This heartfelt and beautifully illustrated picture book follows the special friendship between a scarecrow and a snowman throughout the seasons.
Being a scarecrow can be lonely. Spending his day keeping birds away doesn’t leave Crow with many options for friends. Then one snowy day, the children on the farm build a snowman. Crow and Snow are fast friends and winter passes happily in each other’s company. Then Snow goes away. Crow misses his friend and thinks of Snow during the warm seasons until they can be reunited again. Being apart can be hard, but the very truest of friends never lose each other.
A story about a scarecrow and a snowman falling in love? Brilliant!
Readers see and feel the friendship grow between Crow and Snow season after season. From the nervous introduction to the hilarious jealousy to the comfort and joy of love. It’s all here and I loved every single word, line, page, and smile!
The text is simple and charming. Each and every word sets a calm, slow pace that shows the passing of time and the growing feelings between Snow and Crow. The little lines of dialogue feel almost poetic. My cold, cold heart melted along with Snow. I teared up at one point for goodness sakes!
“Are you leaving?” asked Crow. “It seems that way,” said Snow. “Will you come back?” asked Crow. “I’m not sure,” said Snow. “Maybe.”
Big, double page layouts capture the open land and the loneliness of Crow and the warmth of companionship oh-so beautifully. It’s simply a joy to read and flip through. I’m not sure, but this could be the sweetest book I’ve read all year. Maybe. :)
What I do know is that this sweet story will encourage readers of all ages to share and say how they feel. Why wait? Say the words!
Highly, Highly recommended. Crow & Snow will make you smile for sure.
This is a simple story about a lonely scarecrow and an ephemeral snowman. Each year, the farmer's children build a snowman. Snow keeps Crow company through the winter. But with the arrival of spring, the two friends have to say goodbye. Snow always returns, though... until one year when the children are all grown up and don't build a snowman anymore. Is this the end of the friendship?
I get what the author and illustrator were trying to do here, and it's a nice book about friendship, but something's just not sitting quite right with me. Maybe it's Crow's wondering if he should tell Snow how he feels and the subsequent declaration of love. It almost feels a little too adult for a children's book, almost romantic, and while there's nothing wrong with a homosexual inter-object romance, the lead-up to that point had been about simple friendship.
Your interpretation may vary, of course. Overall, the story is fairly strong and the illustrations capture the passing of the seasons and the changes that come with that. It's not a bad book... but I'm not sure what kind of relationship Crow and Snow are supposed to have, and that ambiguity is kind of bothering me.
এক কাকতাড়ুয়া যার নাম ক্র সারাদিন মাঠের মাঝখানে দাঁড়িয়ে থাকে। ট্রাক্টরের পর ট্রাক্টর চলে যায়.. ঋতুর পরে ঋতু.. কিন্তু তার স্থান পাল্টায় না। খুবই একা লাগে তার... কেননা কথা বলার জন্য কেউ ই থাকে না। একদা এক শীতকালে ছোট ছোট বাচ্চা ছেলেমেয়েরা তার ঠিক পাশেই বরফ দিয়ে একটা স্নো ম্যান তৈরি করল। সেই দেখে আমাদের ক্র ভারি খুশি হল। দুজনেই একে অপরের ভালো বন্ধুও হয়ে গেল। এইভাবে বেশ দিন কাটছিল.. কিন্তু গরম পড়বার সাথে সাথেই ক্র দেখল তার বন্ধু স্নো ক্রমশ গলতে শুরু করেছে। একটা সময়ে স্নো কে আর দেখা গেল না। বছর ঘুরে আবার শীত এলে ক্র আবার আশায় বুক বাঁধে ... স্নো'কে দেখতে পাবে বলে.. যদিও সে লক্ষ্য করল আগেরবারের থেকে স্নো কে একটু আলাদা লাগছে। তবে ক্র খুশি। কেননা এখন তাকে আর একা থাকতে হবে না। সে নিজের সুখ দুঃখের কথা আবার তার সাথে ভাগাভাগি করে নিতে পারবে। কিন্তু আবার গরম আসতেই সে চলে গেল। এইভাবে বছর আসে যায়.. স্নো এরও যাওয়া আসা লেগে থাকে। তা একদিন ক্র ঠিক করল.. পরেরবার স্নো এলে.. সে তাকে তার মনের কথা জানাবে। আর চেপে রাখবে না। কিন্তু বছরের পর বছর চলে যায়.. স্নো আর আসে না। ক্র কি আর স্নো এর দেখা পাবে? নিজের মনের কথাগুলো সে কী বলতে পারবে? প্রশ্নের উত্তর পেতে হলে ছোটদের জন্য লেখা এই ছোট্ট বইটি আপনাকে পড়তেই হবে। আমার খুবই ভালো লেগেছে। অলংকরণ শিল্পী ও দারুণ কাজ করেছেন। বাড়ির ক্ষুদে সদস্যদের এই বই ভালো লাগতে বাধ্য। নমস্কার!
3.5 stars -- Sweet, touching, and a bit sad, this is the story of changing seasons and an enduring friendship as a scarecrow and a snowman say hello and goodbye to each other throughout the passing years.
A very sweet book. I was not necessarily attracted to this book, but I gave it a try. So glad I did, these two became good friends, and I am thankful they let me come along.
This is a special story of how two very different characters became best of friends. The story begins with Crow (a scarecrow) being placed in a vast field by a farmer. All day long Crow spends his time guarding the crops as they grow during the summer months. This is a very lonely job and Crow is desperate for a friend. He says “Hello” to a passing tractor, but gets no response. Time passes and summer turns to fall and soon winter. Small flakes of snow start to fall on Crow in the barren field. One day, the farmer’s children come out to play in the snow and create a snowman right next to Crow. Crow introduces himself and he learns this new addition to the field is named Snow. This delights Crow because now he has a new friend. Crow and Snow enjoy the winter together, but then the seasons change and Snow slowly melts. At first, Crow and Snow see each other every winter, but as the years pass, they do not see each other as much (a sign that the farmer’s children have grown up). Many years pass until one day a new group of children come to the field, make a snowman, and Snow has returned. Crow has missed his friend so much that he did not waste any time telling him how much he values his friendship. The two best friends are together again -- for now! The illustrations in the story really provide personality to both Crow and Snow. Both Crow and Snow smile and frown based on their emotions and simply arm movements show confusion, frustration, happiness, and displeasure. I also love how the book conveys how one corn field can look very different as the seasons pass.
This book is perfect for children between the ages of two and five years old. I would especially recommend it for children who have either moved or live far away from friends or family. It is a great way of showing how friendships can last through time and distance. This book is a great tool for opening conversations about friendships, especially about two friends who are very different.
CROW AND SNOW is a beautiful story of friendship and sharing your feelings. Crow was built in a field by himself, something that felt lonely when tractor would not say hello back. After the harvest, winter arrives, and with it, snow. The children come out and build a snowman next to Crow. This time, when Crow says hello, Snow says hello back. They are good friends, even though Snow disappears at the end of winter and comes back the next. As time goes on, Crow is not sure if he can tell Snow how he feels. Eventually, he does, and Snow says it back.
What I loved: This is a beautiful story of friendship that spans time and distance. In softly told words, Crow's loneliness is palpable, as is his joy at finding someone to spend time with. Even though they are separated by summer, the joy at seeing Snow again in the winter is beautiful. The book ends perfectly with a shared statement of love and a big hug. Although simple, this story is lovely in its emotions, joys, and experiences. The illustrations capture the story so well and accompany the text perfectly.
The text itself is clear and easy to read, generally printed on white backgrounds and the color flipped on darker colors. The rhythm of the text makes it flow well throughout, and the hopeful and lovely message at the end make this a great choice for bedtime.
Final verdict: A beautiful story of friendship and love, CROW AND SNOW teaches that friendship spans time and distance with its lovely writing and illustrations. Recommend for preschool and elementary aged readers.
Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
Loved this book! Look, it doesn't have to be seen as a queer book but I'm gonna see it that way. Certainly being blown away and caught by a fellow he-pronouned entity before confessing you love him has a romantic air to it. Thankfully, the story has a wider appeal than being about love. It is more about missing someone and looking forward to spending time with them and saying what you need to say when you have the opportunity. Would be a lovely one to read at a winter storytime. I'd even love to see it at an LGBT-themed storytime. A pleasant story that will expand the horizons of kids regardless of if the book is seen as romantic gay love or platonic guy love--both are great to see in a picture book and will help kids of all genders thrive!
Highly recommended for all families looking for a winter/seasonal story.
This is the story of Crow, the scarecrow and Snow, the snowman. It is also a story of seasons and friendship. Crow is lonely in his field by himself until winter arrives and the kids make a snowman right next to him. Snow and Crow become best friends who see each other year after year for the brief season of winter. It is a beautiful, quiet story. Quiet stories are often frowned on in publishing, but they are often my favorites. Kids sometimes need a story to read snuggled under blankets with someone they love that feels like a warm hug. This is just such a story.
A scarecrow and a snowman form a friendship that lasts across seasons and years.
This is a sweet and touching story, which highlights the unspoken emotion between friends.
I do, however, have one small criticism. As someone from the Corn Belt, I found the inaccuracy in the depiction of cornfields to be annoying. I realize the illustrator is a Frenchman living in urban France, but a Google image search for cornfields and stages of corn growth would have given him enough information to create a more accurate representation even if the artistic intent was semi-abstract and stylized artwork.
Having friends may never have mattered more than it does now, where many adults and children have closer relationships with their mobile phones than with other humans in the household.
I'm enthralled by the picture of Crow, the scarecrow, and Snow, the snowman, standing side by side. And I find their saga quietly, deeply, beautiful.
Not only is this a beautiful story for anyone who cares about friendship, this is the first children's picture book I've seen yet about two men falling in love. About time!
Thank you, author Robert Broder and illustrator Olivier Tallec.
No one on the farm pays much attention to Crow, a soft-spoken and friendly scarecrow. He's feeling pretty lonely as time goes on, until winter comes, and the children on the farm make a snowman-- Snow! Crow and Snow become good friends, but eventually Snow has to melt. Year after year, Snow comes back to sit with Crow for a winter. This sweet story is a great metaphor depicting that some friendships will never wither, even with time apart.
A wonderful picture book that made me laugh in a couple of places at Crow and Snow’s attempts to talk to each other as they kept each other company (in Winter only, of course).
Serious by the end, though, this book brought home to me a truth: Sometimes people love in different ways, not necessarily involving a lot of words.
What a beautiful story. It was so enjoyable to read. It is the story of a scarecrow who befriends a snowman. The snowman obviously has to leave in the spring, but he returns the next fall.
What a wonderful story about an enduring, heartwarming friendship over the course of seasons changing and the years passing. Highly, highly recommend for read-alouds and storytimes.
Love this book. It helps teach a child about loneliness and the emotions involved in finding/losing friends. The illustrations are wonderful and will help move the story along for the young reader.