Snow

Books, particularly children's books, often transport readers to lands unknown or not yet explored. Books can be Aladdin's magic carpet or Emily Dickinson's frigate that takes us lands away. Picture books, with their evocative illustrations, amplify the adventures; better still, the picture book experience enhanced by audio interpretation. With SNOW, listeners will travel to Eastern Europe to join a small boy, full of hope, as the first flake of snow falls. Music, positively sprightly, accompanies the flakes that spin and twirl and develop into a blizzard as the adults throughout the town scoff at the possibility. Children, who so well know the uses of enchantment and blind faith, will rejoice in its splendor. T.B. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

[Editor's Note: The following is a combined review of RAIN, CLOUDS, SNOW, and WIND]--Marion Dane Bauer brings the wonders of weather to the youngest readers and listeners in her Ready-to-Read books, CLOUDS, RAIN, SNOW, and WIND. She respects her audience and in each book provides much to think about. Paula Parker's expressive narration is paced for young listeners to take in factual information--for example, that cirrus means "curl" and stratus means "layered"--and then observe this fact portrayed in illustration. Deceptively simple science --that cold and hot air are continually changing places, for example--is given the studied measure necessary to take it in. Additional facts about the topic conclude each book. Background music completes each recording. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine