Stroy Time: December 10 2013

Twosiblings hold decidedly different opinions on winter and snow in this simple, rhythmic paean to a city snowfall. Big brother wakes up gleefully to the fluffy white stuff piling up outside their apartment window: “Winter is for wonderful!/Winter is for snow!” But younger sister frowningly responds, “Winter is for cold and damp./It must be ten below!” And so goes their droll verbal point/counterpoint, reflected in fonts of different colors, as Sis reluctantly turns off her media devices and bundles up for their trudge to the local sledding hill. Along the way, Brother envisions the adventurous worlds of polar ice and snow that lie beyond their doorstep, and his sister slowly has a change of heart, ultimately tasting flakes and sledding with gusto. Back home enjoying hot chocolate and a cozy fire with Mom, she is a smiling convert to the joys of the season. The rhyming text, while slight, will hold children's attention as they pore over the appealing illustrative details, rendered in black line and bold color. Snowflake patterns, suffusing nearly every page, underscore the blanketing snowfall and create a cohesive visual motif. Equally suitable for a lapsit or group read-aloud, this title is a worthy purchase for collections needing additional winter-themed materials.–Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School,

When winter comes, animals must adapt. Sometimes they fly away to warmer destinations, sometimes they go to sleep in snug nests, and sometimes they just cuddle up with the ones they love. 
Winter Lullaby will warm every child's heart on even the coldest winter nights.




CRAFT: Stocking Hats
For this craft you will need half of paper plate and some construction paper. Cut a band from the construction paper this will go on the bottom flat side of the paper plate, then cut a small circle from the paper and glue it to the top of the 1/2 paper plate (this will be the pom pom)
Let your child glue together the pieces and let them color the remainder of the white plate.

Literacy Extenders:

• Ask your child what types of other clothes they need to go out and play in the snow
• Talk about snow and how it relates to water. Talk about how water can be a solid and a liquid.
• If there is snow on the ground  put on a pair of gloves and head outside to draw the letters of the alphabet in the snow.
• Check some books out on arctic animals and read them to your child.