Big Snow
written and illustrated by Jonathan Bean
Farrar Straus Giroux
2013
"An excited and frustrated boy watches hopefully as wintry weather develops slowly into a 'big snow'" - Provided by publisher
Would use for weather units, for talking about waiting and patience, and for that antsy time of year when you're waiting for Christmas break.
I love Bean's clean crayon-like drawings. He provides just the right amount of detail (I was envious of the mom's kitchen-aid mixer, for example) to really draw you in to the setting. I REALLY loved the way every time David goes outside to check on the snow, the scene is the same in terms of framing (like we're viewing the neighborhood from a stationary camera some where up high) but small things change from instance to instance, like the visibility of the water tower as the snow comes in, the people or cars out on the street etc. The final "big snow" spread drew me back to my own childhood adventures in snow storms with my dad with the warm cozy lights of the houses looking on.