First Day of Winter

First Day of Winter is December 21st!

The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder
By Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson, Ph.D. and illustrations by Nora Aoyagi

This nonfiction book talks about snowflakes and how they are made. There are lots of little “specks” in clouds, and one of these “specks” is needed to create a snowflake. The book discusses the step-by-step process of the creation of a snow crystal. The book also tells how snow crystals all have different shapes, and what the different shapes are. The book also tells how many sides a snowflake has, and why it can only have that many sides. Finally, the book tells what happens to a snowflake after it falls to the ground. There are pictures of snowflakes throughout the book that have been enlarged by a microscope in order to see what they look like. At the end of the book, there are tips on how to catch your own snow crystals.















Here Comes Jack Frost
by Kazuno Kohara

A little boy lives in a house in the woods, and he has no one to play with, because his friends are all hibernating. Then one morning he sees strange patterns on the window. He goes outside to see who is making those patterns, and sees a white figure putting frost and ice on his house. The boy asks who the figure is, and the figure replies that he is Jack Frost. Then Jack Frost runs away, and the boy chases after him. The boy ice skates across the pond, and then he sleds over the hill after Jack Frost. Then he and Jack Frost have a snowball fight. The boys ask if Jack Frost will play with him, and Jack Frost will. He tells the boy not to mention anything warm, though, or he would have to leave. Will the boy remember not to talk about anything warm? Will Jack Frost stay and continue to play with him?














Chaucer’s First Winter
by Stephen Krensky and illustrated by Henry Cole

Chaucer was a curious bear who liked to look at everything around him. Then one day his friends, Nugget and Kit, tell him that they will miss him during the winter. He asks why, and they tell him that bears usually sleep during the winter. Chaucer’s parents tell him that it is true, but he is not convinced. When his parents went to sleep, Chaucer was not sleepy, so he went outside. He catches snowflakes on his nose and tongue, and as they melt away, he thinks they are magic. Nugget and Kit are surprised to see, and they decide to teach him about snow. They slide down the hill over the snow and slide around on the frozen pond. Chaucer loves winter. One morning, its starts to snow and the wind blows really hard, but Chaucer builds them a safe place to stay. Soon the spring comes, and Chaucer is very disappointed. He goes to tell his parents all about winter, but he soon falls asleep.












Winter is the Warmest Season
By Lauren Stringer

A little boy believes the winter, not summer, is the warmest season. During the winter, he wears warm coats, hats, boots, and mittens. The animals and plants of summer are sleeping under the snow, but the snowmen he builds wear warm scarves. He eats grilled cheese sandwiches, pies, and breads, and he drinks hot chocolate and soup that warm him up inside. During the winter, the radiators keep his house nice and warm, and cats like to sleep in people’s laps instead of the windowsill. There are also fires in the fireplace and candles to help keep the house warm. During the winter, he takes hot baths, and his pajamas have nice warm feet. There are lots of blankets on his bed to keep him warm, people sit closer together to read stories together. This is why he believes that winter is the warmest season.