Snow Music

By Lynne Rae Perkins

Book Overview

Newbery Medal Winner Lynne Rae Perkins sings a song of winter in this masterful portrait of a world blanketed by snow. For fans of The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, The Mitten by Jan Brett, and Winter is Here by Kevin Henkes.

Everyone whisper: peth peth peth peth peth

It's daybreak. A rabbit, bird, deer, squirrel, dog, and two friends wake up early to a world blanketed in new snow. Still in pajamas, one of the friends opens the front door, and the family dog bolts. Oops.If you follow the tracks across the snowy pages of this memorable picture book--and if you listen--you will soon find yourself reading a story, many stories. What do these stories sound like? What song does the scatterbrained squirrel sing? How about a dog on a mission? The snow plow? An icy leaf? This is a surprising picture book with a different kind of beat--about venturing out and coming home and the wonder of a snowy day.
"Snow Music offers a sophisticated experience, yet that richness is accessible to all." -New York Times Book Review

"A miniature replica of a children's whisper-quiet winter world. Masterful and unique." -Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0066239567
• ISBN13: 9780066239569
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 10.3" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

The sound of snowflakes falling....

Living in sunny Queensland (Australia), we have very little idea what a snowy day is actually like. No more though, because this beautiful and unusually written book has let us know! It contains a couple of the most powerful lines of text that I have seen in a picture book in a long time... "Good boy." "Why are you saying he's good?" "So he'll like coming home". The illustrations are very subtle, as is the minimal text. I fear that for this reason though, this book may not have universal appeal. If you prefer books that are very bold and obvious in their illustrations and text, this may not be the book for you. It's one of those books that you have to read a few times before it can be fully appreciated. Not quite up there with Ezra Jack Keat's A Snowy Day, but nevertheless, a beautiful worthy addition to any library.

What is the sound of one bird hopping?

Snow Music doesn't necessarily answer the question of the bird, but its lyrical words will have you making music of your own with your children. My son's favorite page is "A Car Went By", he loves how I act it out as directed by the text. My favorite page simply says "shhhhh" but that sound takes me back to many early mornings waking up to fresh fallen snow and a city blanketed in quiet. Snow Music is a joy to read aloud and should be on every child's bookshelf, ready at a moment's notice to be pulled down and read while snuggling under a cozy quilt.

Sweet but not saccharine. Low key without being maudlin.

To look at "Snow Music" you wouldn't necessarily think much of it at first. On the cover is a calming image of a snow globe sitting beside a snowy window. Inside the book, however, the author/illustrator Lynne Rae Perkins has created a collection of delicate watercolor pictures that deftly encapsulate the experience of a single snowy day. When a boy accidentally loses his dog in the snow he sets out to find it again, experiencing the sights and sounds of winter on the way.My description of the plot is exactly the same as millions of plots about snowy days in children's picture books. There's not a word in that description that's going to convince you that this book is any better or worse. Well it IS better, gol durn it, and I fully intend to show you why. First of all, let's examine a two page spread that appears after the title page. The page is full of blue, purple, and violet circles, each containing the word, "peth". The instruction simply reads, "Everyone whisper:". A whispered "peth" is indeed the sound snow makes when it falls on a silent night. The opposite page is a single spotlight lit on the side of the road, illuminating the flakes that fall beneath it. As the book continues we read small animal poetry. One is a deer haiku (almost), the other the thoughts a squirrel may have as it hunts for food. Two kids meet up and one explains his current situation. "I just opened the door to look out and he bolted". I love this line. The kids trudge off to find the dog and we read three different kinds of snow music in a row. One is the sound a car makes when it drives with the radio playing. Another is a VERY realistic truck salting the road. The third, the dog jingling in the snow. As you may have guessed, this dog is eventually found and the last dialogue we hear is this: "Good boy." "Why are you saying he's good?" "So he'll like coming home". The snow falls again after the sun melted it during the day and we are instructed this time to whisper "fep fep fep". End of story.Aside from the words, which are superb, the art is as evocative as it gets. Perkins lives in northern Michigan and her book is a lovely view of rural Midwest snowscapes in the wintertime. This is the best picture book I've seen that evokes what it truly feels like to watch snow covering the land during the night. As lovely to hear as it is to read, it's one of the best winter stories I've ever had the pleasure to pick up.

Perfect Christmas gift!

This is a wonderful book for reading aloud with small children. Beautiful illustrations, musical text, an intriguing plot about a runaway dog. Lots to talk about or think about or just absorb. Perfect for snuggling up with the little ones on a cold Christmasy day!

A unique and distinguished read-aloud treasure

A superbly executed picture book for children by Lynne Rae Perkins, Snow Music emphasizes vision and sensation over plodding narrative. An elegant picture book featuring rapturous art and onomatopoeic writing, Snow Music uses color, contrast, and simple yet expressive phrases to bring alive a feeling of imagination and wonder in readers of all ages. A unique and distinguished read-aloud treasure to share with young children.