About the Author:
PATRICIA MACLACHLAN is best known for her Newbery Medal-winning novel, Sarah, Plain and Tall. Born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, she attended the University of Connecticut and has written more than a dozen stories for children including Baby and Journey. She now lives in Williamsburg, Massachusetts, with her husband.
STEVEN KELLOGG has published over 100 award-winning books for children, among them The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash, Johnny Appleseed, and the Pinkerton books. He studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design where he became intrigued by the picture book format. He lived in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, for 35 years with his family, where he was an active member of the community. He now lives in Essex, New York, with his wife.
From School Library Journal:
PreS-Gr 3–A gentle picture book created as tribute to the victims of the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. In his dedication, Kellogg expresses his hope that this book “celebrates the laughter, the playful high spirits, and the uniqueness of the children of Sandy Hook and of children everywhere.” And indeed, the image of falling snowflakes–“Flake/After flake/After flake/Each one a pattern/All its own–/No two the same–/All beautiful”–makes an affecting metaphor. MacLachlan's lyrical and understated poem describes snowflakes swirling “together/Like the voices of children” to blanket backyards and sleeping gardens, rolling countryside, and the town's familiar sites. Though a nighttime storm may bring shadows that “darken dreams,” morning always comes again, revealing a shining world and the opportunity to play outdoors. In springtime, “when the flowers bloom/The children remember the snowflakes/And we remember the children–/No two the same–/All beautiful.” Throughout, Kellogg's paintings dazzle with brightly clad kids joyfully romping through winter scenes. As flowers bloom, some of the youngsters dance into a still-snowy sky, and the back endpaper shows a row of 20 snow angels taking flight from a moonlit hillside and soaring into the heavens. Accentuating the rebirth found in nature's cycle, text and images depict the process of healing and renewal, the comfort of memory, and the power of hope. Adults can share this book to address tragic events, discuss grief and the recovery process, and remind children of the precious beauty of life.–Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journalα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.