The Big Snow

By Hader Elmer, Berta Hader

Animals brace for winter's chill, relying on unexpected help to survive.

3.5/7 Bookroo expert·3.9/5 Goodreads · 5,036 ratings

48 pages· 1,739 words· Est. 14 min read-aloud

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Bookroo's summary

As winter approaches, woodland creatures scramble to gather food and find shelter. The Big Snow threatens their survival, but hope arrives from a little stone house. Will the animals endure the icy winds with this unexpected aid? Discover the heartwarming tale of nature's resilience and friendship.

From the publisher

When the geese begin to fly south, the leaves flutter down from the trees and the cold winds begin to blow from the north, the animals of the woods and meadows, big and small, prepare for the long, cold winter ahead when the countryside is hidden under a deep blanket of snow. They gather food and look for warm, snug places in the ground, trees, caves or thickets, where they can find protection against the icy winds.

It might have been hard for the birds and animals of the hillside to survive when the Big Snow came if their good friends, who lived in the little stone house, had not remembered to put food out for them.

Here, in many beautiful pictures, the Haders show how winter comes to the woodland as the busy animals make their preparations.

Awards

Caldecott Medal (1949)

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 48
Words: 1,739
Reading age: 6–9
Audience: Picture
Lexile: AD710L

Themes & topics

Books about hibernation Books about winter Books about animals Books about snow Books about nature

What readers & critics say

Reviews

3.5

out of 7

3.5

“The illustrations are gorgeous (yes, it's a Caldecott book!) and if you're in the mood to get every animals' feelings on winter coming and their preparations... this is the book for you. Otherwise, it may feel quite long and a touch boring.”

Marmee

Trusted reviewer

For readers who can't stop at one