CCBC-Net Archives
-SNOW- by Uri Schulevitz
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Karen L. Simonetti <klsimonetti>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 08:03:09 -0600
Reader's Note: Please ignore/forgive the lateness in this post. I had written it the crevices of my mind and just now discovered it was never reduced to email! Plus, I'm still being fueled by coffee this morning, so I fear my two cents worth here are not as clear as I normally would have written...but! I wanted to get this out before it was too, too late! KS
-Snow- was a book I immediately fell in love with and couldn't wait to share with children. Like Dean, I felt -Snow- had a good shot a winning the Caldecott. The illustrations were simultaneously innocent and sophisticated. The minimal use of text perfectly balanced the illustrated story allowing the details in Schulevitz' illustrations to carry the story.
From the beginning the subdued tones of the town and characters dismissing the possibility of snow contrasting to the bright warm interior scenes and little boy with the perfect rosy cheeks decked in an orange hat, the reader know that something wondrous is going to happen. Pages must be turned!
The change of perspective throughout the book additionally kept things interesting. -Snow- is whimsical and the rhythm of "What's next?!?!" merrily consistent. And who could resist rereading the book to discover such wonders as the "Mother Goose Book Store" and "More Books" bookstore...especially when "circling and swirling, spinning and twirling, dancing, playing there, and there" the Mother Goose characters came out of the bookstore and joined in the excitement of the snow. Come on, Humpty Dumpty in the snow?!?! Brilliant!
One of the most satisfying aspects of -Snow- was the day my 2-1/2 year old friend seeing the book face down on the floor near my desk, starting counting the (14) tiny characters on the back of the cover. Upon her finished counting (10 people according to her :>), she opened the book and told me the wonderful story of -Snow-! Obviously, this pre-reader did not read the text, but she caught the magic of Schulevitz' telling in art and like oral storytelling, her variation was none the worse for lack of reading vocabulary. Of course, I then had to read the story ("words" according to her) about 12 times in a row. What a delight! The beautifully illustrated book captured another reader!
Karen Sue...who again apologizes for the interruption to our regularly scheduled programming...
PS: Ginny, your post regarding Susie's message actually sent chills down my spine and tears down my face...thanks for sharing....
"Genius is of small use to a woman who does not know how to do her hair."
-?ith Wharton--
Karen L. Simonetti email: klsimonetti at earthlink.net phone: 312.337.7114
Received on Wed 24 Mar 1999 08:03:09 AM CST
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 08:03:09 -0600
Reader's Note: Please ignore/forgive the lateness in this post. I had written it the crevices of my mind and just now discovered it was never reduced to email! Plus, I'm still being fueled by coffee this morning, so I fear my two cents worth here are not as clear as I normally would have written...but! I wanted to get this out before it was too, too late! KS
-Snow- was a book I immediately fell in love with and couldn't wait to share with children. Like Dean, I felt -Snow- had a good shot a winning the Caldecott. The illustrations were simultaneously innocent and sophisticated. The minimal use of text perfectly balanced the illustrated story allowing the details in Schulevitz' illustrations to carry the story.
From the beginning the subdued tones of the town and characters dismissing the possibility of snow contrasting to the bright warm interior scenes and little boy with the perfect rosy cheeks decked in an orange hat, the reader know that something wondrous is going to happen. Pages must be turned!
The change of perspective throughout the book additionally kept things interesting. -Snow- is whimsical and the rhythm of "What's next?!?!" merrily consistent. And who could resist rereading the book to discover such wonders as the "Mother Goose Book Store" and "More Books" bookstore...especially when "circling and swirling, spinning and twirling, dancing, playing there, and there" the Mother Goose characters came out of the bookstore and joined in the excitement of the snow. Come on, Humpty Dumpty in the snow?!?! Brilliant!
One of the most satisfying aspects of -Snow- was the day my 2-1/2 year old friend seeing the book face down on the floor near my desk, starting counting the (14) tiny characters on the back of the cover. Upon her finished counting (10 people according to her :>), she opened the book and told me the wonderful story of -Snow-! Obviously, this pre-reader did not read the text, but she caught the magic of Schulevitz' telling in art and like oral storytelling, her variation was none the worse for lack of reading vocabulary. Of course, I then had to read the story ("words" according to her) about 12 times in a row. What a delight! The beautifully illustrated book captured another reader!
Karen Sue...who again apologizes for the interruption to our regularly scheduled programming...
PS: Ginny, your post regarding Susie's message actually sent chills down my spine and tears down my face...thanks for sharing....
"Genius is of small use to a woman who does not know how to do her hair."
-?ith Wharton--
Karen L. Simonetti email: klsimonetti at earthlink.net phone: 312.337.7114
Received on Wed 24 Mar 1999 08:03:09 AM CST
