Snow, Snow

Snow, Snow: Winter Poems for Children is written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Jason Stemple. Jane Yolen was inspired to write these poems by the photographs taken by Jason Stemple. Jane Yolen is the writer of many children’s books. She writes poems as well as fantasy and science fiction books. She is a teacher and a reviewer of children’s literature. Her books have won many awards. Jason Stemple is an award winning photographer. The photographs in this book were the inspiration for this book. The details in the photographs really enhance the poems because you can visualize what you are reading. Looking at these photographs of snow make you think about it differently.

This book is full of poems about snow and the season of winter. After reading these poems, I now look at snow in a different way. Children who do not live where it snows can imagine life in the snow. Children can imagine the joy of skiing, riding a snowmobile, and the look and feel of snow. The poems are so detailed it is easy for the reader to imagine being there in the photographs.

I enjoyed reading this book because every poem was written in a different way. The author used poetic devices that are appealing to children. Imagery is one of them. Imagery is the use of words that make the reader use their senses. I believe that this really enhances the quality of the poetry.

Discussion Questions:
·         What do you know about snow?
·         Can you imagine the way it looks and feels?
·         When does it normally snow up north?
·         What animals live in the snow?

Activities:
·         For science lesson, have students complete a worksheet on winter. Use the book as a reference for snow.
·         For writing lesson, have the students write their own poems about winter. Build onto this activity by having them write poems about other seasons.

Other books by this author:
·         Stone Angel
·         Sister Fox’s Guide to the Writing Life: Poems
·         Speaking in Pearls
·         How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad
·         Romping Monsters, Stomping Monsters

Reference:

Yolen, J. (1998). Snow, Snow: Winter Poems for Children. Honesdale: Wordsong Boyds Mills Press.