Reviewing a Sweet New Children’s Book About Snow

I grew up with snow, lots of it. Being raised in Hilton, New York, a small town outside of Rochester, near Lake Ontario, we had our share of snow. So, I know about snow.

This month children’s author, Laura Purdie Salas, gave me the opportunity to review her new book, Flurry, Float, and Fly, due to come out next week. I am excited to share my thoughts with you about this soon to be published story about winter weather!

Laura approaches her story from a perspective opposite mine. As an adult, she was new to snow, whereas I grew up with it.

I’ve read through the story several times and enjoyed it more each time I read it. Early on, Laura established a cadence and flow to her story set to rhyme. During this creative aspect she is still able to easily convey the science behind a snowstorm, starting with an early explanation of the jetstream.

Laura uses short readable sentences to engage early readers, accompanied by the gorgeous art of illustrator, Chiara Fedele.

The story builds anticipation through first conveying the childrens’ disappointment of having no snow, even though it is winter. Laura uses carefully choosen and sparsely used words to convey how snowflakes form.

Whether you grew up with snow like me, waited to experience it as an adult like Laura, or have yet to know what a snowstorm is like, the book, Flurry, Float, and Fly shares the amazement of experiencing this awe-inspiring natural phenomenon.

A well spaced out repetiton of the title fits the book, lending purpose to the flow and rhyme cadence. This is followed with a slow formation of snow flurries to the blur of a full-fledged snowstorm.

And the goodies between the covers of Flurry, Float, and Fly don’t end there!

The book’s backmatter gives scientific explanations of snow flurries and the formation of snow so that the adults (teachers or parents) reading the book with their child or children can provide accurate information on these sometimes hard to explain weather concepts.

As a formerlly trained (masters in natural resources) environmental educator, I highly recommend this book. It is the the type of book that will inspire both a child’s connection to our natural world and the joy, as well as the abundant awe that can be derived from it. The book is not only an enjoyable read but turns out to be a great teaching tool as well.

Beyond the description of snowflakes and meteorlogic science in the back of the book, there are further resources, including websites, videos, and the sources from which Laura gathered her facts.

Laura also has a wonderful website and offers additional resources there. You can find out all about Flurry, Float, and Fly at the following link to Laura’s page. There are downloadable worksheets for the book as well.

Flurry, Float, and Fly: The Story of a Snowstorm

I’m so happy that this book will be part of my home library. It fits with my past, growing up with snow, and my present of living with snow during Wisconsin winters, as well my future storytelling about snow. Most of all, I love that Laura’s book is awe-inspiring and appreciative of the wonders of the natural world.

Every home and school library should own a copy of Laura’s book. As a author, teacher, environmental educator, and nature lover, I highly recommend it