First Snow

My Great Nephew really enjoyed it.

Wonderful story !!!! My 4 year old grandson adored this story .

It is brisk outside today, and while the current now is not quite ripe for snow it is coming so I'm glad to have it on mind as I plan our book stacks. We have a few favorites on snow as well as some classics, but it is always good to add a few more. A new one for this year, perfect for the newest readers, is First Snow. I had the privilege of reading an advanced reader copy. I'm always excited to get my hands on books from past award winners, and this one is from Caldecott Honor winning Peter McCarty. While I haven't had the opportunity to read the honorable Hondo & Fabian, I'm pleased with First Snow.With a Spanish flair, early readers will enjoy reading about Pedro, Sancho and his sisters and the new experience of a first snow. There is excitement and uncertainty and new lessons learned as Pedro gets to become a bit adventurous. (On a sidenote: this is a great one for those with large families too!)When you're little new experiences can be scary and full of uncertainty as I've witnessed with a K5, Toddler 3 and newborn learning newness everyday. They take ques from those around them and while we often think of cold as a bitterness to bare, the magical first snow and those to follow are a memory to treasure. This is a neat little book. While I'm undecided if these are bunnies, dogs, beavers or a little of all in between. These little creatures have a delightful experience on the page to bring out the excitement of a child. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one for personal shelves, classrooms, and libraries as well for that first experience!Again, I read an advanced copy, but I believe the final thing will be an excellent jacketed hardcover great for the shelf.I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions. Your experience may vary. Please read my full disclosure policy for more details.As the temperature goes down and the mercury recedes filling your bookshelf with the themes of snow and snuggling up after a mug of warm cider or chocolate reads are a perfect thing. Other first snow experiences that you might enjoy include A Perfect Day by Carin Berger and Snowman Magic by Katherine Tegen. And I plan to have a good round up post in the near future with more!

My little guys liked this book even though my 4 yo said the faces of the characters were a little creepy. In this book Pedro gets to experience snow for the first time. His cousins and their friends teach him all about the fun you can have in the snow. I remember when my cousin, who had also never seen snow before, came to visit us and saw her first snow. This book managed to capture the same warn feeling of those memories of getting to teach her all about snow. The best part is when they are taking Pedro sledding and he asks them, “Why do you go up?” The answer is the perfect kid response, “ To go back down.”, of course.

First Snow is all about "first" experiences for little ones, which most of us know can be a scary thing for some children. In this story little Pedro comes from a place where he has never seen snow, but is visiting his cousins who live in snow country. Pedro views the snow as new and strange, but the other little ones, bunnies, chickens, and other animals, keep encouraging him to try new things like sledding and making snow angels.I thought this book's appeal was more about the adorable illustrations than the story itself. The animals, the way they are dressed and their facial expressions are terrific. The gorgeous illustrations are done in ink and water colors. The author/illustrator is a Caldecott award winner, and his artistic talent shows through in this book once again.

Though hesitant at first, when Pedro experiences his first snowstorm, he learns to love the snow as much as his cousins and friends. Young readers, ages 2-5, will want to rediscover the magic of snow, while reading this snowy picture book.