One Snowy Day

PreS-Gr 1—This snowy picture book is a superb way to encourage counting strategies for young children during the winter months and is a great jump start for sequencing ideas to support curriculum development. Filled with a diverse cast of children, it begins with snow covering the ground and one dog barking. Each number is written out, which makes this a more challenging text for children reading on their own, and each number is set apart in color and font size. The dog wakes up his two kids, and there is a great scene of the three of them stretching in a downward dog pose for yoga as they get ready for the day. As the story progresses, the brother and sister meet their friends, sled, make snow angels, and throw snowballs. Once they build a snowman, the countdown from ten begins as they chase their dog, who steals the snowman's carrot nose, and pass items in their town. The illustrations are a combination of mixed media and digital. Although it is winter, the children's clothing and the colors in the sky are vibrant and match the energy of the text. There are many books on counting as it is an important concept for young children, but well-done addition requires children to count in two directions.