Snowballs

The pleasures of a snowy day, and the creation of a snow family is the subject of this wintry picture book from author/illustrator Lois Ehlert. The simple text describing these activities is paired with collage artwork, and the majority of the pages are organized vertically, to give added height to each two-page spread. The book closes with a two-page spread labeling all of the colorful objects used to enhance the snow family, another spread dedicated to snow, and a final one featuring photographs of actual snowmen, and a more scientific discussion of what snow is. A recipe for popcorn balls is included on the read dust-jacket flap...

I've read a few of Ehlert's picture books at this point—Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, Leaf Man, Boo to show more You!—and I find that the illustrative elements tend to be stronger than the narrative ones. That is certainly the case here, where the creative visuals are the star of the show. I'm not sure why the book was titled Snowballs, when it's really more about snow people—perhaps because the people (and animals) are made from huge snowballs?—but I did appreciate the celebration of wintry outdoor fun, and I enjoyed perusing the illustrations. They are visually bold, making excellent use of shapes, and with a wonderful contrast between the white and gray elements and the vibrantly colorful objects used to decorate the snow people and animals. All in all, I can see this making a fun winter picture book for younger audiences—perhaps toddlers through four or five?—and would recommend it to that group. show less

Snowballs is a short and very sweet picture book that talks about a family who build a snowman for each memeber of their family. They use recycled objects that are not usually used for a snowman. At the end of the book a page shows all of the objects used and the names of the objects. This book although very simple emphasizes family, creativity, and recycling without directly stating it. In the winter you could encourage your students to create their own snowman of themselves, of someone in their family, or make their whole family. Encourage them to go home and find recycled objects to use to build their snowman. The illustrations are pictures scanned into the story, making the story seem goofy yet realistic.

Great illustrations, as is always true of Ehlert's work. The text is a little dry, and I stumbled over one page that was worded oddly.

This story wouldn’t really grab the attention of the younger readers. There’s no meaning, it gives real life pictures of snow figures and the illustrations are great very creative. Promotes family, when winter comes they build a Dad, mom, boy, girl, cat, and dog from snowballs. And when the snow day is over the sun melts the family away.

A snow story, from before the snow falls, to building a snow family, to watching the family melt. The pictures are photographs of the author's artwork and text is simple and large. The artwork is very innovative, but there is no story nor catchy language to support the pictures. The best use of this book would be as a read aloud before assigning kids to create their own snowman art, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get this book in a library. It would fit just fine in a preschool or public library collection.

Kids usually are so excited to make snowballs and snowmen. Many of the illustrations take up two pages and you have to flip the book to be able to see them. In this book birds are making all the snow people and a squirrel comes to help them out. When the birds are saving things in a bag you think it would be because it is snowing and they need their food. The birds are actually saving all the food up to make the features on the snowman/snow people. Everything they use for the features including forks, seeds, hats ,ribbons ,bells,ties, leaves, and buttons look so realistic. Lois Ehlert uses buttons in a lot of his books for details in the book. Instead of thinking as a snowday as hard for a bird, they make you see it is a day filled with show more fun and friends. show less

It is special that the way the book is held, lengthwise, this can get the full impact of the snowmen. Maybe the text is kind of boring but really neat illustrations. This book can lead to a great variety of art projects for young children. It can also be used for science. At the end of the book is information about what snow is. There are also a variety of photographs of real snowmen.