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The book cover depicts many crystal-white snowflakes in different patterns, shapes, and sizes, against a black background. The title is lettered in blue, pink, orange, yellow, and turquoise letters.

Humans and their Fuzzy Friends in the Snow

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by Rebecca R.

What’s your favorite thing to do when it snows? I love the quiet calm of the first snow of the season. To prepare for that fluffy white stuff to fall from the sky, I read a few snow-forward books for kids and I want to share them with you!

Here are a couple of books from the perspective of animals who love the snow (and some who have to be convinced to love it).

The book cover is a cartoon of the dog, Claude, on skis on the ski slopes, with snow falling and snow-covered purple mountain in the background. Claude is wearing a red sweater with a white dog-bone motif and a red beret, with red ski boots and a black and white spotted dog collar.

Claude in Claude on the Slopes, written and illustrated by Alex T. Smith, sees snow for the very first time and is so excited to have a snow adventure! He goes to the Snowy Mountains Winter Sports Center with his best friend Sir Bobblysock, where they make some snowballs, discover sledding on a tea tray, and try skiing. Sir Bobblysock (who is actually a striped sock) enters a snowman building contest and wins with his snowy sculpture of “One Sock and His Dog.” They meet Sidney Snood who helps them learn how to make a mountain rescue in case of an avalanche. Mr. Snood then teaches Claude how to ski. It takes Claude a little while to really get into it, but as he gains his confidence, he is ready to take on the tallest mountain! He gets up to the top and finds Sir Bobblysock (who is having hot chocolate at the bottom of the mountain) through his binoculars. He shouts “Helloooooo Sir Bobblysock” so loudly that the snow starts to shift a bit under his skis. Can you guess what happens next? To follow more of Claude’s adventures, check out other titles in the “Claude” series.

The cartoon on the book cover depicts a brown bear in a snow drift, with snow on top of his head and his arms crossed. A white duck in a red hat and sweater and a yellow duckling are adjacent.

Like Claude, Duck is so excited that there is a lot of snow outside in All Right Already! A Snowy Story, written by Jory John and illustrated by Benji Davies. He wakes up his friend and next door neighbor Bear to tell him the good news. Bear doesn’t want to go out because it’s too cold, but Duck pushes him out the door anyway and shows him all the fun things to do in the snow. He wants to sled, play tag, and make a “snowbear” and a snow angel. Bear reluctantly begins to share in the snow fun with Duck but he gets wet and cold. Bear sneezes and runs inside. Turns out he now has a cold, and Duck attempts to take care of him but asks too many questions until “all right already!” – he’s done too much. Duck heads home and catches Bear’s cold. What will Bear do when Duck is sick? Have fun in the snow, but take care of yourself and your friends too!

The book cover depicts a street scene, with a taxi, car, and two delivery trucks moving through the snow, shops with pedestrians and a dog walking on the sidewalk in front, and birds perched on overhead power lines above the row of shops. The title "My Winter City" appears as if it was a sign above one of the shops. Snow is falling heavily over the scene, against a blue-white sky.

Humans are adventurous when it comes to exploring our snow-covered surroundings as well. In My Winter City, written by James Gladstone and illustrated by Gary Clement, a boy, his dad, and his dog travel through their city streets in a snowstorm to get to a big sledding hill. The boy notices all the differences the falling snow has on his environment, such as how he can see his breath in the cold and how icicles form. As they make snow angels (like Duck and Bear), he describes the feeling of the snow as “resting on light powder pillows.” The wonderful illustrations echo the visuals, making the reader feel as though they are experiencing this snowy day and all its wonders.

The picture depicts a girl and her grandmother, out walking in a wintry setting, with four bare white trees in the background and some buildings in the distance. The grandmother wears a purple coat and pink scarf and hat; her granddaughter wears a pink coat with a red scarf and hat.

Ten Ways to Hear Snow, written by Cathy Camper and illustrated by Kenard Park, offers another treat for our senses. Lina walks through her neighborhood to her grandmother’s house after a snowstorm. As Lina walks through her quiet neighborhood, she focuses on what she is hearing, the “snyak, snyek, snyuk” of the snow underfoot. She thinks about her grandmother, who is losing her eyesight, and wonders about how she experiences the world. Lina reaches her grandmother’s house, where they cook and talk about how they “hear” snow. Read on to experience the quiet strength of this vivid story.

The book cover depicts many crystal-white snowflakes in different patterns, shapes, and sizes, against a black background. The title is lettered in blue, pink, orange, yellow, and turquoise letters.

Do you ever wonder how all these snowflakes are formed? Find out in Curious About Snow by Gina Shaw. This nonfiction book explains how snow develops, shows you what snowflakes look like under a microscope, and introduces various snowy weather-related events. Maybe Claude should have read this book before venturing out!

Enjoy your time out there, everyone, and remember to come inside at some point for a good story and some hot chocolate.

Rebecca is the Assistant Branch Manager of the HCLS Glenwood Branch. She enjoys creative art projects and taking long walks with her puppy.

The book cover illustrates two children caught in the wind, one clutching a red cap and one covering ears with hands, as the wind blows leaves around them.

Spring Arrives with Children’s Books

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The cover depicts three little white kittens looking up at the cherry blossoms above as well as the title, superimposed in yellow script against a blue sky. A bumblebee flies above them and a robin perches in an overhead branch.

By Eliana H.

Spring has sprung! Or has it? As Kevin Henkes says in When Spring Comes, “It changes its mind a lot.” But whether you’re certain spring is here to stay or want to get in the mood to welcome it when it is, we have books for you. Here is a collection of books to share with young children focusing on themes of spring, especially growth and change. For more recommendations, visit your local branch and ask a member of our staff. We will be happy to help!

The book cover depicts a man and a girl in the foreground, on a green grassy hill, with a white house with a brown roof, trees with yellow-green foliage, and geese in formation in the sky in the background.

Birdsong by Julie Flett

First Nations author, illustrator, and artist Julie Flett brings her tender story to life with soft, striking illustrations in this beautiful book. It begins in spring, when a young girl is moving with her mother away from their home by the sea to a new house in the country. As the seasons pass, she grows used to her new home and gets to know her elderly neighbor, with whom she connects over their mutual love of art and nature. As spring returns, the young girl finds ways to comfort her ailing neighbor and realizes that she truly sees this new house as home now.

The book cover is a photograph of yellow and white flowers against a hazy background of gold and green foliage. The title is superimposed in white over the photograph.

Bloom Boom! by April Pulley Sayre

Seeing all the different flowers bloom is many people’s favorite part of spring. This volume showcases large photographs of a variety of blossoms in all different habitats accompanied by simple, rhyming text. The end includes notes about blooms in diverse ecosystems as well as details about the specific plants (and sometimes animals) on each page.

The book cover depicts a child in red rubber boots and a yellow rain jacket splashing in a puddle as raindrops fall and land on the ground.

Red Rubber Boot Day by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Lauren Stringer

What do you like to do on a very rainy day? Simple text and acrylic paintings bring readers along with an unnamed child in this book, as rain pours down and different activity options are explored. Share this with little ones and start a discussion about favorite things to do in different kinds of weather.

The cover depicts an older woman in a lavender traditional Japanese kimono, seated on the ground with a young girl in yellow pants, white top, and rose sweater. A branch with cherry blossoms hangs above them, with the title in rose-colored script.

Sakura’s Cherry Blossoms by Robert Paul Weston, illustrated by Misa Saburi

Sakura, named for the cherry blossoms she loves enjoying with her grandmother, has to move to America with her parents and leave all that she knew behind. Told in a series of tanka poems, a traditional Japanese poetry form similar to haiku but with two additional lines, this story follows Sakura as she becomes accustomed to her new life. Along the way, Sakura finds new friends and unexpected joys in this place so different from her former home.

The cover depicts a white rabbit against a background of green hills, with a budding sunflower to the left and a sunflower in full bloom to the right. The larger flower has a ladybug on one of the leaves.

What Will Grow? by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Susie Ghahremani

Spring is a time when many of us become especially aware of the life cycles around us, as we can witness much of the change and growth happening. In this book, bright illustrations with friendly creatures accompany short, descriptive text on each page, which includes the title question followed by the answer. Some pages fold out, down, or up to show a larger plant, and notes at the end offer simple instructions for planting different kinds of seeds, along with an overview of the life cycle from seed to plant.

The book cover illustrates two children caught in the wind, one clutching a red cap and one covering ears with hands, as the wind blows leaves around them.

Wind by Carol Thompson (also available in a Spanish edition, Viento)

Blustery days are a sure sign of spring’s arrival. This simple board book uses line drawings with lots of movement to show young children experiencing wind. The sensory experience of a windy day is highlighted with a range of descriptive words, ending with the final quiet as the wind dies down. Other titles in the series explore different types of weather with Rain, Snow, and Sun (available in Spanish as Lluvia, Nieve, and Sol).

Eliana is a Children’s Research Specialist and Instructor at HCLS Elkridge Branch. She loves reading, even if she’s slow at it, and especially enjoys helping people find books that make them light up. She also loves being outside and spending time with friends and family (when it’s safe).