Grandpa's Snowman

Joan Buchanan is a children’s writer and storyteller. She is the
author of Taking Care of My Cold!, What If I Were in Charge?, Nothing
Else But Yams for Supper!, and The Nana Rescue.

Grandpa, as a young boy, sneaks outside with his violin during his
violin practice time to play in the newly fallen snow. Later, from his
bedroom window, he plays for the snowman he and his friends built.
Grandpa grows up, has a family and then a grandson. He loves to play
games and the violin with his grandson, who narrates the story. When
Grandpa is confined to bed and can’t build his musical snowman
outside, his grandson makes the snowman and brings him into the bedroom
so no one is left out.

While the grandson’s point of view was initially difficult to access,
after several readings I appreciated the playfulness and warmth of the
two main characters that author Gary Barwin brings out. The relationship
between the grandpa and the grandson is portrayed well by Kitty
Macaulay’s detailed, whimsical illustrations; her watercolor drawings
are full of life, movement, and color.

Grandparents with their grandchildren will especially enjoy this book.
I can imagine a child on a grandparent’s knee perusing the pictures
together and sharing the gentleness and joy of the story. Since very
young children will be able to follow the story through the pictures,
day-care centres and public libraries would do well to have this book
available for preschoolers. Recommended.