The Snow Man: A True Story written by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Jeanette Winter takes place at the bottom of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The first double spread is gorgeous as the massive mountains roll up the page from the quiet white snow on the ground to the silent green trees all in a row. Purple, lavender, and teal blue colors pull the reader’s eyes to the top of the Rockies.
The second illustration pictures a man all alone as he skis toward an abandoned shack with dirt floors, no heat, and no water. The man’s name is billy barr. He decides to break the terrible monotony of his days by measuring how much snow fell each day. He kept complete daily records for years.
Finally, billy decided to build himself a comfortable house with solar panels, a greenhouse, and a room where he could watch movies from India. All along he kept measuring snowfalls and placing his records in mounting numbers of notebooks. After years he realized that something tragic was happening. “The snow was disappearing. Year by year, the snow arrived later and melted sooner—and there wasn’t as much of it.” After sharing his findings with a local scientist, it began to be understood by many that the world was indeed getting warmer.
The Snow Man written by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Jeanette Winter is a real story beautifully told both in words and in pictures. Readers 4-8 years of age and up as well as moms, dads and teachers will be fascinated by billy barr’s life. The Author’s Note reveals that at 73 years of age he still lives at the foot of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. (Beach Lane Books/ Simon and Schuster) 2023.
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Activity Questions for The Snow Man
Turn to the illustration of the snow man wearing nine different hats as he ages. It is snowing in every picture. Which hat do you think is the warmest? Which hat do you think is the most attractive? Why? Now gather your own winter hats together, arrange them in some order and then draw a picture of you in your snow hats. Color each hat and give each hat a name. Have fun!
How did the snow man’s hobby of measuring the amount of snow fall each morning eventually lead to the understanding that climate change in the world was indeed happening? Write a clever slogan warning others about climate change that could fit on a banner. Then draw that banner.
What did the snow man, named Billy Barr (although he spelled his name billy barr) store in his cupboard to eat? What would you store in your cupboard? Think about it. Then make your own shopping list in preparation for a long, snowy period of time.
