[.ca] Snow (ISBN 0374468621)

From Amazon.com:
Uri Shulevitz won a Caldecott Medal for his illustrated edition of Arthur Ransome's The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship, and has won numerous other awards for illustrating his own books. Not surprising, then, that he'd create such a lovely book as Snow, a touching story about childish hope, grumpy pessimistic grownups, and the wonder of snowfall. Will the snow come? (Oh, please?) In the first scene there is none, but the second has--if you can find it--a single flake. Then there are more--but they melt. And then, finally... joy! These are unusually subtle illustrations for a children's book: so many illustrators try to out-do each other with lurid effects and excessive brightness, but many of Shulevitz's exquisite panels are close to monotone. He paints whole cityscapes in a dozen shades of gray, with small human figures who you notice (at second glance) have coats of gray-green, gray-blue, or gray-brown. The adults have tiny Edwardian parasols or handle-bar moustaches. The abstract, atmospheric, folktale effect is heightened by a pared-to-the-bone text, just a few words per page. "'It's nothing,' said man with hat. Then three snowflakes. 'It's snowing,' said boy with dog." Snow perfectly captures the transformative nature of snow and the result is magical. Click to see a sample spread. Illustrations and text ©Uri Shulevitz, reprinted with permission from Farrar, Straus and Giroux. (Ages 3 to 6) --Richard Farr

The Simplicity of Snow:
The children's book, Snow, by Uri Shulevitz is about a young boy who anticipates snow with only seeing just one snowflake. His grandfather and other people around town do not pay much attention to his words and just brush him off. More snowflakes begin to fall and make the town white. Finally, there is snow. This book is very bluntly written. There are no proper names, no possessives, and no descriptions. With the exception of the pictures, Snow is quite bland. The minimal title of Snow does somewhat suggest the simplicity of the story in the book. Perhaps Shulevitz's whole purpose of writing the book is to show the purity and incomplexity of snow itself. The sentences within the book are not long or complex in any way. Most of them consist of a simple subject and a simple predicate and four to six small words. For example, the first page says, "The skies are gray. The rooftops are gray. The whole city is gray." The next sentence is three words but is not really an actual sentence. However, the sentences do begin to grow in length and number of words as more snow begins to fall through out the story. During the climax of the book when the snow really begins to fall hard, there is a sentence with many words that runs for four pages. Another way in which the narration is very dull is that there are not any descriptions. The story does not say anything like, "the short boy with brown hair" or "the fat man carrying the briefcase." The boy, who is the main character of the story is just called "boy with dog" through out the entire book until the last page when he is "the boy." Also, the boy comes into contact with three nameless people: "grandfather with beard," "man with hat," and "woman with umbrella." Although none of the characters have names, they still fit into the story as well as the boy. Another item that is missing from the narration is the article "the." The boy or the people he meets would not sound so uninteresting if they were called "the woman" or "the man." Overall, this is a good story to read. If not for the excitement that many children have over seeing snow, Shulevitz would not have been able to be so basic with his telling of the story. However, the two parts of the story-the stirring idea of snow and the unexciting storyline fit perfectly to make the book balance.

Simple, beautiful, and a classic:
Since I love snow and obviously live in an area where it is a big deal if it does, I was immediately drawn to open the cover of this beautifully illustrated book. I love the simplicity of words and unique fun illustrations. It reads like how a child would think and that's what makes it so beautiful. Since it is not cluttered with too many words, the story allows the reader and the person being read to, to think and use their own thoughts and imagination. The storyline is about a boy's hope and faith that one snowflake will lead to two, and more, despite the unbelieving and cynical opinions of adults who cross his path. I can actually put myself in his shoes and jump right in those pages. I hope my children will grow to love this book like I do. It has become one of my personal treasures.

Let It Snow!:
This is such a lovely book. Simple text that easily portrays the joy of the season. I initially chose the book for it's stylish illustrations, but have found it has much more to offer. It's a favorite even on a sunny day!

It Really Feels Like Snow:
The illustrations in this book capture the mood of snow. The gray sky gives way to more and more and more white snowflakes culminating in a snow covered world. The artwork's gradual buildup of the storm truly evokes the soft, silent feel of snow.

Childhood optimism comes to life.:
I read this book at the preschool I work at. With beautiful illustrations and simple words, it shows the reader that one little snowflake can certainly turn into a snowstorm. The children loved it. It demonstrated the "faith like a child" we all wish we still had.