Building a snowman becomes a community effort, in this wordless story about a cold winter day that snowballs into a warm neighborhood gathering.
One morning, a girl wakes up to discover that it has snowed overnight. After breakfast she starts building a snowman - and soon realizes that it's easier and more fun to do with some help!
Other kids join in to help roll the balls that make up the snowman's body. A passing teenager helps them reach to place the head. Then more neighbors come along and each contribute something unique from their packed lunches or winter ensembles: a pickle for a nose, bagel halves for the ears, lychee buttons, a shawl …
The final touch comes in the form of a poppy pin placed by a veteran over the snowman's heart. The snowman smiles as the community members pause to admire their work. And when the crowd disperses, the girl and her grandfather stay behind to share a snack and warmth with someone who needs them.
Inspired by a real "community snowman" built by neighbors, author Deborah Kerbel has crafted a narrative about serendipitous connections, working together and paying it forward. These themes - and more! - are brought to life by the comic brilliance of Tine Modeweg-Hansen.
Key Text Features
wordless
panels
illustrations
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7
Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events. Building a snowman becomes a community effort in this wordless story about a cold winter day that snowballs into a warm neighborhood gathering. • DIVERSITY: Each neighbor contributes something unique to the snowman, demonstrating the value of diversity in neighborhoods and communities.
• GOOD NEIGHBORS: Neighbors in this story, housed and unhoused alike, not only band together to build the snowman but to help each other out when in need.
• WORDLESS PICTURE BOOK: Wordless picture books and sequential art help to promote early visual literacy skills in young children.
• AWARD-WINNING CREATORS: Deborah Kerbel is a Blue Spruce award winner for her 2019 picture book, Sun Dog (Pajama Press; 2019). Her YA novel, Under the Moon (Cormorant Books; 2012), was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award. Illustrator Tine Modeweg-Hansen was named to the IBBY Honour List in 2003.
