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Snowmen
Snowmen at Work
If you were a snowman, what job would you choose?
Ten years ago, on the publication of Snowmen at Night, we discovered the secret lives of snowmen. While we humans sleep, the snowmen go sledding, play baseball, and drink cocoa. But now it's revealed that snowmen don't just play all night--they have jobs to do, just like the parents of human kids. Dentists replace missing coal from snowman smiles while pet store owners help pair snowkids with their very own snowpuppy or snowfish to love. The pizza man delivers frozen pizza, and factory workers make the coolest toys in town.
This fourth book in the New York Times bestselling Snowmen series is a gleeful, goofy delight. Kids will love spotting the silly details in each illustration, and the hidden pictures too. (They can look on the back side of the book jacket for a key to all that's concealed within.)
Ten years ago, on the publication of Snowmen at Night, we discovered the secret lives of snowmen. While we humans sleep, the snowmen go sledding, play baseball, and drink cocoa. But now it's revealed that snowmen don't just play all night--they have jobs to do, just like the parents of human kids. Dentists replace missing coal from snowman smiles while pet store owners help pair snowkids with their very own snowpuppy or snowfish to love. The pizza man delivers frozen pizza, and factory workers make the coolest toys in town.
This fourth book in the New York Times bestselling Snowmen series is a gleeful, goofy delight. Kids will love spotting the silly details in each illustration, and the hidden pictures too. (They can look on the back side of the book jacket for a key to all that's concealed within.)
30 pages, Board book
First published October 16, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
July 28, 2019
While I do find Caralyn Buehner's narrative (her presented text for Snowmen at Work) enchanting and sweet enough and especially the many clever plays on words (for they are both humorous and slyly imaginative, even though the rhymes do at times have a tendency to be more than a bit awkward and stumbling), I really do not at ALL enjoy the illustrated broad lump of coal smiles of the depicted and featured snowmen. As a child, I was actually often frightened by the rigid, often wide (gaping) smiles shown on many snowmen, and even now, as an adult, the smiles of the snowmen in Snowmen at Work tend to creep me out a bit. That is not to say, that Mark Buehner's illustrations are lacking in any respect (in fact, I do think that they both compliment and complement his wife's text), simply that for me, personally, his pictures just do not work all that well (and no, I am of course not frightened by broad lump of coal snowmen smiles any longer, but they still tend to give me somewhat a case of the shivers).
Now Snowmen at Work is also supposed to be a hidden object book, and while I have managed to locate a select few of these, most of the hidden objects, I have unfortunately been unable to successfully find. And a huge part of the problem is (I believe) that the key to the hidden objects is on the inside flap of the dust jacket, and since I am reading a library book, where the dust jacket is fused onto the book, I am, of course, not able to peruse the key for the hidden objects. And yes, considering that many readers do rely on library books, and that dust jackets on picture books also often do not survive repeated readings and rough handling, it probably would have been a far better idea for the publisher to have placed the key to the hidden objects within the actual pages of Snowmen at Work. And really, the fact that such essential information as the key to the hidden objects is located on something which especially in picture books often tends to not last, to me this is indeed and in fact rather an insult to children and parents, or at the very least, it shows that the publisher has not really taken the truth of the matter that young children will often be rough on their picture books seriously enough.
Now Snowmen at Work is also supposed to be a hidden object book, and while I have managed to locate a select few of these, most of the hidden objects, I have unfortunately been unable to successfully find. And a huge part of the problem is (I believe) that the key to the hidden objects is on the inside flap of the dust jacket, and since I am reading a library book, where the dust jacket is fused onto the book, I am, of course, not able to peruse the key for the hidden objects. And yes, considering that many readers do rely on library books, and that dust jackets on picture books also often do not survive repeated readings and rough handling, it probably would have been a far better idea for the publisher to have placed the key to the hidden objects within the actual pages of Snowmen at Work. And really, the fact that such essential information as the key to the hidden objects is located on something which especially in picture books often tends to not last, to me this is indeed and in fact rather an insult to children and parents, or at the very least, it shows that the publisher has not really taken the truth of the matter that young children will often be rough on their picture books seriously enough.
January 15, 2022
I am so glad my friend recommended these books. They are very clever and cute! Of course, now, I want to read all of the Snowmen books. ;-)
January 7, 2019
My snowman really might have
shoveled, and I never knew
That all around us snowmen
Have a lot of work to do!
shoveled, and I never knew
That all around us snowmen
Have a lot of work to do!
September 10, 2013
Cheesy (of course!) but fun. However, the "hidden pictures on every page" element is horrible in every sense but the theoretical. Most are VERY HARD to find, even for adults, so I see it as more frustrating than fun for kids. Its worst offense, however, is that the reverse side of the book jacket contains the key for the whole search-and-find element. WHO designed such a thing? It must be a joke. First, anyone who reads with children knows that the book jacket is the *first* thing to go with a book--either removed by parents right off the bat, torn off by the youngster, or somehow otherwise irretrievably lost in the shuffle after the first reading. Second, if the book is going to be in any library collection, the jacket will be encased in a plastic dust jacket of some sort or (in some settings) dispensed with completely before it is processed for checkout--either way, it will be totally inaccessible to anyone attempting to read the book. Unless the author/illustrator duo perpetuated this little trick themselves, I think they should have a serious chat with their publisher about all this nonsense.
November 22, 2018
When the young boy-narrator of this fourth picture-book devoted to the potential doings of snowmen discovers that his sidewalks have been shoveled by persons unknown, he starts to wonder if his snowman had something to do with it. Could snowmen have jobs, just like people? And if so, what do they do...?
Like its predecessors, Snowmen at Work pairs an entertaining, imaginative tale told in rhyme with bright, colorful artwork, done in acrylic and oil paint. I found it enjoyable, although Caralyn Buehner's text felt just a little bit less smooth, reading it aloud, than the first three. The illustrations by Mark Beuhner were as fun as ever, but the hidden pictures that are to be found in all the books in this series were difficult to locate in this entry. I subtracted a star for this problem. With the provision that they should be aware of this issue, I do recommend this one to fans of the Buehners' previous three books about the secret doings of snowmen.
Like its predecessors, Snowmen at Work pairs an entertaining, imaginative tale told in rhyme with bright, colorful artwork, done in acrylic and oil paint. I found it enjoyable, although Caralyn Buehner's text felt just a little bit less smooth, reading it aloud, than the first three. The illustrations by Mark Beuhner were as fun as ever, but the hidden pictures that are to be found in all the books in this series were difficult to locate in this entry. I subtracted a star for this problem. With the provision that they should be aware of this issue, I do recommend this one to fans of the Buehners' previous three books about the secret doings of snowmen.
March 27, 2014
I would have given this book a higher rating but for one major thing. But more on that after the complimentary portion of this review. :)
I really enjoyed the rhyming text and the illustrations were charming. I think both would be appealing to either toddlers being read to or kids learning to read on their own. I liked how the story opened with a human boy wondering if his snowman shoveled the walk during the night, and then that boy went on to imagine a world of snow-people, each with his or her own job to do. I really like children's stories that illustrate the power of the imagination. :)
What I didn't like was the seeming impossibility of finding the hidden items. At the end of the book is a note that says each painting contains a mouse, a cat, a Tyrannosaurus rex, and a rabbit. I was able to go back through and find the mouse in every painting, but the others? When I could find them, I usually only found one other. I found two others a couple times, and I never found all four. :(
The note at the end also said the key to finding the items could be found on the underside of the book jacket. Well, I read a library copy that had had its jacket removed. And what about children who either destroy the jacket or who have jacket-conscious parents remove it for safe-keeping? I guess those kids will be out of luck, like me. :(
I really enjoyed the rhyming text and the illustrations were charming. I think both would be appealing to either toddlers being read to or kids learning to read on their own. I liked how the story opened with a human boy wondering if his snowman shoveled the walk during the night, and then that boy went on to imagine a world of snow-people, each with his or her own job to do. I really like children's stories that illustrate the power of the imagination. :)
What I didn't like was the seeming impossibility of finding the hidden items. At the end of the book is a note that says each painting contains a mouse, a cat, a Tyrannosaurus rex, and a rabbit. I was able to go back through and find the mouse in every painting, but the others? When I could find them, I usually only found one other. I found two others a couple times, and I never found all four. :(
The note at the end also said the key to finding the items could be found on the underside of the book jacket. Well, I read a library copy that had had its jacket removed. And what about children who either destroy the jacket or who have jacket-conscious parents remove it for safe-keeping? I guess those kids will be out of luck, like me. :(
January 22, 2014
Cute. A little better than what I've been getting for a winter storytime theme. And I think the kids will love seeing a snow librarian. If I can get them to look at the pictures--which are the best part--I think this will be an enjoyable read and a fun idea for them.
1/22/14: They loved the pictures and the idea of snowmen doing that kind of work. A good opener for a snow/winter theme, and fabulous lead in to "Once there was a Snowman."
1/22/14: They loved the pictures and the idea of snowmen doing that kind of work. A good opener for a snow/winter theme, and fabulous lead in to "Once there was a Snowman."
December 30, 2014
This would be fun to use when we talk about community helpers at school. I like Buehner's books about the snowmen. I like the details in the illustrations. (Loved the plaque in the dentist office..."Be true to your teeth or they'll be false to you! ). Loved the teacher that teaches kids about the weather, to count snowflakes, and to spell words like refrigerate and Antarctica....and she has an aquarium with snowfish. And the librarian. I thought this was such a fun book and could lead to a fun writing activity...having students write what jobs their snowmen might do. Maybe their snowman might be a doctor, fixing broken stick arms and helping to cool down a snowboy with a fever. Or their snowman might be a writer and write stories like "Snow White and the 7 Frozen Dwarfs". Or perhaps an interior decorator that decorates homes with snow globes and snowflakes and icicle chandeliers.
November 26, 2014
After playing all day and building a snowman, a little boy goes to sleep. The next morning, he wakes to find that all the snow is cleared from his walks and he begins to wonder if maybe the snowmen cleared it for him. And if there is a snowman shoveler, there must be other snowman jobs, as well!
Cute little addition to the Snowmen at Night story. I didn't like it quite as much as the original, but it did make me smile in several places (like the "coldfish" tank in the pet store). Adorable illustrations and a whimsical tale told in simple verse add to the charm of this cozy tale. I also really like the fact that there are hidden pictures on each page to find, giving kids an additional fun activity while reading!
Cute little addition to the Snowmen at Night story. I didn't like it quite as much as the original, but it did make me smile in several places (like the "coldfish" tank in the pet store). Adorable illustrations and a whimsical tale told in simple verse add to the charm of this cozy tale. I also really like the fact that there are hidden pictures on each page to find, giving kids an additional fun activity while reading!
November 22, 2013
I just bought this hardback book and it says "Look on the underside of this jacket for the key!", My book doesnt have the key on the jacket and it wouldnt be a problem however they are hard to find and my kids got frustrated because they couldn't find all of them! Usually i would give them hints from the key and i dont have it, if anyone who has the book would like to share the key that would be really great.
December 13, 2014
3.5 STARS
Cute enough but didn't really shine for me. I seem to remember liking "Snowmen at Christmas" better, but maybe that was just the novelty as it's the first of Buehner's books I encountered. The "work" was fun, some of the professions more so than others -- the pet shop was my favorite, too, (LOL the "coldfish" tank!) though I found the dentist one I bit creepy, the wide-open snowman mouth just looked weird to me.
Cute enough but didn't really shine for me. I seem to remember liking "Snowmen at Christmas" better, but maybe that was just the novelty as it's the first of Buehner's books I encountered. The "work" was fun, some of the professions more so than others -- the pet shop was my favorite, too, (LOL the "coldfish" tank!) though I found the dentist one I bit creepy, the wide-open snowman mouth just looked weird to me.
October 21, 2012
The first two titles in this "series" were unique and fresh for me, Snowmen at Night and Snowmen at Christmas, the third was ok, Snowmen all Year, but this one was dull slow going subject matter for me, snowmen/women in various occupations. Perhaps the freshness of this "series" has passed and I will be wary of purchasing future titles.
December 17, 2014
This book was featured as one of the selections for the December 2014 Snowmen-themed reads for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
December 31, 2022
Seeing the shovelled walk next to a snowman a child speculates on what kind of jobs snowmen might have. Kind of silly, but did they have to start with dentist? Drilling coal teeth made me cringe.
December 16, 2019
Snowmen at Work is a children's picture book written by Caralyn Buehner and illustrated by Mark Buehner and it is the fourth book in the Snowmen series. It is a delightful story about a boy's imagination about playing with his lovable snowman year-round.
Caralyn Buehner's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and lyrical. With simple rhymes a little boy dreams up what snowmen might do for work. Some of the rhymes seemed a tad forced and the story ended somewhat flat, but abundantly silly. Mark Buehner's inviting paintings contrast the icy characters with cozy indoor scenes, though finding those hidden pictures seems next to impossible.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. A little boy contemplates what jobs snowmen might perform. A snowman may be a dentist fixing coal teeth; others work as sled mechanics, librarians, and frozen pizza delivery men.
All in all, Snowmen at Work is a nice and imaginative story about a boy and how he would imagine what snowmen would do for work.
Caralyn Buehner's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and lyrical. With simple rhymes a little boy dreams up what snowmen might do for work. Some of the rhymes seemed a tad forced and the story ended somewhat flat, but abundantly silly. Mark Buehner's inviting paintings contrast the icy characters with cozy indoor scenes, though finding those hidden pictures seems next to impossible.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. A little boy contemplates what jobs snowmen might perform. A snowman may be a dentist fixing coal teeth; others work as sled mechanics, librarians, and frozen pizza delivery men.
All in all, Snowmen at Work is a nice and imaginative story about a boy and how he would imagine what snowmen would do for work.
December 15, 2017
The power couple Caralyn and Mark Buehner bring us another winner with Snowmen at Work. This book is the fourth in the Snowmen series, the first of which is Snowmen at Night. This charming story invites readers to imagine what jobs snowmen may have at night when everyone else is sleeping. The rhyming text and intricate illustrations delight readers and make the book flow very smoothly. The story describes many jobs that snowmen may have, which introduces young readers to different community helpers and reinvents common figures that older readers will know and recognize. In the story, a boy notices that his walk has been cleared overnight. He begins to imagine all the jobs snowmen may do while he is sleeping, and is amazed to think about the possibilities! I rate this book 4/5 stars.
January 13, 2021
A must read for the winter! One of three snowmen books by this dynamite husband and wife author/ illustrator team.
The cadence of the stories are bright and happy. The stories are magical and imaginative. My kids and I look forward to pulling these out as soon as the first snowflakes fall.
In this book, a little boy imagines what kind of jobs snowmen would have in a snowman town.
Recommended for 2 and up.
The cadence of the stories are bright and happy. The stories are magical and imaginative. My kids and I look forward to pulling these out as soon as the first snowflakes fall.
In this book, a little boy imagines what kind of jobs snowmen would have in a snowman town.
Recommended for 2 and up.
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March 9, 2021I read this book many times with my 5 year old son. We were enjoyed how the snowmen compared to humans when it came to everyday life. This book is excellent for Christmas time, which was when I first read it. I would recommend that it be a bedtime story. It is also a good book to show kids so they can pick any job, no matter what, as long as they set their mind to it. When I read stories to my two boys, my 5 year old always picks this book. It is one of our favorites!
January 28, 2015
what do snowmen do when there bored go to work
December 19, 2017
We all quite liked the snowman dentist.
December 26, 2017
Shared this one with toddler. We needed help finding the hidden pictures. Fun pictures.
January 15, 2019
Not as cute as "Snowmen at Night", but still a great winter book.
January 21, 2019
I like this book: snowmen had jobs because sometimes people go home and have hot chocolate; snowmen do the work for them (snowmen do the work for them, yes, snowmen do the work for them).
December 12, 2019
i liked that they gave the snowmen regular jobs
January 17, 2022
I was disappointed with this one because I thought it was going to be better. The cover is wonderful, such a cute idea of snowmen having jobs. But the best picture out of all, the construction workers in their orange vests, that STOP sign with those gorgeous colorful lights spelling out stop, is not included in the story. It’s just the cover. What?! I was so upset that they didn’t get featured in the story.
The cover page showed the snowman shoveling the front steps. It all started when the boy came out to shovel the walk but saw it had already been done, and the only one out there was his snowman.
That’s when he started wondering if the snowmen had a crew or if snowmen worked in all these other jobs. I did like the shoveling crew, one inside the big red snow plough and one wearing a Buffalo plaid fur cap.
I didn’t really care for the dentist—though I loved the snowman wallpaper, had a bunch of tiny snowmen all over!—the grocer with snowmen loving frozen peas and frosty flakes—surely she could have come up with snowmen treats. Snow cream for goodness sake! Frozen peas?? The snow pups were adorable. The other snow animals were unique like the elephants and stuff. There was a baker who made frozen treats, I didn’t really understand because they were regular cakes and cupcakes but frozen…so like how were they frozen if they’re regular treats and obviously have to be baked??
The teacher was pretty with her alphabet scarf with colorful blocks. There was a magician and a firefighter getting a snow cat down from a tree. There was a librarian and a pizza delivery snowman. The lights covering the entire tree from branches to base were so pretty! I love the illustrations in these, so colorful and magical. There was a toy maker and a truck driver. The last page showed a snow president sitting at the desk.
I just wasn’t crazy about the jobs or the rhymes. They weren’t all that amazing, just very basic. Some of the rhyming had a nice flow and ring to it but others were just okay and didn’t go together that well.
The cover page showed the snowman shoveling the front steps. It all started when the boy came out to shovel the walk but saw it had already been done, and the only one out there was his snowman.
That’s when he started wondering if the snowmen had a crew or if snowmen worked in all these other jobs. I did like the shoveling crew, one inside the big red snow plough and one wearing a Buffalo plaid fur cap.
I didn’t really care for the dentist—though I loved the snowman wallpaper, had a bunch of tiny snowmen all over!—the grocer with snowmen loving frozen peas and frosty flakes—surely she could have come up with snowmen treats. Snow cream for goodness sake! Frozen peas?? The snow pups were adorable. The other snow animals were unique like the elephants and stuff. There was a baker who made frozen treats, I didn’t really understand because they were regular cakes and cupcakes but frozen…so like how were they frozen if they’re regular treats and obviously have to be baked??
The teacher was pretty with her alphabet scarf with colorful blocks. There was a magician and a firefighter getting a snow cat down from a tree. There was a librarian and a pizza delivery snowman. The lights covering the entire tree from branches to base were so pretty! I love the illustrations in these, so colorful and magical. There was a toy maker and a truck driver. The last page showed a snow president sitting at the desk.
I just wasn’t crazy about the jobs or the rhymes. They weren’t all that amazing, just very basic. Some of the rhyming had a nice flow and ring to it but others were just okay and didn’t go together that well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2022
Another fanciful tale by the skilled Caralyn and Mark Buehner team! Jump into this tale of snowmen life and all the jobs they may do - shoveling snow, working at a bakery, fixing sleighs, or running a pet store with cuddly snow pups! The illustrations are superb - the joyous snowmen expressions will captivate readers of all ages - and the easy tale in rhyme will tickle young readers. And there's more: at the end of the book are pages hinting at hidden objects in each illustration - hours more fun for the youngsters after the tale is done. Be sure to add this to your cherished collection of Buehner snowmen series: Snowmen at Night, Snowmen at Christmas, and Snowmen All Year.
January 13, 2018
A cute little book that shows what a young boy is thinking about possible snowmen occupations. The illustrations are nice a vivid and compliment the rhymes. There are hidden pictures on each page which, in many instances I found difficult to find, often not finding them at all. I would think children would have even more trouble discerning them.
May 17, 2019
I just love everything about Caralyn Buehner's "Snowmen" books. Snowmen at Work just tickled me with it's rhymes, especially
These Snowmen at Work are just so lovable!
Snow children beg their mothers"Coldfish tank" HA!
To go in the sno pet store.
The pet store owner has snow pups,
A coldfish tank, and more.
These Snowmen at Work are just so lovable!
August 16, 2022
I thought, based on the cover, it would at least have a construction page (what my 4 year old is currently very into) but it did not. It had snowplow, dentist, mechanic, grocer, pet store, baker, teacher, magician, firefighter-but for a cat rescue not fire, librarian, pizza delivery, toy factory, truck driver, president.
January 9, 2024
I just love these Snowmen books! This particular one would be great to use during a discussion about community helpers or jobs in the community. My daughters thought it was quite hilarious to have a fireman snowman! Our favorite part though: We love searching for all of the hidden items within the illustrations. Even my two year old enjoys finding the little mouse on each page.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews