Kid Lit Pick: Samson in the Snow by Philip Stead

Samson in the Snow
by Philip C. Stead
Roaring Brook, 2016
Picture Book

Summary:

One sunny day Samson, a large and friendly woolly mammoth, encounters a little red bird who is looking for yellow flowers for her mouse friend (whose favorite color is yellow). As she flies off with the flowers, Samson wonders what it must be like to have a friend. He wonders this for so long, in fact, that he falls asleep and wakes up to a world covered in snow. In the midst of a blizzard, Samson finds and shelters the little red bird and flower-loving mouse in a tender tale of kindness and unexpected friendship.

Why You'll Love It:

• Stead returns to themes he's made his own: friendship, acceptance, and love for small, ordinary objects that most people overlook. 
• The contrast between the very large and the very small contributes to the story's magic, and so does Samson, a hero who is tender, patient, and loyal.
• Stead has tackled the illustrations without his partner and wife, Erin, this time around, and the pictures have a sturdy feel, grounded by the mastodon's large, reddish-brown figure. 

Who Should Read It:

Great for PK-2nd grade.

What Else You Should Read:

• Buddy and Earl by Maureen Fergus
• Lenny and Lucy by Philip C. Stead
• Lost. Found. by Marsha Diane Arnold