Winter. Blah...

Two weeks ago I was complaining about the fact that it was 60 degrees in the Nati in January. Today I take it back! It's cold. And it's snowy. And it's giving me bad static-y hair. Yeah, I don't really have to be out in it much. My car always sleeps in the garage. I drive a mile and a half to my office and I usually get rock star parking. I admit it--I'm a whiner. I'm a winter whiner. I just want to stay in bed and have someone fetch me hot chocolate and soup and bad magazines.

But, alas, I have a job and a 2-year-old, neither of which allow me to sleep in. So I decided I better start embracing the snow. And what better way than through books for young readers. I pulled out two of my favorites from the Alice and Murray book collection. (Some are mine; some are his; some I agree to share).

One Murray likes to hear over and over is The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. I love the illustrations in this book. I love the pages with the snow angels and the footprints. I love that Murray still can't quite figure out what happens to the snowball in the little boy's pocket when he goes inside. I love reliving that feeling of excitement in my tummy when I would wake up to see the ground blanketed in white (and hoped that school would be called off).
My favorite snow-themed picture book is Snow by Uri Shulevitz. His subtle illustrations capture the atmospheric quality of snow and evoke that feeling of calm that a gentle snow can bring. Like when you're skiing and you stop high up on the mountain and no one is around and it's just so very quiet. Or a day when you can sit on the sofa by the front window and sip tea and watch the fluffy flakes fall on the lawn and it's white and clean and beautiful. That's how this book makes me feel.

Hmmm. Suddenly I'm a lot happier about winter.