snow | Rarest Kind of Best

Dang. I know I promised the Part 2 Poetry List: 3 and up this week (Poetry for the under-3s here), but I’m still reading and picking books for that one. However, I was inspired by the little bit of snow we had this week to create a list of books celebrating the cold white stuff, all sides of it – from recreation to fantasy to science. (I’ve written on each of these books more fully – click on the title to read the full review.)

1. The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats – age 2+

A small boy explores a snowy world. (Available at amazon.com)

2. The Story of the Snow Children, by Sibylle von Olfers – age 2+

High fantasy – a girl goes to visit the Snow Queen in her ice castle. (Available at amazon.com)

3. White Snow Bright Snow, by Alvin Tresselt/Roger Duvoisin – age 3+

Snow comes to town and everyone reacts to it in their own way… some shovel, some play. (Available at amazon.com)

4. The Big Snow, by Berta and Elmer Hader – age 3+

Animals and birds adopt many strategies to survive the winter. (Available at amazon.com)

5. Snowflake Bentley, by Jacqueline Briggs Martin – age 5+

True story about the man who invented a way to photograph snowflakes. (Available at amazon.com)

The Snowy Day

01 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by Kim in Books, books 2+ Tags: play, snow, weather, winter

CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER – 1963

The Snowy Day

by Ezra Jack Keats

New York: Viking Press, 1962

28 pp.

Ages: 2 +

Interests: snow, winter,

Also by this author: Whistle for Willie, Peter’s Chair, Goggles!

The Gold Rush (1925)

30 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by Kim in Movies, movies 5+, Old Movies, Silent Movies Tags: action, adventure, arctic, history, romance, snow, weather, winter

The Gold Rush (1925)

Written, directed by, starring: Charlie Chaplin

Rated: — (unrated)

Length: 95 min. 1925 release / 72 min. 1942 re-release

Age: 5 and up Commonsense Media sez: 8 +

Scary Factor: Little Tramp menaced periodically for comedic effect; two men struggle over a shotgun which is always pointing at the Tramp; he is also chased by starving, hallucinating miner with a gun and then an axe; cabin tipped precariously on edge of precipice; all threats are treated comically and violence is bloodless and kept at a distance

Intense Scenes: a wanted criminal shoots and kills two police officers before perishing in an avalanche

Other: a bear is shot offscreen for food; some smoking and drinking

Interests: old movies, silent movies, arctic adventure, history

Versions: restored 1925 print is 95 minutes long, with piano music and title cards; 1942 sound release is 69 minutes long, has an orchestral score, no title cards, narration written and performed by Charlie Chaplin

Next: other Chaplin – Modern Times, City Lights