Pistes d'exploration

Brainstorm a list of winter activities or sports that kids can do (e.g. snowshoeing, cross country skiing, tobogganing).

Look closely at the illustrations. Discuss the layering technique used. Create a winter-themed collage piece. 

Using the book as inspiration, create a class book called The Rainy Day. Brainstorm rainy day activities for outdoors (jumping in puddles, floating a rubber duck down a driveway, etc.).

Create a word wall section for winter words. 

Talk about winter: types of precipitation, how to dress, likes and dislikes. Explain what you like or dislike about the first snowfall. How does it make you feel?

List Peter’s winter activities. Which ones have you done before? What clues tell you that Peter likes the winter season? 

Create a classroom collage with photos of students engaged in favourite winter activities. Add a descriptive caption for each photo. 

Snug as a Bug, The Jacket I Wear in the Snow, The Snowy Day

Mots-clés

Picture book , Play , city life , community , illustrations (collage) , snow , winter

Commentaire descriptif

This classic, sweet story will never grow old. Peter wakes up to find snow has fallen overnight. He rushes outdoors to explore. The language tenderly relates a young child’s engagement with a new, seemingly magical substance: “Crunch, crunch, crunch, his feet sank into the snow.” Peter makes tracks; he smashes snow out of a tree. He watches a snowball fight between bigger boys. “He pretended he was a mountain-climber. He climbed up a great big tall heaping mountain of snow—and slid all the way down.” The illustrations feature simple shapes and flat colour. Subtle textures are reserved for snow and sky. Peter’s pointed red hood is both cute and graphically effective, as it bobs through minimalist landscapes of snow-topped buildings, high drifts and empty lots. At home, after his bath, Peter is disappointed to find that his special snowball is no longer in his snowsuit pocket. Luckily, when he wakes the next morning, “The snow was still everywhere. New snow was falling!” Young readers will appreciate how this book finishes with a new beginning, when Peter embarks on a second day of snow adventures—this time with a friendly little neighbour.