When the Snow Is Deeper Than My Boots Are Tall

Candy-bright digital illustrations with a retro-modern flair by Chou match the exuberance of Reidy’s rhyming snow day story. A curly-headed child, ruddy-faced, is excited to go outside and play: “Winter’s here at last!/ Gobble down my pancakes./ Getting dressed so fast.” Repetition (“Then I roll, roll, roll/ that ball, ball, ball/ and the carrot-nosed man/ grows tall, tall, tall”) and relatable, concrete descriptions (“But my pinkie’s in my mitten/ where my thumb should go/ and my hat flies off/ when the cold winds blow”) drive the action, which centers on the child playing outside, getting too cold, and then cuddling up with their parents. Though the story devolves into greeting-card sentiment (“When my heart’s so big.../ I never feel small”), the rising snow is measured with kid-friendly specificity—“deeper than my toes are tall,” “deeper than my ankles are high,” “deeper than my boots are tall”—that is sure to please. Ages 4–8. [em](Nov.) [/em]