“It’s Snowing!” by Gail Gibbons.
Holiday House, Inc. New York, 2011, 32 pages, K-3.
Snow is the subject of many songs, and experiences like sledding down hillsides. It covers the ground with a beauty of a white sheet. This brings back memories of days of snowboarding, tobogganing and cups of hot chocolate.
Children feel especially fortunate when school is cancelled for a snow day. But there is another side to snow. The Midwest is currently trying to clear highways and streets from the massive snowstorm that struck the region. Youngsters may be interested to know where all this snow comes from. Gail Gibbons, famed writer of children’s books, tells the story of snow in this interesting work of nonfiction. The title of the book is “It’s Snowing!”
Gibbons begins the story with a description of how droplets of water are drawn up into the clouds and begin to form into ice crystals. She draws the many shapes that these ice crystals make. As the crystals float into each other, they become snowflakes.
Though no two snowflakes look completely alike, they have common parts. Snowflakes have six sides. As they continue to bump into other crystals, they become so heavy that they begin falling from the clouds.
All seven continents have snowfalls, but some countries in the Northern Hemisphere have significantly more snow. In tropical countries, snow is usually only seen on the tops of tall mountains.
The author then explains the make-up and composition of snowstorms. While light snowfalls only cover the ground with dustings of snow, snowstorms can continue for hours and drop significant amounts of snow. The most intense type of snowstorms are blizzards. They occur when large amounts of snow continue to fall, and are accompanied with high winds. They can be incredibly dangerous for anyone or any animals outside.
People can be trapped in whiteouts during blizzards. These are terrifying gusts of wind and snow that block out vision. It is like being lost in a swirling white mass. Gibbons points out that travelers should avoid all travel that is unnecessary during these types of snowstorms. Fortunately, winter storm warnings are now a part of our news broadcasts, which can eliminate some of these problems.
Gibbons closes the book by showing activities that children can have fun doing on snowy days. The pictures are delightful. The story ends with a two-page summary of snow events and the composition of snowflakes.
This would be a very enjoyable book to share with K-3 students. Gibbons writes well, and her drawings will please young readers. There is a great deal of information about snow, snowflakes and the modern day tracking of snowstorms. Since we have just experienced one of the most significant snowfalls and drops in temperature in some time, this book is especially relevant. Share this with the younger members of your family. You will both enjoy it.
