SNOW IS...

A shadowy blue color scheme accented with red pairs with gentle rhyming verse in a cozy ode to snow.

This book treats snow as an unalloyed joy; no shoveling, wet pant legs, or numb fingers appear here. Instead, readers follow an Asian-presenting child and father throughout a day of cavorting in the snow, accompanied by an energetic dog. The verse scans well, encompassing both abstract evocations of snowy weather (“Snow is a plop / and a flop / and a squish. / Snow is a flutter, / a swoosh, / and a swish”) and more concrete experiences (“Snow is a hoard that is set for attack. / Snow is Dad’s face… / when a snowball / goes WHACK!”). The digital illustrations have a homey, pastel-like quality that—despite the chilly subject matter—imbues the playful tableaux with warmth. With a limited palette of whites, blues, and grays, Sánchez captures the quietly luminous quality of shadows on snow, broken by pops of red from the family’s clothing. From snowball fights to fort-building to sledding, the father and child enjoy their romp until the arrival of a second, Black-presenting adult and a bundled, brown-skinned baby, who usher the group back inside as the sun begins to set. More coziness ensues at home before child, baby, and dog pile into bed together.

A sweet wintry celebration.