Snowflakes Fall

September 2, 2013
In tribute to the lives lost in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, acclaimed author and artist MacLachlan and Kellogg collaborate on a book that celebrates “the laughter, the playful high spirits, and the uniqueness of the children of Sandy Hook and of children everywhere,” as Kellogg explains in his dedication. The text unfolds as a continuous verse, emphasizing renewal while drawing a comparison between the singularity of a snowflake and that of a child: “After the flowers are gone/ Snowflakes fall./ Flake/ After flake/ After flake/ Each one a pattern/ All its own—/ No two the same—/ All beautiful.” Rosy-cheeked children and rowdy pet dogs cavort through the snowy wonderland of Kellogg’s paintings, which give way to rainy spring scenes “Where soon/ Flowers will grow/ Again.” The most direct allusion to the tragedy comes in two scenes picturing “fields of snow angels,” a somber metaphor for the children killed. It’s a potent reminder of the ephemeral nature of childhood and of the joys contained within those fleeting years. Ages 3–7. Agent: Rubin Pfeffer, East West Literary Agency.

August 15, 2013
Falling snowflakes highlight the beauties and joys of winter in this celebration of the uniqueness of not only every snowflake, but every child. MacLachlan's lyrical free verse is set on the pages, sometimes drifting like the flakes in a storm, sometimes stacked up like so much snow on the ground. Her language is the same, at times gently flowing, at others, a staccato list, always matching the emotion: "Snowflakes / Fall / Drift / And swirl together / Like the voices of children." Boot prints and sled tracks are not the only evidence of children in these pages, which are filled with the wonders and delights of childhood, wonderfully captured in Kellogg's detailed and perfectly colored illustrations. They wake up to new snow, find animal tracks, catch snow on their tongues, snuggle in a cozy bed, revel in the companionship of pets, and make snowmen and snow forts and snow angels. Snowy wind at night can be scary, but in the morning, the world is new again. MacLachlan ends with a simple version of the water cycle, the snow melting and filling "the chattering streams" then "[s]ending drops of water up / To fall as rain." And where there once was snow, there will be flowers, reminiscent of the snowflakes. No direct mention of the Sandy Hook shootings is made in this book dedicated to its victims; the emphasis is on life, not death. MacLachlan and Kellogg celebrate the small things, but the small things turn out to be the big things after all: the children, "No two the same-- / All beautiful." (Picture book. 4-7)

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Starred review from September 1, 2013

PreS-Gr 3-A gentle picture book created as tribute to the victims of the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. In his dedication, Kellogg expresses his hope that this book "celebrates the laughter, the playful high spirits, and the uniqueness of the children of Sandy Hook and of children everywhere." And indeed, the image of falling snowflakes-"Flake/After flake/After flake/Each one a pattern/All its own-/No two the same-/All beautiful"-makes an affecting metaphor. MacLachlan's lyrical and understated poem describes snowflakes swirling "together/Like the voices of children" to blanket backyards and sleeping gardens, rolling countryside, and the town's familiar sites. Though a nighttime storm may bring shadows that "darken dreams," morning always comes again, revealing a shining world and the opportunity to play outdoors. In springtime, "when the flowers bloom/The children remember the snowflakes/And we remember the children-/No two the same-/All beautiful." Throughout, Kellogg's paintings dazzle with brightly clad kids joyfully romping through winter scenes. As flowers bloom, some of the youngsters dance into a still-snowy sky, and the back endpaper shows a row of 20 snow angels taking flight from a moonlit hillside and soaring into the heavens. Accentuating the rebirth found in nature's cycle, text and images depict the process of healing and renewal, the comfort of memory, and the power of hope. Adults can share this book to address tragic events, discuss grief and the recovery process, and remind children of the precious beauty of life.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2013
Preschool-G *Starred Review* This peaceful offering begins on the endpapers with a happy scene of children peeking-out amid flowers and trees. As the eye pans across the spread, the seasons changeautumn leaves, then snowflakes, float down. The book begins its powerful meditation on the cycle of life. Readers will savor the beautifully paced descriptions as well as the delightful panoramas of children playing in the snow. Together, the poem and evocative watercolors tug at deeper emotions. Even as MacLachlan describes the flakesEach one a pattern / All its own / No two the same / All beautifulreaders intuit she is also celebrating the children. In the extended metaphor, icy flakes strike the window pane in the dark, causing fright, but the morning promises to be brilliant. When rain, as it must in nature, washes the snow away, it helps summer flowers grow. Youngsters are left with joyful memories of snow angels and winter fun. This is a graceful homage to the inevitable seasons of life and remembrances of loved ones and times past. Whether or not they are familiar with loss and grief, children will feel the healing power of this hopeful, uplifiting book. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: These stellar talents were moved to create this book by the events in Connecticut and have dedicated it to the communities in Newtown.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2014
MacLachlan lets fly a string of moments and metaphors about snow, rain, and renewal. It's lovely if meandering, and the text is arranged imaginatively within Kellogg's dancing paintings of frolicking children and skies of snow. A note explains that the impulse for the book came from a desire to commemorate the children lost in the Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting, but the connection is tenuous.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2014
When eleven-year-old Masha wakes up with plastic flowers glued to her head, she knows it's the work of an evil genius: her six-year-old sister, Sunny. This crazy experiment gone wrong is followed by a string of unbelievable antics (e.g., a cast for an unbroken arm). Although the sisters' experiences are over-the-top, readers will enjoy Masha's witty voice; black-and-white illustrations showcase the hijinks.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)