almost.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming story of the fun that comes with a snow fall. Illustrations are cheery and inviting.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably won't use in story time but it's a lovely winter book for kids. I also love love love that interracial grandma and grandpa are normalized.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The verse is short and to the point, and rhyming. The illustrations are magnificent. The story is wonderful!

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful look at a snow day with grandma, told in rhyming text. Beautiful illustrations full of joy and wonder.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enchanting and colorful illustrations add a lot of life to the simple and descriptive text.

[Angie Quantrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely and rich language-filled tale of a family who goes outside as the snow falls. On their snowy adventure, they see evidences of what happens in nature and in the city.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storytime book about winter, playing in the snow, and all that children see in the winter.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read aloud for children. The rhyming short sentences vividly describe what is happening on the pages. This will provide children to experience life outside their know sphere of living.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The simple sentences and rhyme scheme of this story would be great for beginning readers.