Thomas' Snowsuit

When his mother buys him a new brown snowsuit, Thomas loathes it on sight, and refuses to put it on. After a struggle, he is compelled to wear it to school, where the same struggle recurs with his teacher, when it is time for recess. Eventually Thomas and the teacher end up in their underwear, such is the intensity of their fight. In walks the principal, and the fight gets even more complicated, and more intense...

Canadian author/illustrator team Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko have created many celebrated picture-books together, most notably: Love You Forever and The Paper Bag Princess. They joined forces again for Thomas' Snowsuit, originally published in 1985. Although I have enjoyed some of their other books, and appreciate the show more madcap sense of humor they exhibit, somehow this one just didn't work for me. I wasn't offended by the underwear scene, like some online reviewers, and I do understand that there is a certain realism in a story about struggling to get a child into their clothing. That said, I just didn't find Thomas' behavior amusing, and couldn't enter into the spirit of the story. Bad behavior is as natural as breathing to young children, and I have no problem with it being depicted in a children's book. I tend not to like those stories which validate such behavior, however. Tastes vary, of course, and I see that many reviewers have fond memories of this one, so take that as you will. show less

This is a funny story about a very strong willed boy who does not want to wear his snowsuit. He starts out his day fighting with his mom, then his teacher and finally his principal. They all try stuffing him into his snowsuit, but end up in each others clothes at different times in the story. When they finally give up and leave Thomas alone, he does what they were trying to get him to do in the first place and puts on his snowsuit.

I love this story. I have read this book many times to different groups of children and everytime they giggle and laugh through the whole story. It is also an easy book to get the children involved in. They can help you read it. The book also hits close to home. My daughter is a very independent, strong willed show more child and does not want to do anything unless it is her idea.

Extension Ideas: Draw a picture of oneself in a snowsuit, Make a class book students with their snowsuits on, Draw pictures of other things one might need to keep themselves warm in cold weather. show less

I remember really loving this as a kid. It doesn't have quite the same "read it again!" appeal as an adult. Thomas does not want to wear his new snowsuit, and causes adults all kinds of anguish with his refusal - including his mother, his teacher, and the principal. There is humor (accidental cross-dressing) and repetition ("they had an enormous fight"), and ultimately it's Thomas who - after putting on his snowsuit quite happily to go outside and play at recess - puts the grown-ups back in their right outfits again.
*
Re-read November 2025. So great.

Once again, the front matter and the back matter are above the level the story is written at. All this front matter should be moved to the back. For this story, I didn’t really like the story. Thomas needs to get in his snowsuit, but he fights with everyone, and gets adults to fight, just because he does not want to wear his snowsuit. I think this is a bad message, and a bad example. The cloths switching thing could be fun if done in a better way.

Munsch writes some really funny books. In this one, Thomas won't put on his snowsuit. It's UGLY, and he has no qualms about saying so whenever the grown-ups try to make him wear it. In the ensuing fights, his teacher ends up in his snowsuit, his principal and teacher end up swapping clothes by accident, everybody ends up in their underwear, and Thomas puts on his snowsuit when he decides it's important to go out in the snow.

Bunch of silly nonsense, no moral whatsoever. That's refreshing, isn't it?

There are some things I do and do not like about the children’s book, Thomas’ Snowsuit. Personally, I think the pictures are boring because they do not have much color or detail to them. The background of the characters is always white, the pictures are limited to one side of the page, and text is always on the other page in a plain font. However, I do like the language of the book. The character Thomas does not speak much, but when he does, it is always the repetitive phrase, “NNNNNNO!” On the first page and throughout the text, a lot of N’s are used to spell the word “No” when Thomas says it. I find this interesting and unique because typically the last letters are dragged out, but the author uses a different style. I show more believe the big idea is to show how kids can be stubborn with their clothes and picky about what they wear. Thomas repeatedly says, “No” to wearing a snowsuit, even when his mom, principle, and teacher try to make him wear it. I would recommend this book for kindergarten to second graders, as well as parents because I believe they can relate to the mother trying to dress her child. show less

The first Robert Munsch book I ever read. As an Early Childhood Educator I instantly got the humour of this. I could relate to the mom and the teacher's frustration but admired Thomas's spirited attitude. A lighthearted read for anyone who has ever tried to put a kid and a snowsuit together. Mr Munsch has a gift for writing books that appeal as much to parents and teachers as they do to the children. I never tire of reading this.