SNOWFLAKES ON OUR TONGUES

There are animal shenanigans on Pumpernickel Farm whenever it snows.

The animals of Pumpernickel Farm (and perhaps their tan-skinned, brown-bearded farmer?) have a peculiar habit whenever flakes start to fall. “We are the cows and we like to say Moo! / We stay warm in the winter with a thicker hairdo. / When the snow comes down, / we like to have some fun. / So we open up our mouths / and stick out our tongues.” A page turn shows the cows doing just that: “Snowflakes on our tongues! / Moo! Snowflakes on our tongues! / When the farmer isn’t looking, we catch snowflakes on our tongues!” This jaunty refrain repeats for each of the animals that follows—horse, piglets, sheep, chickens—differing only in the animals’ sounds, which little listeners will love to provide. Indeed, this is prime storytime fodder. The jazzy rhythm of the verses makes it perfect for a read-aloud, and the gloriously silly illustrations will give children the giggles, from the animals’ personal spaces to their gleeful jumps and leaps with tongues extended. A final page looks at how real-life animals on the farm adapt to the chilly winter weather and provides a few more facts about snow and snowflakes. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Read this when snow is in the forecast and kids can head outside, tongues hanging out.