Alice Schertle has created another 'recipe book' of sorts - and this one yields two snowmen per read. The words come across almost as a song, decorating the page with a mixture of rhyme, alliteration, and anticipation. The pace moves along in a steady cadence until you think you have all you need for a snowman, and then the word "EXCEPT" appears in all caps at the bottom of the page to let you know the fun is not over yet. The pictures have children of all genders, colors, and sizes - all with rosy cheeks from the cold - accented with bright primary colors set against plain background, so as not to distract from your little one noticing how all the children are working together to create the giant snowman.
The first 'ingredient' in the snowman receipt is a single snowflake, but that is quickly revised many times over, increasing the number drastically each time to numbers your child may not yet be familiar with, "seven thousand...eight million more...billions of snowflakes to make a snowman!" Using snow as the visual for these new large numbers is a great way to help your child understand and comprehend the meaning behind the numbers. The pictures will certainly engage your little one's imagination, as you suspend reality when you see the children rolling the first snowball so big that it takes eight of them on all sides to move it. Later, they have to use a levy system to get the next two snowballs on top of the first to create the giant snowman's body. After the children have decorated and dressed the snowman, he is so big you have to turn the book sideways to see him all at once! It's also fun to see the ways the children vary from tradition while decorating the snowman, using what appears to be a gardener's hat instead of a top hat, using bottle caps for eyes, including a belt, and walnuts for buttons!
My niece Emily and I read this book for the first time this past winter. It was the first year she really got excited about making a snowman outside, and after reading this book, she insisted that we make it a big as possible. She was so excited about getting to dress the snowman any way she wanted. It ended up wearing a tie, an apron, a snow hat, scarf, and had rocks for eyes with a licorice mouth. It may have been odd looking, but it was Emily's.
--Audra