Snow by Uri Shulevitz

from goodreads

4 stars

Despite the title of this book, I think it is going to be a green Christmas here in Waterloo. Not that I mind the green. It means it is warm enough that we can do things outside, but then it is too warm to have snow, which we want to do the things outside we want to do. It is sort of a Catch-22 (a book that I have tried to read and just didn't get). Tomorrow, as long as it is not raining, we will be going skating which will be fun. There is an outdoor rink in the uptown square and luckily it has a cooling system, so no ice will be melting on us!

I guess snow does make the Christmas atmosphere more Christmasy. But, when you think about it, Christmas is celebrated all over the world, and that means that it isn't snowing everywhere when Christmas is. So I guess we are having a southern hemisphere Christmas this year, and that is okay with me. Now if only we could have southern hemisphere temperatures too!

Synopsis

When boy with dog sees a snowflake he keeps up the hope of a great snow even though all those around him tell him not to get his hopes up.

My Thoughts

I like this book. I like what the author calls some of the characters: boy with dog, grandfather with beard and man with hat. I also like how he captures the atmosphere before a snow. How everything was gray. It is amazing how gray November and December can be when there is no snow. Even the grass seems to be gray.

It is great how he builds up the snow. At first it is just one flake then two etc. By doing that he seems to build up a kind of anticipation. Will it snow or will the adults be right?

It got kinda weird when the statues from the bookstore start to dance with the boy, but to others it might be a nice touch of whimsy.

The illustrations are interesting. They match the story and set a great tone for the book.

It is a great book for when you are waiting for the snow to come.

Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer

from goodreads

4 stars

The title of this book is a bit of a misnomer for this winter. I have lived in Waterloo for 11 years now and I do not remember a winter that has been this frigid. Now I come from Central Ontario where if you don't plug in your car at night, it will not start the next morning. So I know what cold is. But Waterloo is in Southern Ontario, and it is supposed to be a bit more balmy. Oh well. I am loving the snow. And the cold, well it makes it for a good excuse to have hot chocolate.

Synopsis

You thought summer was warm. Summer has nothing on winter, as this book sets out to prove.

My Thoughts

This is a really cute story. It makes you feel warm and cuddly. You feel warm reading about the cuddly blankets, the warm fire, and the hot chocolate. Reading it made me want to bundle up and go for tobogganing or do a fun cross-country ski.

My kids thought it was hilarious. They were like, "winter isn't the warmest season, this book is so crazy!"

This book will help you remember the fun of winter, even when it is super cold out. It makes me happy to be able to enjoy four, completely different, seasons.