Winter Is for Snow by Robert Neubecker
A brother and sister have very different reactions to the newly fallen snow outside. The boy opens the curtains and quickly announces that “Winter is for snow!” But his younger sister is not convinced. The boy tries and tries to explain how wonderful winter can be, but she remains grumpy. She does get on her coat, books, hat, mittens and more to head outside though, still protesting about how it is too cold outside and she’d rather watch TV. Once the two reach the sledding hill, her resistance is starting to crumble and she puts her tongue out to catch some snowflakes. Back home warm in front of the fire, it is now her turn to talk about how amazing winter and snow are.
Written in clever rhymes, the book also has a wonderful rhythm to it that makes it great fun to read aloud. The entire book is written in the dialogue of the two children as they go back and forth about winter. The little boy has so many examples of why winter is incredible, including ones from the Arctic, sledding and skating, snowmen, and holidays. It is a wonderful, jolly take on winter that we don’t see enough.
Neubecker’s illustrations are simple and large, perfect for sharing with a group. The two children have bright orange hair, and more colors come in when the outdoors is shown. I love that winter outside is more than blues and whites, it is filled with the colors of a community celebrating snow themselves.
This is a great book to share for a non-holiday winter story time with its rhyming text and exuberant love of snow. Appropriate for ages 2-5.
Reviewed from library copy.