Komako Sakai

A little bunny wakes up one morning, only to be told by his mother that he can sleep late: Kindergarten has been canceled due to the snow. So begins a quiet day, as the bunny and his mother play cards, and watch the snow fall. Mother bunny has promised that when it stops falling, they can go outside, and when it finally does, late in the evening, they share a magical night-time walk...

Originally published in Japan, Komako Sakai's attractive picture-book pairs a gentle, pitch-perfect show more narrative with lovely illustrations. The grays and whites, relieved by an occasional yellow, are well-suited to the snowy world being depicted, as is the sense of quiet evoked throughout. Any child who has enjoyed the beauty of a walk through freshly fallen snow, when the world is hushed and seemingly abandoned, will appreciate this book, and identify with its understated and elegant depiction of a Snow Day. show less

I was intrigued by Elizabeth Bird's excitement at the approaching publication of this book and added it to the slew of snow books I purchased for our library.

I'm definitely glad I added this one - it feels like it has the possibilities of a new classic. In some ways, I'm irresistably reminded of Jack Keats' Snowy Day - the simple wonder of a small child experiencing snow, the quiet, almost isolationist feel of the story, the reflective quality of the prose. However, this is not a copy-cat show more tale by any means. Sakai's little rabbit is much more vocal than Keats' character, and the illustrations are in strong earth colors, showing the quiet emptiness of snow days. Little rabbit is not alone, but with his mother. Together they experience a peaceful day alone, then go outside to play in the snow at night. This will be a perfect story for snowy days, quiet days, and times in-between when you need a calming story-friend.

Verdict: Highly recommended, a definite must for your picture book shelves.

ISBN: 978-0545013215; Published January 2009 by Arthur A. Levine; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library; Added to my personal wishlist show less

Since reading this book I tend to remember a little more often to not demand things from my children while being lazy myself. Obviously parenting is not about letting children run the show, but it's also not about bossing the little ones around without regard for one's own behavior. I recommend this not just as a nice, empathetic children's picture book, but also as a hard-hitting, wonderfully short parenting book that gets the point across without taking 200 pages.

This book is beautiful and so simple. The girl wakes up and her mother tells her that school has been cancelled. She spends the day indoors, playing with her mom and aching to go outside. She is finally able to that night when it stops snowing, and she goes to sleep happy that her father will be able to return the next day because the snow storm is over. I love that some of the illustrations are really dark, and you have to strain your eyes to see the details. The feeling of being trapped show more inside beyond your control is perfectly shown in this book. I've been there! show less