Books About Snowmen

It’s the coldest night of the year so far here in Seattle and I am crossing my fingers for a snow day. If I get my wish you can bet we will be outside building our own snowman in our front yard. Even if we don’t see a single flake fall tomorrow we can still cuddle up with a good book ( or video… see below) about snowmen.

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs is a beautiful wordless picture book that I could not find anywhere! I have read it before to classes full of kids and love the illustrations but was so sad that I couldn’t find the book to read to my own kids. I actually thought we’d read it before and searched to see if I’d previously reviewed it but we never had.  Luckily I remembered there was a video made and YouTube provided a nice backup.  The story is about a little boy who makes a snowman and after he is called in for the night keeps checking to make sure it’s still out in his yard. After going to bed he tosses and turns and can’t sleep and then the magic happens and the snowman comes to life. The little boy and the snowman explore the little boys house then the snowman takes the little boy to explore his magical world. My children loved the video . The music that accompanied the beautiful illustrations brought the whole magical story to life .  Knowing how the story ends with the snowman melted in the front yard I was anxious to see how my kids would react. My son said ” That’s what snowmen do, they melt. Just the way it is.” I can’t wait to track down a copy and read it to them .

Snowmen at Night by Caralyn and Mark Buehner I love this book and actually looked for 2 hours in our playroom and storage room convinced I owned it but misplaced it. I don’t. I finally sat down to read it to my daughter at her school last week. She liked the snowmen but wasn’t as into it as I suspect she will be next winter. The story is adorable but a little sophisticated for a 19-month-old. My son has read it and loved it because it taps into a child’s imagination perfectly. The author imagines a world where snowmen come to life and party at night when we are sleeping, which is why they always look a little different in the morning. I remember my son looking at me and asking “not really right?” when we read it a few years ago. I love the whimsical illustrations with fun points of view that make the reader feel like they are in on a real secret. Great book for preschoolers, I was a little over-eager reading it with my daughter but it’s so good I couldn’t wait to. { Edited for 2013 My daughter did appreciate this and the Christmas themed book in the same series much more this year than last!}

The Biggest Snowman Ever by Steven Kroll is a cute winter book that holds a fantastic message inside. The book tells the story of a snowman making contest in Mouseville, two little mice work so hard by themselves but it’s just not enough until they join forces. Competition is not a bad thing but sometimes cooperation is even better, I really like this book.

Snowbaby Could Not Sleep by Kara LaReau is a sweet winter-themed story about a little Snowbaby that simply can not get to sleep. He counts snowflakes, his Snowmama gets him extra snow because he was too hot and still he can’t sleep. What finally gives him enough comfort is when his parents make him his very own Snowpuppy to snuggle all night long.  I like gentle books like this because as a child I had terrible nighttime anxiety and as a mom have always been very gentle at bedtime until I knew my kids felt secure enough to handle each new stage of nighttime independence. My daughter who is 2 loved this book.

A Really Good Snowman by Daniel J. Mahoney plucked my heartstrings and then some. This is a story of an annoying little sister who always finds ways to ruin her older brother’s fun, and his avoidance of her. He’s just an average big brother, and when she tags along to a snowman building competition he ditches her for his friends. When some bullies tease his little sister, he does what every mother hopes their older child does and stands up for her. Then seeing he needs her he leaves his friends and joins her snowman-building efforts.  It’s a sweet story but not so sweet it’s unrealistic. Also, the illustrations of all the different snowmen will make you laugh, my favorite is the Elvis snowman!

Snowman in Paradise by Michael Roberts is genius. There I said it. I very rarely think that of books. I like the majority of books I read and think there are so many good ones to share but I don’t want to return this one to the library, I want to keep it! The book is about a snowman from Manhattan who is glum after Christmas and wants to go on a vacation too. A magical bluebird grants his wish and he flies first class to a tropical island, with the only rule being he needs to come back in time for Christmas next year. This book is written like the traditional “Night Before Christmas” and although I thought the copy would be too long for my son at first, I was so wrong. The rhymes are unique, my favorite being :

In May after splashing with buckets of paint, He threw down his brush, saying, “Gauguin I ain’t.”

Even if some references are more for the adults reading it than the children listening, both parties will close the book smiling and wanting to start all over again. Grab it and see why I love it so much!

Snow Party by Harriet Ziefert is a magical book that celebrates the biggest holiday for snow people, the winter solstice. I wish I had had access to this book when I was teaching because it’s a perfect way to read a story about celebrations without focusing on one tradition, or leaving out another. The illustrations are beautiful and the idea of snow people eating and dancing in the middle of the night is delicious!