Most children can hardly wait for the snow. Two new picture books are just for these young readers who wonder when the first snowflakes will fly or when they can tumble on the sled hill.
SNOWSONG WHISTLING by Karen E. Lotz. Illustrated by Elisa Kleven. 1992. 32 pages, Dutton, $14.95.There's a crisp in the air
From I-don't-know-where
But it might be
A snowsong whistling.
This charming picture book illustrates preparation for fall such as "Pumpkins plumping/Blue-gills jumping/Apples thumping/
Sweet cider pumping" or "Storm clouds looming" and "frost feathers glistening."
The lyrical text is accompanied with detailed collages of cut inked-paper, cloth and lace attached to backgrounds of watercolor and gouache. The borders, splendid designs around both poem and full-page pictures, add a richness that enhances all the activities and preparations for sledding, skating, cooking and catching snowflakes on the tongue.
The rhythm of the four-line text pleads to be danced, and children from preschool through age 7 will find many ways to enjoy the snowsong.
WHEN WILL THE SNOW TREES GROW? by Ben Schecter, 1993. 32 pages, HarperCollins, $14.
When a little boy asks a brown bear when the snow trees will grow, the burly friend shows him that all things come about in good time. "When the warm quilts are taken from the closet . . . And the cricket's song is soft . . . And the smoke curls from the chimney . . . When hot chocolate is the most delicious thing to drink . . . " then it will be time for the snow trees to grow.
The artwork in rich autumn colors is serene and quiet. In each picture the bear's eyes look toward the sky more and more until at the end he leaves the heavy overcoat and ventures into his snow cave.
The idea of snow trees is delightful, and the cycle of changing seasons with the human (and animal) preparing for the cold can be shared with a child or group.
Marilou Sorensen is an associate professor of education at the University of Utah and is serving on the 1994 Caldecott Selection Committee.