Snow Problem: 10 Books for
Snowy Days
by Denise Schipani
You got the sunrise robocall from the school — it’s official. You’re snowed in. What’s next? Aside from shoveling and sledding, snuggling in with a stack of books to read together feels like a no-brainer. Why not take it the logical step further and read books about snow?
We have snow-day-perfect suggestions, some classic and some surprising, plus — if you’re particularly adventurous — books brimming with ideas for fun snow day activities, indoors and out.
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The Little Snowplow
Available from:The big trucks all think Little Snowplow is too small to be of any help on the Mighty Mountain Road Crew. When the snow starts falling and an avalanche traps one of the big trucks, only Little Snowplow is small enough to clear him a path to safety.
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Toys Meet Snow
Available from:Snow, from the perspective of the littlest kids, is just pure magic. For them, there’s no shoveling or worrying about the roads, and probably no school to miss. Equal parts poetic, funny, and sweet, this book captures that feeling of seeing the beauty of the first-falling flakes and what you can do as they pile up.
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The Snowy Day
Available from:The book that’s launched a thousand snow day activities, this 1963 Caldecott winner is the story of a boy awakening to the wonder that is a city silent and shrouded in snow.
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Little Owl’s Snow
Available from:Little Owl longs for spring, missing those friends who have gone to sleep for the winter. It isn’t until those first flakes start to fall and the familiar forest is transformed by a blanket of white that Little Owl realizes how lucky he is to have experienced something so magical.
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Ten Ways to Hear Snow
Available from:After a snowstorm, Lina takes a walk to her grandmother's house. Along the way, she counts all the different sounds that snow can make. Such a sweet and cozy read to cuddle up with on a snowy day!
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One Snowy Morning
Available from:Readers will get a laugh out of the squirrel and chipmunk who come upon a pile of snow (known to humans as a snowman) with funny objects sticking out of it: a rowboat (top hat), a dragon’s tooth (carrot nose), and fish puppets (mittens). An amusing reminder that the world is what you make of it.
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Curious About Snow
Available from:Engage your budding scientist in lessons about snow crystals form and the amazing forms they take as they drop from the sky. You’ll want to break out the microscope and see for yourself how no two snowflakes are alike.
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Snow Sisters
Available from:This is a simple story about how two sisters each decide to spend their snow day. One eagerly bundles up for some outdoor fun while the other stays inside with her books and blankets. Eventually they switch and do similar activities, but each in their own way. Readers will enjoy comparing the two girls’ very different personalities while gathering ideas for both indoor and outdoor snow day fun.
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Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen
Available from:Filled with evocative imagery of winter, this is a very emotional tale about two friends. When Kay falls under the influence of a spell that turned his heart cold as ice, Gerda must show great loyalty and courage to win him back from the evil Snow Queen. This well-loved and heartwarming fairytale is the perfect read for those cold and snowy days of winter.
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Voyage of the Frostheart
Available from:Snow days call for a wintry escape, and this fantasy romp is just the ticket. Alone in the world, Ash embarks on an adventure aboard the Frostheart — an expeditionary sleigh. He’s trying to hone his emerging abilities as a song weaver, the only people who can fend off the giants lurking under the ice. But will his rudimentary skills put everyone in danger?
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