Blizzard

This author and book is amazing. I grew up in Connecticut during the time period that this book is about. Wonderful childhood memories for me because I was a kid. I loved it!!!

"Blizzard" focuses on a real blizzard that occurred in 1978 located in New England. The book really captures how a blizzard would feel from a child's perspective. He describes how excited the children are to be let out of school early and their awe at the depth of snow they encounter upon waking up the following morning. Even I remember the excitement and joy of a heavy snowfall as it ensured a holiday from school and my Mom making hot chocolate with marshmallows; this book captures those memories. It takes those memories into a fun fantasy which many of us never actually experienced aka "what would happen if the snowplows didn't show up for days and days?" Making clever use of tennis rackets, the author sets off to get what his family and neighbors need. The illustrations, created with pencil, watercolor, and digital painting, are wonderfully detailed and sentimental, gently evoking a sense of the past. The use of a giant fold-out centerpiece, allows readers to see that, like most youngsters, the narrator did not take a straight path to the store, but made many, many stops. It is also wonderful that he takes the time to stop and inquire after his neighbors needs as this is a great reminder to children that even during hard times we should be considerate of others. He makes it to the store and back with the "necessary" supplies and the family hugs and drinks hot cocoa with MILK. Then they awaken to the much anticipated snowplows. Such a great story! Well told, with captivating illustrations and a dose of nostalgia for the adults.

Great Story - Great Artwork - Great Foldout

I've long been a fan of John Rocco and this book joins the other books of his that I love. This is a book that children are bound to enjoy because the focus is on the children in the story. It's told in first person by the boy as he experiences the joys and difficulties of a powerful blizzard. Some aspects of the experience were enjoyable such as having school off and playing in the snow, but there were plenty of challenges too, such as the door being stuck, shoveling the driveway, and not being able to get to the store. But the boy has been reading up on his survival skills and comes up with a way to save the day. The illustrations are endearing and delightful and so child-friendly, especially the fold-out picture of the boy's meandering journey to the store on his tennis racket snow shoes. A winner through and through and one I would love to see get some award love in January.

We borrowed this book from the library and loved it. The illustrations add so much to the story and reward the reader who is willing to spend extra time appreciating the pictures. When the epic snowstorm hit Texas this year (2021), we sent this to my niece to remember their blizzard.

This book is a great read aloud, especially if you live where there is snow. It's a little nostalgia for us who remember well the blizzard of 78. The pictures are amazing, and it's so sweet. My first graders loved it!

SO glad I chose this new book for my guest reader visit to my grand-daughter's preschool. The author was 10, I was 25, during the '78 blizzard. John Rocco tells a story about his experiences with 40" of snow. Children(and adults) of all ages will appreciate the realistic illustrations, word bubbles, and child-friendly map insert in the middle of the book. Children will love making similar maps as a follow-up activity.For teachers, the story also includes a short grocery list that lends itself to making lists during writing time. The story also refers to the days of the week and measurement, capturing the young child's interest. Helping others, being resourceful, survival, and some challenging new vocabulary are other great things to know about this story.

Nice book for preschool - 1st grade ages (I think that age range). Nice story and outstanding illustrations

Das Buch ist sehr schön illustriert. Die Geschichte reißt einen jetzt nicht unbedingt vom Hocker, aber für Kinder ist sie trotzdem schön, vor allem wegen der schönen Bilder. Und es handelt sich ja um eine wahre Geschichte, ich denke für John Rocco war das damals als Kind tatsächlich ein Abenteuer :-)

Great book with great drawings.