Two excited children act out cheery vignettes about playing in thick, fresh snow: "We're packing snow and smacking,/ we're dodging and we're whacking./ Snowballs fly and we're--/ Snow Happy!" Ink and gouache spot details enliven Nakata's milky watercolor backgrounds: a dog chases after a squirrel, neighborhood children in brightly patterned attire ski and slide down a hill, and two red birds help to build an igloo. When the storm picks up, it's time to head inside: "Drinking nice hot cocoa,/ we watch the sparkling snow blow./ Winter makes us all--So Happy!" The kids' euphoria is contagious and will likely have readers gazing skyward for those first flakes. Ages 3-6. (Oct.)
[Page ]. Copyright 2010 PWxyz LLCPreS-Gr 1--A rollicking verse about the joys of playing in the snow. Lively children and their parents and grandparents enjoy a day of sledding, making snow angels, building igloos, even shoveling. Hubbell's meter is bouncy, and many of her rhymes have a Seussian feel. The short text and the "Snow Happy!" refrain make the book a good choice as an interactive read-aloud. The artwork matches the upbeat mood of the text. It is always a challenge to depict snow scenes because of the prevalence of the color white, but Nakata accomplishes it admirably. She uses pale pastel washes for the backgrounds and bright colors for the children's clothing and for the little forest animals. The simple watercolor characters are full of activity. No one ever stands still or rests until the final spread where they are all tucked up in front of the fire. Large, informal fonts weave through the illustrations, adding to the energy of the story. This is a good companion book to Hubbell's Hurray for Spring! (NorthWord, 2005) but the art and poetic style give it even more zip than the earlier title.--Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT
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