Snow Angel, Sand Angel, by Lois-Ann Yamanaka/Illustrated by Ashley Kukashevsky, (Jan. 2022, Make Me a World), $17.99, ISBN: 9780593127377
Ages 4-8
Explore Hawai’i, where you can find sand and snow, depending on where you are! Claire is a girl living in Hawai’i, surrounded by Hapuna Beach and the mountains of the Big Island. When she has to do a school project on winter, she’s stumped: she’s never seen snow! Dad decides to take the family to Mauna Kea, where they can enjoy snow, but it’s not the trip Claire’s dreamed of: what she pictures in her head doesn’t quite match the movies, and having to drive through black lava fields to play in “old snow” that isn’t freshly fallen is a disappointment; so is using beach towels for scarves and old socks for mittens. When she and her family go to the beach right before the New Year, though, she discovers she can make her own winter wonderland in the middle of the sand: there are sand balls, sandmen who look great sporting beach towel scarves and straw hats, and sand angels to make! As she watches the sun set, Claire realizes that she lives in a beautiful land that has many, many faces: “… lava fields, sandy beaches, rain forests, fiery volcanoes, sacred mountains, and, yes, even snow”. Digital illustrations bring the magic of Hawai’i’s sunsets, oceans, and snowy mountains to life. An author’s note mentions the diversity found in Hawai’i, where you can find ten of the world’s fourteen climate zones and countless endangered plants and animals. There’s a glossary and a note from Christopher Myers, creative director for the Make Me a World imprint, on how Snow Angel, Sand Angel takes us to a different world.
Lois-Ann Yamanaka is an award-winning author from Hawai’i. Ashley Lukashevsky is the illustrator of Antiracist Baby by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. Visit Ashley Lukashevsky’s website for more of her artwork. Visit Twinkl.com for a free Hawai’i coloring sheet; there are also many activity and coloring sheets to discover on Education.com.
Snow Angel, Sand Angel has a starred review from Kirkus.
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