Jonah Winter

The Snow Man is “a true story about a real person named billy barr” who has spent his adult life in the Rocky Mountains. Throughout that time, he has made and kept careful measurements about weather, flora, and fauna - snowfall and snowpack, wildlife, and wildflowers - eventually compiling a treasure trove of climate data in his notebooks, which he shared with a local climate scientist. The illustrator shows barr aging as the decades pass, and shows the setting in different seasons and different types of day. Back matter includes an author’s note and further reading.… (more)

Allow me to pluck out some lines from this book that gave me pause:

"...it is important to remember that not all Islamic people are violent." (What if he said, "It is important to remember that not all Christians are racist"?)

"The world's original peaceful hero is...Jesus." (Really?)

"[before Jesus:] everyone thought you were supposed to hate and fight your enemies." (Again, really?)

"Firemen...do their job with no hope of ever being famous. For this reason, they are perhaps the most selfless of all peaceful heroes." (Yes, for we know most selfless people are really just seeking fame.)

Overall, this book is actually very nice, but it might be hard for young readers to separate its facts from the author's opinions and beliefs. That said, if you know you're getting into, it's not bad. I appreciated the diversity of the heroes, though it's very Jesus-centric in the beginning.… (more)