Penguin Huddle (Ross Montgomery)

 We loved this! It totally captured our imagination. And who couldn't love these penguins?! 

Goodreads says:

A charming and playful picture book told with humour and heart from the brilliant team behind Ten Delicious Teachers.

The penguin pack play all day long. And when the sun goes down, and the night grows cold and dark…“PENGUIN HUDDLE!” The penguins squeeze and squish together to stay warm and cosy. But one night, there is a freezing gale. And the next morning … the penguins are stuck! They are frozen together like a giant penguin ice pop. What a penguin MUDDLE! Nobody in the Antarctic can figure out how to unstick them. But Pipsqueak, the smallest penguin of them all, has a brilliant idea... They must adventure out of their snowy home to a vibrant city across the great, gleaming ocean to solve their penguin puzzle.

This light-hearted tale of jolly penguins big and small is a celebration of friendship, community spirit and helping those in trouble.

Red Hat (Lita Judge)

 

Books like this make me want to make a better effort to gather up some ideas about how to teach with wordless books.

Goodreads says:

A series of exuberant read-aloud sound effects perfectly capture the whimsy and joy of a springtime frolic in this companion to Red Sled. In this almost wordless springtime picture book, an adorable crew of baby animals borrows a familiar-looking red hat (last seen on the head of Red Sled’s unsuspecting protagonist) and embarks on a joy-filled escapade—until all that is left is a long piece of red string! Their playful romp is gorgeously depicted in bold watercolor and complemented by humorous expressions and pitch-perfect sound effects. With a timeless tone and classic characters, Red Hat promises to be an instant favorite.

Don't Worry Wuddles (Lita Judge)

 

Lita Judge writes beautiful books, many of which are non-fiction. This one is a fiction story about a sheep that just keeps giving and giving in preparation for winter. My class really enjoyed the repetetive nature of the story.

I couldn't help notice that sadly, in the end, the sheep is, ironically, left cold because she's given so much to others...luckily, all the animals give her a group hug.

Goodreads says:

In this snowy day picture book, a kindhearted but overeager duckling tries to be helpful by sharing Wuddles the sheep’s wool to make sure all their animal friends stay warm—but will there be enough for Wuddles?

Snow is coming, and the barnyard animals are preparing for the cold. Duckling has an excellent idea! Fleecy Wuddles the sheep has plenty of wool to keep everyone nice and toasty. Surely Wuddles doesn’t mind sharing? Soon there’s a goat in legwarmers, piglets in onesies, and more! But will this outpouring of generosity leave Wuddles himself out in the cold? Not to worry—Duckling has one final, absolutely heartwarming idea!

Just One Flake (Travis Jonker)

 

I really appreciate Travis Jonker. He does a lot of good in the online world of teaching read and inspiring kids to read. 

This book is really cute and quick. This would be a good book to read in conjunction with the first snowfall or a winter craft activity.

Goodreads says:

Just One Flake is a hilarious celebration of wintertime, curiosity, and outdoor play in this author-illustrated picture book debut from acclaimed creator and elementary school librarian Travis Jonker. It’s snowing outside! Liam rushes out into the squall, determined to catch one perfect snowflake. He tries any number of tricks to complete his mission, but each time he is thwarted. He sticks out his tongue and looks up . . . nope. He builds a snowman, climbing up to get a little closer to the snow . . . still nope. He runs around the yard—tongue still out—because faster is better, right? Wrong! Nothing seems to work. Until, in a final leap of faith, he catches that one flake . . . in a way he never expected. And the snowflake itself is pretty unexpected too. From librarian and picture book creator Travis Jonker comes a hilarious and satisfying story all about outdoor play and the natural world’s stunning surprises.

Froggy Gets Dressed (London)

 

Just a fun little silly book with a lot of repetition. My students will love it, I'm sure. Good for the first day of snow! 

Goodreads says:

Rambunctious Froggy hops out into the snow for a winter frolic but is called back by his mother to put on some necessary articles of clothing.

Goat's Coat (Tom Percival)

 

Cute! Fun to read it and predict what the next rhyming word may be. 

Goodreads says:

This illustrated rhyming picture book about Alfonzo, a goat with a very special coat, celebrates the power of kindness and friendship.

Let me tell you the tale of Alfonzo the goat,
who was terribly proud of his lovely new coat.
Alfonzo was happy; he pranced and he skipped.
Then he heard a sad noise, croaking out of a ditch.

Alfonzo couldn't be happier. He just got an amazing new coat, and he feels like a million dollars. But when he discovers some creatures in need of help, will Alfonzo be able to give up his treasured possession to save the day?

This book shows that kindness is definitely the best recipe.

Little Red Gliding Hood (Tara Lazar)

Another great Tara Lazar book! My class really enjoyed this and seemed to be quite caught up in the story. It has a good rhythm and many of the phrases we've heard before in other stories. The pictures are really detailed, which also brought about some interesting comments and showed that the kids were really taken in by this story. We had just had a decodable that had a fox in it and so a fox/wolf being tricky was a familiar meta-narrative. This wolf being a not-big and bad wolf brought the whole idea up again and made for an interesting discussion. All the references to different story book characters were a great review, especially for my students who are from other countries and aren't as familiar with all the traditional stories we sometimes assume kids know but actually don't.

Goodreads says:

Little Red Riding Hood straps on her ice skates in this fractured fairy tale! A figure skating enthusiast, Little Red has worn her skates right out and must win a pairs competition to earn new ones. But who will be her partner? The Dish is already dancing with the Spoon, and Hansel is spinning Gretel like sugar. You won’t believe what big eyes, sharp teeth, and long snout her partner has…all the better to spin her with!

Mr. Brown's Fantastic Hat (Ayano Imai)

Mr. Brown is okay with being alone. Things change when a bird comes along and nests in his hat. As days go on more and more new friends come and interestingly, his hat grows to accommodate all this new found friendships.


Goodreads says:

An enchantingly positive story of love, loneliness, and the hope of renewal

 

“Who needs friends?” thinks Mr. Brown. “I can suit myself and wear my smart hat all day long.” Try as he might, however, Mr. Brown is lonely. But when a woodpecker decides Mr. Brown needs some company, his life is transformed.

When the Moon Comes (Paul Harbridge)

Ah. That great Canadian experience of waiting until the ice is frozen and thick enough to skate on it. This book caught that feeling.  The illustrations in this book are beautiful. You can FEEL the cold! This book turns hockey into poetry. Now that's a good author! LOL

In a land so inescapably and inhospitably cold, hockey is the chance of life, and an affirmation that despite the deathly chill of winter we are alive.
-Stephen Leacock

Goodreads says:

In this atmospheric story, a group of kids play hockey on a frozen lake by moonlight. At once nostalgic and timely, this is a gorgeous book that will speak to readers young and old.

The beaver flood has finally frozen--perfect ice, without a bump or a ripple. For the kids in town, it's Christmas in November. They wait, impatiently, for the right moment. 

Finally, it arrives: the full moon. 

They huff and puff through logging trails, farms, back roads and tamarack swamps, the powdery snow soaking pant legs and boots, till they see it--their perfect ice, waiting. 

And the game is on.

Flock of Shoes (Sarah Tsiang)

I totally get this kid! I have things I love and can't let go of even when it is time.

Goodreads summary:
Abby loves her pink and brown sandals with the lime green trim, and she wears them wherever she goes. But as summer draws to a close, Abby’s mom announces that it’s time for the sandals to go. Abby is determined to keep them on—until one day, while swinging at the park, her sandals flip off and fly away. All winter long, Abby wonders what her sandals are up to. Postcards of sandy white beaches and glorious sunsets reassure her that they are having a wonderful time in far away places. Come February, Abby realizes that she has also grown to love her cozy, comfy boots. As the warm weather comes, she watches sadly as they march off, but a swish in the sky announces the return of her pink and brown sandals—all ready for another summer of fun. Full of whimsy, this circular tale is enhanced by rich, evocative language and delicate pastel illustrations that are sure to delight any young child. 

The First Snow (David Christiana)

This book is beautiful! It has imagery that seemed to make everyone in my class sit and listen carefully. We have been reading poetry and talking about how words can mean different things. This story was a great follow up to the poetry because the imagery in this story is stunning. We feel like winter has gone away for a season because ours has been such a warm one.

Goodreads summary:

This beautifully illustrated tale of the first snowfall begins long ago, when Mother Nature was a child and liked only warm weather. When Winter wraps her in a blanket of soft crystals that fall from the sky, she finally awakens to the beauty of snow. Full-color illustrations.

Winter Lullaby (Barbara Seuling)

The pictures in this book are bright and beautiful. There aren't a lot of words, but there is lots of room for discussion, especially amongst winter experts, like my students!

Goodreads Summary:

As the natural world changes with winter's approach, young children worry about the creatures they see around them. Where do the ducks and other animals go? Will they find shelter from the cold? Will they be safe and warm? In Winter Lullaby, Barbara Seuling's reassuring, gentle verse and Greg Newbold's breathtaking paintings reveal what animals do to survive as winter takes hold.

Stella Queen of the Snow (Marie-Louise Gay)

We have recently been talking about similes and this book had a lot of great examples.


Loved the questions in this book. Some of them are questions many people wonder about. Others were questions that my students had never even thought to ask. They were quite captured by this story, which surprised me, since it is quite a simple story. Often the best ones are the simplest.

These two characters reminded my students of Max and Ruby. Me too!

I got to hear Marie-Louise Gay speak one time at Kaleidoscope. After listening to her talk about how she creates her illustrations, I was totally sold on her books. Love her!

Goodreads Summary:

In their second adventure, Stella and her little brother, Sam, spend the day discovering the wonders of winter together. Playing in the snow, they explore the white-draped forest, pelt each other with snowballs, and wave their arms while lying down in the snow to make snow angels. Marie-Louise Gay's evocative watercolors bring alive the magic of a winter day, as Sam asks a million questions and Stella patiently answers them in a big sister kind of way. 

Snow Day! (Lester Laminack)

Funny to be reading this in July! As I read, though, I could totally sense that awesome feeling that comes with a snow day. This story has a good twist at the end when you realize it is the dad telling the story (he is a teacher) rather than the boy.

Goodreads summary: 

When the television weatherman predicts a big snowfall, the narrator gleefully imagines the fun-filled possibilities of an unscheduled holiday from school.

Piling under warm blankets. Sipping hot chocolate in snowman mugs. Building a snow fort. Piling up a zillion snowballs inside. Sledding in the neighbor s field. In scene after snowy scene, from sunrise to sundown, a pair of siblings, with their father in tow, show how they would make the most of their day off.

But when the family wakes up the next morning, they are in for a disappointment. As the family members pile into the car so they won t be late for school, an unexpected twist reveals who wanted the snow day most of all.

Book Details: Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 9/1/2007 Pages: 32 Reading Level: Age 5 and Up

Blizzard (John Rocco)

 

It was funny to read this story with my class.....my good ol' tough Canadian students. They were impressed with the snow storm in this story, but actually treated it quite matter of factly. Yup. Blizzards happen and you have to do crazy things....like in this story. :)

 

They loved the fold out page with the long trek. Great way to illustrate it!

 

Goodreads summary:

 

Blizzard is based on John Rocco's childhood experience during the now infamous Blizzard of 1978, which brought 53 inches of snow to his town in Rhode Island.

Told with a brief text and dynamic illustrations, the book opens with a boy's excitement upon seeing the first snowflake fall outside his classroom window. It ends with the neighborhood's immense relief upon seeing the first snowplow break through on their street. In between the boy watches his familiar landscape transform into something alien, and readers watch him transform into a hero who puts the needs of others first.

Rocco uses an increasing amount of white space in his playful images, which include a gatefold spread of the boy's expedition to the store. This book about the wonder of a winter storm is as delicious as a mug of hot cocoa by the fire on a snowy day.