Before Winter Ends

It's March 1, and in my little worldview I like to think of March, April, and May as the spring months. There are signs of spring everywhere, like melting snow and warmer days. Well, slightly warmer days. This is New England, after all. 40 degrees feels like heaven right now.

But before Winter is totally over, I want to record the massive number of winter books we've been enjoying since the beginning of the year. I really went overboard with books this season. I think it was a little overwhelming for Ladybug, and caused us to spend a little less time in repeated readings of the best ones. I will try to exercise more restraint this spring. But it was fun to check out so many of them!

I have already written about a few of our winter picture books in my posts Winter Planning and Winter Books. The three I mention in the Winter Books post are still some of my favorites. And we have hung on to Cat and Mouse in the Snow all season. When we go to the farm, Ladybug talks about playing in the green meadow, just like in Cat and Mouse.

I listed No Two Alike among my Valentine's choices, and I do think it makes a sweet Valentine. The bright red birds in white snow are festive. But there's nothing meant to be particularly romantic about the book, so it makes the winter list too. There's not too much text, and the detail on the snowflakes is really excellent. With its theme of uniqueness, it makes a nice book for twins, but I think it makes a good read for anyone.


Snow made my list of Caldecott winning board books, but I didn't check it out 'till this season. It's about a boy anticipating a snowfall, when all the grownups around him are sure it won't snow. The excitement builds as flakes begin to fall. First there's just one tiny white speck that eventually becomes a blizzard.




No question, the best part of Here Comes Jack Frost is the illustrations. The story is very simple: Jack Frost comes to play with a boy, and they enjoy all the fun parts of winter, like ice skating and snowball fights. Cute, but I'm glad we just borrowed it from the library. I'm equally glad we own Ghosts in the House!, the author's other book, which has a much more adorable and clever story.


Under the Snow illustrates how many animals hibernate in winter, buried in the mud, hidden between stones, or swimming slowly under ice. I like it as a late winter book because it ends with the weather warming and the thought that soon the animals will prepare for spring.




Lois Ehlert's Snowballs is a simple book about building snowmen, with pictures of all the creative stuff you can use to decorate a whole snow family. There are tons of vegetables, nuts and seeds decorating the snow people and some birds enjoying the feast. Makes a good companion for Stranger in the Woods.



I'm a little conflicted about this picture book version of Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening. Robert Frost was the first poet I enjoyed reading, and this poem is a great one. But isn't the theme potentially a little dark for a children's picture book? I suppose it doesn't have to be interpreted that way; I didn't see any darkness or contemplation of death when I first read it as a teen. Anyway, the illustrations are filled with snowy white animals hidden in the branches of trees, and it makes Frost accessible to a two year old.

I'm pretty indifferent to Biscuit's Snowy Day. It's the kind of thing I usually pass up, but it was Bug's pick at the library. It's about a girl and her dog playing outside on a snowy day. If you enjoy barking on every page, check this one out. Ruff ruff!