January 30 by Julie Fogliano & Illus by Julie Morstad

January 30

it is the best kind of day

when it is snowing

and the house 

sounds like slippers

and sipping

and there is nowhere to go

but the kitchen

for a cookie

                                                                              --From  When Green Becomes Tomato

The Blizzard by Betty Ren Wright & Illus by Ronald Himler

I discovered this book at our library last week. I am a little bit of a sucker for a good midwestern Blizzard. Not sure why, but I just am. 

This is a sweet, quiet book.

In this book, Billy is pondering the unfairness of birthdays. His sister's birthday is in the summer, so cousins can always make it. His birthday had to be in December, which means that once again, his cousins can't make it out from town because the weather is supposed to be bad. 

I feel his pain. I am a February birthday. I had a cold or the flu on my birthday for 3 consecutive years which meant no party. 

A dejected walk to school. 

Aren't these watercolors lovely? 

By recess time, there was a good snowstorm going on. 

A while later, in blew someone to tell the teacher the school was to stay there overnight because the weather was so bad. 

Our intrepid teacher, Miss Bailey didn't have blankets or food for overnight visits, so she decides to go to the closest house, which is  Billy's. 

Human chain so none of the littles would get lost in the wind and snow. 

Billy's mother greeting her unexpected guests.

Billy letting his father know they have company.

(I adore barn pictures.)

After everyone helps with the barn chores (barn chores are ever so much more fun when you have friends over. I speak from experience.) they settle into a big supper in the snug and cozy house. 

A large supper with all your friends, the prospect of a sleepover ahead, and a lot of snow to explore tomorrow. 

Life is pretty good all around. 

And suddenly it is a party. A birthday party!

After everyone is snug in their beds, stacked in like cord wood, Billy's dad asks him if maybe December birthday's might not have their compensations. 

Billy concedes that yes, they just might. 

Winter Story by Jill Barklem

Oh, we love Jill Barklem so. 

This was my mother's tea set when she was a girl. Not sure where the teapot is. So I used a creamer from my Great Aunt's table set that matched. 

Nothing says winter cozy quite like steaming cups. And yes, I had a little too much fun with props on this one!

Brambly Hedge books always begin with a map of their world.

The middle of a snowless winter. Little lights winking out all over the hedge as the sun sets. 

I love Brambly Hedge!

Snowflakes begin to fall. Mr. Apple goes home to a warm supper by a roaring fire. I often wish I had a roaring fire. It seems like a necessity in a Northern clime. 

We will just look at that picture again because we love it so. 

Happy sigh....

The Toadflax kids watched the snow falling with great excitement!

It was a white world when they woke up.

Fortunately for mice, they can just tunnel under the snow rather than wander around up on top. 

Mr. Apple's store where they all gather to discuss tradition, which involves a winter ball. 

They construct an Ice Hall for the dance by hollowing out a snowbank and making sure the roof was secure. 

While the ice hall was being constructed; Hot soups, punches, and puddings bubbled and in the ovens pies browned and sizzled. 

Here, the Toadflax kids help string crabapples to roast over the fire.

The ice palace in all its finished splendor. Quite impressive for one day's work. 

The Ice Ball in full swing!

Desert

I love the ladies in their garden party hats at an ice palace. 

Tucking tired mousies into bed.

After kids were asleep, parents went back to the Ice Ball for more dancing. 

CPS would have had a field day with this crowd. But they are so cute, how could anyone really be upset? 

And finally, as the morning broke and snow started falling again, even the adults were danced out. Home to cozy beds! 

The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader

Here is another oldie but goodie. We had this book when I was a kid. It was definitely one of those books that sit on the shelf and don't get read very often. 

It is long. It really is. I read it to Pre-K the other day and ended up paraphrasing most of it. Because the kids were getting antsy. 

So if you read it to older kids, you should be good. It is a lovely book. Over the summer, I came across a box of books a teacher was discarding from her classroom library and found an old and battered copy of this book.

I was completely enchanted. There is something in the pictures, so pure and perfect, that pulls me in every time. 

Since the copy was old and battered and I adored the pictures, I decided to make a bulletin board of it. 

(Is it legal to use a book this way? I always have argued that it is, but now that I am in the public realm, I start realizing I need to actually be sure of these things.)

I pinterested how to make snowflakes. It was fun--for the first couple. 

This is the picture that wowed me when I opened the book. I mean look at those dear. So gorgeous.

This book follows a woodland of animals as they prepare for winter. From the first signs of autumn to the Big Snow.

The animals talk back and forth about what each one does for winter.

It is somewhat hokey, but beneath that, there is a lot of information about how animals deal with winter.

These pictures are such period pieces of the 1940's/50's. Those colors!

The first snow. Not the Big Snow, but the first snow. The animals frolic in the moonlight. 

Hello! I love animals frolicking in the moonlight.

There is a ring around the moon, so the wise old owl knows snow is on the way. 

The beginning of the Big Snow. Isn't this cute? All those snowflakes.

A world changed!

How does the snow affect the animals? 

Food hunting becomes life and death.

Hungry animals.

But there are kind people. 

And the animals quickly spread the news of food set out. 

Feasting! 

And the animals survive until spring comes to take the snow away.