Snow, Snow

Photographs by Jason Stemple
Boyds Mills 1998
ISBN# 1-56397-721-4

Jason lives in Colorado where it snows a lot. So he has taken a lot of stunning pictures of snow over the years. I culled these, chose about fifteen for writing poems about, and then other photos that I loved but couldn’t think of a poem for, we used for cover, title page etc. I wanted to call the book “Cold Glory” after one of the poems, but the publisher thought that too subtle for a picture book. So “Snow, Snow” it remains.

See Jason’s description of this book.

Also available in paperback.

What reviewers have said:

• “With easy grace, Yolen pens poetic lines to accompany Stemple’s lovely photographs.” — School Library Journal
• “Inspired by her son’s crisp, frosty photography, Yolen has produced fourteen crisp, frosty poems. They’re a sparkling collection, deft but clear, on various aspects of the wintry world.” — Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books
• “A good place to start in writing classes when the days begin to get shivery.” — Booklist
• “A collection of thirteen wintry poems that herald the beginning of winter and reach out to the “doorway to spring.” These poems have been written for intense snow enthusiasts like skiers, snowmobilers, and snow gazers, but also for the not so intense snow lovers who admire its beauty but not its frigidity. The poems are short, pithy, filled with mystery, depth of meaning and imagery. Photographs and text capture the color of snow, “as white as milk, as bleached as bone,” a view of a river, wrapped in “ermine robes,” and places snow in its seasonal time frame, “a kind of sandwich of the year, snow in the middle, spring and fall on either side.” This is but a small enticement to a collection that deserves a place in every library that services children and their advocates. Highly recommended.” — Catholic Library World
• The stunning photography of Jason Stemple, meanwhile, completely dominates Snow, Snow: Winter Poems for Children. Although Jane Yolen’s 13 seasonal verses capture the beauty and mystery of winter for middle-grade readers, Stemple’s amazing photos make you feel the cold and appreciate the majesty of nature.” — Los Angeles Times
• “You will find good poetry and stunning photography in this volume! One look at this book will give teachers all kinds of ideas for reading and writing poems in the classroom.” — Yellow Brick Road
• These poems for snow lovers are inspired by the stuning photographs which capture the image of snow in all its breathtaking beauty.” Children’s Book Specialists
• “A lover of snow and all things winter records her impressions in verse, some short and simple, others more detailed. Every winter subject from skiers, snow, footprints, and the color white are given a fresh look. The stark photos help to put the reader in the right mood.” — Children’s Literature