friendship ( )

Summary: This story is about a lonely mammoth named Samson. He meets a little bird who then flies away, only to have a snow storm come shortly after. Samson worries about the bird and goes out on a trek to try and find her. Along the way, he meets a mouse who we find out later, is also looking for his friend, the bird. In the end, they rescue the bird and all find shelter in a cave. Samson goes from being lonely with no friends to have two great and unlikely friends by the end of this story.

Critique of Genre: Fantasy because the animals can talk which could never happen in real life.

Age: Primary or Intermediate

Media: Oil pastels, charcoal, and cardboard printing

SAMSON IN THE SNOW by Philip C. Stead tells quiet story of blooming friendship on a snowy day.

Samson is a wholly mammoth that longs for a friend. What he doesn’t realize is that his simple acts of kindness are building the foundations of an unexpected threesome. Full-color, wordless pages contribute to the appeal of this simple story.

Librarians will find this sweet story to be useful in jumpstarting conversations about the meaning of friendship and importance of kindness. The prehistoric setting will be a drawn for some readers.

To learn more about the author/illustrator, go to https://philipstead.com/.

Published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan on September 27, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher. ( )

Summary: One little red birds asks Samson if he could have just a few of Samson's flowers to cheer up a friend who is having a bad day. Samson gladly gives the bird a few of his best flowers. Samson begins to wonder what it would be like to have a friend, and as he does so, drifts off to sleep. When he awakes he is covered in snow, and becomes concerned for the little bird who might be stuck in such terrible weather. As he looks for the bird, he picks up a cold shivering mouse who is looking for his friend. Both begin to look, but neither one knows that they are booth seeking the same little red bird. A sweet story of friendship brings this book to a satisfying culmination of friendship.
Personal Response and Curriculum Connections: What I enjoyed most about this book was its use of language. Words like, "lumbering," "trudged," and "bothersome" lend itself well to talking about inferred meaning with 4th-5th grade students. The message of looking out for one another, and empathy are quietly spread throughout this beautiful picture book, making it also useful in teaching empathy skills, or talking about the importance of having friends. This would be a good book to read aloud to older students a month or two after school has begun, and the students have settled in with each other and students have begun to "sort" themselves into their circle of friends. There is a lot of depth to this book that could be plumbed if introduced well. I will be purchasing this book with the intent of recommending it to our older grade teachers next year. Wonderful! ( )

Samson the woolly mammoth tends to his dandelion patch in solitude in this sweet picture-book, until a little red bird happens along and asks for some yellow flowers for her friend, a downhearted mouse. Giving this avian visitor three blossoms, Samson watches her depart, wondering what it is like to have a friend. Eventually falling asleep, he awakens to a snowy world, and thinking with worry of the little red bird lost in the cold, sets out to find her. Along the way he rescues two small creatures and makes not one, but two new friends...

Philip C. Stead, author of the award-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee - Stead's wife and sometime partner, Erin E. Stead, won a Caldecott Medal for the illustrations she created for 'Amos McGee' - delivers an engaging tale of loneliness and finding friendship in Samson in the Snow. Pairing his heartwarming story with lovely artwork that perfectly captures the bright warmth of summer, and then the wondrous and sometimes indistinct appeal of cold snowy landscapes, Stead delivers a book in which the visuals are well-matched to the text. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories featuring the themes of friendship, as well as to anyone who finds wintry vistas appealing. ( )