jiastar's Full Review: Steven Kroll - Biggest Snowman Ever
The Biggest Snowman Ever is a slim book weighing in at only 30 pages in length. Bear in mind however that this is not a book written with beginning readers in mind. The sentences are longer and more complex than one would traditionally find in a book for newly independent readers.
For younger readers, such as those in Kindergarten or First grade, this is probably a better choice as a story time book. For children in Second grade (such as my youngest child) or older this should present just the right amount of challenge to foster the necessary language skills to be a successful reader.
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The Story
When the mayor of Mouseville announces a snowman contest, promising a prize to "whoever makes the biggest snowman" friends Desmond and Clayton each decide that they are going to win. They start out each making their own snowmen, with some input from their fathers. Eventually though they see that all of their friend's snowmen are about the same size as theirs' and they decide that if they want to win they will have to work together.
Pooling their resources and efforts Desmond and Clayton manage to make a snowman that not only wins a wedge of cheese but that towers over the populace of Mouseville.
The Illustrations
Jeni Basset made Mouseville a very pretty place to live. From the varied wardrobes of its people to the wreaths on doors and windows it is all rather quaint. It is however her use of color that I found to be the most striking.
She could've just used a whole lot of white and called it a day. Instead, she used subtle shades allowing the snow in her pictures to pick up the play of light and shadow that is one of my personal winter delights.
Overall
This is not a book that was read over and over again. It did not inspire laughter or giggles or even dinner table conversation. It did not manage to grab my daughter in any appreciable manner and is therefore not one of the books that will make its way to attic storage for future grandchildren.
That being said, The Biggest Snowman Ever is a sweet simple story that would be perfectly appropriate as a gift for the winter holiday season or for curling up with on a snowbound day.
:: please note that this book markets itself as a sequel to The Biggest Pumpkin Ever ::
When the mayor of Mouseville announces the town snowman contest, Clayton and Desmond claim that they will each make the biggest snowman ever. But buil...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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