Snowmen at Night

Have you ever wondered what snowmen do at night? That is the exact question addressed by Caralyn Buehner in her book, Snowmen at Night. The story opens up with a little boy looking at a snowman in the morning and noting that “His hat had slipped, his arms drooped down/he really looked a fright--/it made me start to wonder/what do snowmen do at night?” What follows is a magical work of fantasy, in which the story and pictures show all of the games snowmen play when they come to life at night. They congregate in the park where there is “ice cold cocoa” made by “snowman mothers.” Then the snowmen participate in games that are seen during all seasons, not just winter. They have snowball fights and go sledding, but they also play show more baseball and have races. It soon becomes clear that snowmen only look disheveled in the morning because of the many activities they have at night.
With illustrations by Mark Buehner that practically jump off the page with beauty and vividness, Snowmen at Night is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears with its rhyming prose. The pictures are detailed, with each snowman being distinct…perhaps none more so than the one that wears a cowboy hat and sheriff’s badge. The snowmen are also not limited to having identical noses, as some have carrots, while others have cucumbers. The illustrations are drawn to showcase where light hits the snow, with the appropriate sparkle in all the right places. There are also hidden images in the pictures, such as the moon with the face of a snowman. A wonderful seasonal or any-time read for Pre-K through 4th grade, or anyone who is young at heart. show less

When he finds his snowman somewhat melted one morning, a young boy wonders what the snowy figure might have gotten up to the night before, imagining a series of exciting events, from a trip to the park to a sports competition involving all of the snowman's friends. The snowmen enjoy themselves immensely in this imaginary scenario, something which offers potential comfort to the children who observe their deteriorated condition the next day...

The first of a series of picture-books from author/illustrator team Caralyn and Mark Buehner about the doings of those popular snow figures, Snowmen at Night pairs an entertaining imaginary tale told in rhyme with bright, colorful artwork. The book would make an excellent read-aloud at story time - show more especially in the winter! - while the artwork provides a more interactive experience, in which children can search for the hidden images in the illustrations. For my part, I found a lot of Santas in the snow! Recommended to all young children who loves snowmen, and wonder what they get up to at night, as well as to those looking for rhyming picture-books with a wintry theme. show less

What DO snowmen do at night? Turns out they get up to all kinds of adventures! Told in rhyme, with full-page illustrations (oil over acrylics). My only quibble is that they're all snowMEN - the only female characters are, of course, the "snowman mothers," serving cocoa to the snowmen playing games.

See also: Toys Meet Snow (completely different style/tone, but also about typically inanimate characters playing in the snow)

Very cute and clever, why do snowmen look so tuckered and worn in the morning? Because they stay up all night having fun, playing games, doing what snowmen do at night. Silly!

Have you ever built a snowman and discovered the next day that his grin has gotten a little crooked, or his tree-branch arms have moved? And you've wondered . . . what do snowmen do at night? This delightful wintertime tale reveals all! Caralyn Buehner's witty, imaginative verse offers many amusing details about the secret life of snowmen and where they go at night, while Mark Buehner's roly-poly snowmen are bursting with personality and charm.

Snowmen at Night is written by Caralyn Buehner and illustrated by Mark Buehner. It is all about the secret life of a snowman at night when everyone is gone to bed. These snowmen slide over to the skating rink, have snowman races, snowball fights, sip cold cocoa, play snowball baseball, and go sledding before sliding back home.

This is a very imaginative and engaging book for young readers. The text is written in the style of a rhyme which provides steady rhythm and beat that is almost perfect down to the syllable. The mood is quite carefree and humorous despite it being the night time because all the snowmen are doing is have fun playing games and etc. There is a variety of word choice so that children are improving literacy skills while show more laughing and having fun reading the story with its hilarious pictures. The illustrative content is very well done as well, with a lot of shading and lighting to demonstrate night and street lights. The characters of the snowmen are very descriptive and expressive, to develop the characters from the tired out snowman getting pulled home on a sleigh with X's drawn on his eyes to the happy moms nourishing their rambunctious snowmen "kids" . This book provides interesting hidden asides all throughout the illustrations including Santa Claus, cats, rabbits, and dinosaurs. The pictures are also developing the plot considerably by showing elaborate snow scenes of the snowmen playing ball and skating etc. There is always something interesting to see like for example, one snowman is making a snow angel in the snow on the pages that show the rest of the snowmen skating on the pond. There is so much to see and do with this book it's very interactive.
Excellent for children 2-8. show less

I thought this was a super creative book. It had really funny pictures and I enjoyed reading this. I thought it had a great backstory to why snowmen change shape overnight