Curriculum Connections - always check out Carol Hurst's site: http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/snowflakebentley.html
And thanks to Angela for a great reflection.
Martin, J. B. (1998). Snowflake Bentley. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Snow.
Whether you love it or hate it, there is no denying its beauty. Wilson
Bentley did not deny it. In fact, he spent his whole life studying
individual snowflakes and photographing them so others could enjoy their
unique individual designs.
Snowflake Bentley, written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and Illustrated by Mary Azarian tells the story of a man fascinated with snowflakes and determined to capture them in all their glory. Born in Vermont in the late 1800's, Wilson "Willie" Bentley is often misunderstood by his neighbors for wanting to study snow. After all, it is "as common as dirt," but Willie sees something else. Though his parents do not understand his interest, they see his passion and spend their savings on an expensive but high-tech camera capable of magnifying enough for Willie to capture a snowflake. He spends the rest of his life creating what he says will be "his gift to the world" and proving to the people of Vermont and everyone else that snow crystals are tiny beautiful miracles of nature.
What captured my attention about this book was the cover art. Having not previously read the book, I saw the barn setting and the old-looking photograph contraption and could tell that it would would be historical and that the pictures were bound to keep me interested. The illustrations are hand-colored woodcuts which give the book a nature-like feel while setting a rich tone for what the reader reads and sees. A book about snow could easily include cold and lifeless illustrations, but Mary Azarian does a magnificent job of putting life into this book while making the reader feel warm and cheerful amidst a cold and often dark setting.
My one criticism of this story would be the way the sidebars contribute to the story. On each page there is the story itself, while the edges of the pages contain sidebars with complete factual information to supplement what the reader has just read. I think a young reader would struggle to understand which part should be read first and might wonder what the sidebars have to do with the story itself. That being said, I think the book contains valuable information which would lend great information to many units of study in the classroom; however, the book would have to be read by the teacher to very young groups of students.
I would recommend this Caldecott Medal winner for audiences of all ages. Not only does it tell a great story, but it opens the opportunity for teaching in many disciplines. Snowflake Bentley could introduce the topic of molecular makeup of snowflakes, the history of photography, or the art of woodcuts for illustrations. Most of all, it tells the story of perseverance in a society filled with people who do not believe your work which is a lesson we could all benefit from understanding.
BIG QUESTIONS:
And thanks to Angela for a great reflection.
Snowflake Bentley, written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and Illustrated by Mary Azarian tells the story of a man fascinated with snowflakes and determined to capture them in all their glory. Born in Vermont in the late 1800's, Wilson "Willie" Bentley is often misunderstood by his neighbors for wanting to study snow. After all, it is "as common as dirt," but Willie sees something else. Though his parents do not understand his interest, they see his passion and spend their savings on an expensive but high-tech camera capable of magnifying enough for Willie to capture a snowflake. He spends the rest of his life creating what he says will be "his gift to the world" and proving to the people of Vermont and everyone else that snow crystals are tiny beautiful miracles of nature.
What captured my attention about this book was the cover art. Having not previously read the book, I saw the barn setting and the old-looking photograph contraption and could tell that it would would be historical and that the pictures were bound to keep me interested. The illustrations are hand-colored woodcuts which give the book a nature-like feel while setting a rich tone for what the reader reads and sees. A book about snow could easily include cold and lifeless illustrations, but Mary Azarian does a magnificent job of putting life into this book while making the reader feel warm and cheerful amidst a cold and often dark setting.
My one criticism of this story would be the way the sidebars contribute to the story. On each page there is the story itself, while the edges of the pages contain sidebars with complete factual information to supplement what the reader has just read. I think a young reader would struggle to understand which part should be read first and might wonder what the sidebars have to do with the story itself. That being said, I think the book contains valuable information which would lend great information to many units of study in the classroom; however, the book would have to be read by the teacher to very young groups of students.
I would recommend this Caldecott Medal winner for audiences of all ages. Not only does it tell a great story, but it opens the opportunity for teaching in many disciplines. Snowflake Bentley could introduce the topic of molecular makeup of snowflakes, the history of photography, or the art of woodcuts for illustrations. Most of all, it tells the story of perseverance in a society filled with people who do not believe your work which is a lesson we could all benefit from understanding.
BIG QUESTIONS:
- How would you feel if you were in Willie's place as the townspeople made fun of you for photographing snowflakes?
- Why was Willie so determined to take the perfect picture of a snow crystal?
- Do you think Willies lifelong efforts of photographing snowflakes paid off?
- Would you spend so much time and money to accomplish something even though it was not guaranteed? Why or why not?
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