Common Sense Media Review
By Terreece Clarke
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Delightful tale of a child eagerly awaiting first snowfall.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
David can't wait for snow to come! Everything reminds him of it: the flour for making cookies, the bubbles from cleaning up. David even dreams about snow with drift so high he can't close the door. Will snow ever come, and will it be a BIG snow? Find out with David as he bakes, cleans, and waits his way through the day.
Is It Any Good?
BIG SNOW by Jonathan Bean is a beautifully drawn, well-told story that captures the imagination of a young child consumed by his thoughts of snow. The quick pace of the book mirrors the anxiety of the title character as he spends each moment -- no matter the task -- focused on when the snow's going to come. There are laugh-out-loud moments as David repeatedly dashes outside to check the progress of the weather, leaving his mother covered in bubbles or scooping up flour in his wake.
Parents and kids alike can identify with this book even if they haven't grown up in a wintry climate. Who hasn't built a new world from sheets or imagined another landscape in a tub full of bubbles? Big Snow is a great read for preschoolers and early readers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way weather affects their lives, including how the media portrays upcoming weather systems, how to dress for different types of weather, and types of weather around the world.
Families should talk about different ways to have fun in different types of weather. Coming up with a list weather-related activities is a great way to ensure family fun, rain or shine.
How does snow form? Are all snowflakes really different? Tackle the science of snow as a family and become experts of the white stuff.
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jonathan Bean
- Genre : For Beginning Readers
- Topics : Adventures , STEM
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Publication date : September 24, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 6
- Number of pages : 32
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate