Snowflake Bentley

The fascinating life of a self-taught scientist, told in lyrical prose.

Author: Jacqueline Martin Illustrator: Mary Azarian Pages: 30 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Children's Books Published Date: 01/01/1998 Genre: Non-Fiction - Biography HC Price: $016.00 Publisher's Recommended Reading Level: Ages 4-8 Read Aloud: 2-6 Read Alone: 6+ Awards: Caldecott Medal

Common Sense Note

The fascinating life of a self-taught scientist, told in lyrical prose and illustrated with attractive woodcuts, should maintain children's interest as they learn about snowflakes and nature.

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Sally Snyder

Any child who has cut a folded-paper snowflake will appreciate Wilson Bentley's infatuation with the beautiful and intricate designs of snow crystals. Plainspoken as a Vermonter's speech, Martin's text is also lyrical: "In the days when farmers ... cut the dark with lantern light ... .".

Fact-filled sidebars highlight specifics of Bentley's life and his discoveries, and although the author mentions Bentley's interest in other aspects of weather and nature, this book focuses primarily on his study of snow. Strangely, in a book emphasizing the near uniqueness of snowflakes, each sidebar is decorated with the same set of snowflake designs.

Azarian uses hand-colored woodcuts to illustrate Bentley's life, and a Vermont winter is skillfully captured using blue tones in the snow. Country touches such as blue-willow dishware and vine-and-flower wallpaper bring the past to life. As beautiful as these illustrations are, more examples of Bentley's photos would have been welcome.

This is an excellent choice for introducing biographies to young readers, especially because it is a life story of an inspirational subject who exhibits tenacity.

From The Book

Day after stormy day he studied the icy crystals. Their intricate patterns were even more beautiful than he had imagined. He expected to find whole flakes that were the same, that were copies of each other. But he never did. Willie decided he must find a way to save snowflakes so others could see their wonderful designs.

Plot Summary:

Everyone believes that no two snowflakes are alike. Why? Because Wilson Bentley spent his life photographing over 6,000 of them, and never found a match. From an early age, Bentley was fascinated by snow and wanted to share its beauty. Jacqueline Briggs Martin's eloquent text and Mary Azarian's colorful woodcuts illustrate his life and convey his enthusiasm for snow.

Related Books:

Another picture-book biography about an inventor from the late 1800s is Wendy Towle's The Real McCoy: The Life of an African-American Inventor. Jacqueline Briggs Martin has written many other books, including Grandmother Bryant's Pocket, and among Mary Azarian's illustration credits are those for Barn Cat: A Counting Book.

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