Some Snow Is...

Like a frosty incantation, Yeomans uses lyrical cadences to itemize the many types of snow, from the first snow—“We’ve waited for so long snow. Is it really snow snow, or only heavy rain?”—to “all gone snow”—“We’ve waited for so long snow. Please, please, no more snow/... our bikes are whispering.” Incorporating a range of winter pastimes, from making snow angels, throwing snowballs, and sledding to tracking critters, avoiding yellow snow, and staying cozy on a blizzardy day, the text takes its time to chant its way through winter’s span. Much like winter itself, some may find that the story stretches a bit long, though Offermann’s captivating pictures help sustain attention. The richly detailed illustrations combine the crispness of manga-inflected pen-and-ink drawings with the softness of watercolor to show an inclusive cast of children experiencing every sort of snow that Yeomans names. Ages 4–8. [em](Nov.) [/em]