Picture Book

Title: City of Snow-The Great Blizzard of 1888
Author: High, Linda Oatman
Illustrated by: Filippucci, Laura Francesca
Publisher: Walker and Company, 2004
Genre: Nonfiction Poem and Picture Book
Age Range: 3-6, Intermediate

Summary: A blizzard comes through New York for days right as spring had begun to roll around. It snowed for 3 days straight causing power to go out, people to run short on bread, milk, and meat, and for a girl to possibly miss "The Finest Assembly of Trained Animals Since Noah". There was so much snow that horses couldn't get around, no one would come outside, they couldn't see any sidewalks or roads, and no newspapers. The girl begged her father and mother to walk her to Madison Square to see if the show was still going to happen and it was. The girl saw lions, tigers, bears, girls on trapeze, and clowns. It continued to snow for days, which is why that snow storm is called the Great Blizzard of 1888.

Response: This book was very interesting and used great illustrations to make the story even better. I think this book should be read in the winter time to classes and talk about snow. It was really good and I don't recall ever reading a nonfiction story-poem type of book. It was based on the Great Blizzard of 1888 allowing it to even have somewhat of a historical background to it. As I read the book, I noticed the rhyming. When you glance at it, it doesn't look like a poem or any form of poetry. This book made me feel cozy and anxious for the snow to get here. Snow creates a lot of good memories and activities to do.