[.ca] Snow Music (ISBN 0066239567)

Sweet but not saccharine. Low key without being maudlin.:
To look at "Snow Music" you wouldn't necessarily think much of it at first. On the cover is a calming image of a snow globe sitting beside a snowy window. Inside the book, however, the author/illustrator Lynne Rae Perkins has created a collection of delicate watercolor pictures that deftly encapsulate the experience of a single snowy day. When a boy accidentally loses his dog in the snow he sets out to find it again, experiencing the sights and sounds of winter on the way. My description of the plot is exactly the same as millions of plots about snowy days in children's picture books. There's not a word in that description that's going to convince you that this book is any better or worse. Well it IS better, gol durn it, and I fully intend to show you why. First of all, let's examine a two page spread that appears after the title page. The page is full of blue, purple, and violet circles, each containing the word, "peth". The instruction simply reads, "Everyone whisper:". A whispered "peth" is indeed the sound snow makes when it falls on a silent night. The opposite page is a single spotlight lit on the side of the road, illuminating the flakes that fall beneath it. As the book continues we read small animal poetry. One is a deer haiku (almost), the other the thoughts a squirrel may have as it hunts for food. Two kids meet up and one explains his current situation. "I just opened the door to look out and he bolted". I love this line. The kids trudge off to find the dog and we read three different kinds of snow music in a row. One is the sound a car makes when it drives with the radio playing. Another is a VERY realistic truck salting the road. The third, the dog jingling in the snow. As you may have guessed, this dog is eventually found and the last dialogue we hear is this: "Good boy." "Why are you saying he's good?" "So he'll like coming home". The snow falls again after the sun melted it during the day and we are instructed this time to whisper "fep fep fep". End of story. Aside from the words, which are superb, the art is as evocative as it gets. Perkins lives in northern Michigan and her book is a lovely view of rural Midwest snowscapes in the wintertime. This is the best picture book I've seen that evokes what it truly feels like to watch snow covering the land during the night. As lovely to hear as it is to read, it's one of the best winter stories I've ever had the pleasure to pick up.

Perfect Christmas gift!:
This is a wonderful book for reading aloud with small children. Beautiful illustrations, musical text, an intriguing plot about a runaway dog. Lots to talk about or think about or just absorb. Perfect for snuggling up with the little ones on a cold Christmasy day!

A unique and distinguished read-aloud treasure:
A superbly executed picture book for children by Lynne Rae Perkins, Snow Music emphasizes vision and sensation over plodding narrative. An elegant picture book featuring rapturous art and onomatopoeic writing, Snow Music uses color, contrast, and simple yet expressive phrases to bring alive a feeling of imagination and wonder in readers of all ages. A unique and distinguished read-aloud treasure to share with young children.