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

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold

Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold
by Joyce Sidman; illustrations by Rick Allen
Houghton Mifflin (November 4, 2014)
Nonfiction poetry

Summary:

A collection of poems that explores how animals survive the cold during the winter season. Provides additional facts about the animals and the season. 

Why You'll Love It:

• While most poems address familiar topics (snowflakes, moose, trees, chickadees), springtails (snow fleas) and skunk cabbage (an early flowering spring plant) will be new to many.
• Each poem is accompanied by facts as well as a glossary in the back of the book.
• This book perfectly marries poetry, science, and art! Check out the hand-colored linoleum blocks used in the illustrations:

Who Should Read It:

Great for grades 1-5...and here's the educator's guide.

What Else You Should Read:

• Pug: And Other Animal Poems by Valerie Worth
• Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman
• Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors by Joyce Sidman