Letters from the Sky
Non-fiction Picture Books about Snow
Some are old, some are new, some are tried, and all are true!
This post is dedicated to Mister...whose wondering inspired a post on books that tell about Snow!
Mister, thank you for the lightbulb moment when you wrote about your wonderings of snow in your writer's notebook!
Mister, thank you for the lightbulb moment when you wrote about your wonderings of snow in your writer's notebook!
Discovery and Snowflakes
By Jacqueline Briggs Martin, Illustrated by Mary Azarian
A biography of the life of Wilson A. Bentley, the "Snowflake Man" of Jericho Vermont. This beautiful book won the 1999 Caldecott Award. It tells of Bentley's life in a gentle yet powerful way to let the reader know how dedicated and serious the man was to his life's work-photographing snowflakes.
The story of Wilson Bentley and his quest to photograph the perfect snowflake...he so strongly desired the perfect snow that being out in a snowfall acutally contributed to him becoming sick and dieing from pnemonia.
"The Snowflake Man" from Chuck Smith on Vimeo.
A short video about the work and struggle to photograph the snowflakes!
A short video about the work and struggle to photograph the snowflakes!
Snowflakes in Photographs by Wilson A. Bentley
This book contains the photographs Bentley took of the snowflakes-no two are exactly alike! Children will love looking at these pictures! It may inspire them to want to run outside and catch snowflakes on black paper to observe with magnifying glasses. Also, here is a link to the WA Bentley website
By Franklyn Mansfield Branley and Illustrated by Holly Kellar
A typical read and find out story-great for anwering questions that children might be wondering about snow!
by Josepha Sherman, Illustrated by Jeff Yesh
Kids will be able to learn about snow crystals. They will be able to learn how water is turned to snow. The book contains a discussion of extreme weather conditions including a blizzard.
By Melissa Stewart and Illustrated by Contance R. Bergum
Children will be able to learn about how animals exist under the snow in this beautiful story. It shows how animals survive during the cold months of winter.
I also found a curriculum guide link to the story via Melissa's website
By Kate Messner Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
Students will love this book! Taking something simple, opposites of over and under, and recounting not so ordinary things that are happening in the moment both above the snow pack and under it. There is a new word connected with this story-the subnivean zone! Check out the story to learn more about this amazing process that's easily taken for granted.
Students may even want to write Kate a letter about what they learned from her views in the story.
By Mark Cassino, with Jon Nelson, Ph.D.
This is an amazing book with a more scientific feel to it! The story explains how the snow crystals are formed, and how various shapes are changed by the temperature. The story includes ending advice on how to catch your own snow crystals. It ends with a glorious quote:
"A snow crystal is a letter from the sky." --Ukichiro Nakaya, Japanese Scientist
So there you have my list of Non-fiction nods on Snow!
Happy Reading!
#nf10for10
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