Snowflake Bentley: A Caldecott Award Winner

Marc Notes:
A biography of a self-taught scientist who photographed thousands of individual snowflakes in order to study their unique formations.;005-008.

Brief Description:
A biography of a self-taught scientist who photographed thousands of individual snowflakes in order to study their unique formations.

Biographical Note:
Jacqueline Briggs Martin is the author of many delightful books for children, including Banjo Granny and Chicken Joy on Redbean Road. She lives in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, and her web site is www.jacquelinebriggsmartin.com.

"A warm period look at a cold subject - snow - and one self-made scientist, Wilson A. Bentley, affectionately know as Snowflake. . . . The book exhibits a beautiful blend of Azarian's splendid woodcuts, a lyrical text, and factual sidebars. Bentley's dedication to his research is clearly evident, and the ridicule to which he was sometimes subjected is appropriately downplayed for a young audience. The illustrations, tinted with watercolors, depict the people, homes, meadows, and woods of turn-of-the-century Vermont countryside in accurate detail. Sources for the factual material are credited, and a final page features photographs of Bentley at work and three of his actual snowflake slides." Horn Book

This gorgeously illustrated Caldecott Medal-winning picture book celebrates the true story of Wilson Bentley, the man who first revealed the hidden beauty of snowflakes. Perfect for the holidays, snow days, and year-round reading.

From the time he was a boy, Wilson Bentley was captivated by snow. Where others saw cold and inconvenience, he saw miracles: each snowflake a tiny, one-of-a-kind work of art. With the encouragement of his parents, Wilson pursued his passion, eventually receiving a camera and microscope that allowed him to photograph snowflakes for the first time.

Though his fascination was often misunderstood, Wilson persevered. Over decades, he carefully documented hundreds of snowflakes, shared his discoveries through lectures and photographs, and at age sixty-six, published a groundbreaking book that forever changed how we understand these delicate crystals.

• Sidebars with fascinating biographical information: in addition to a lyrical story, the book includes biographical information to engage curious young readers
• Emphasis on curiosity, perseverance, and discovery: Bentley's story offers chances for children to see how curiosity and interest can lead to wonderful discoveries
• Fun facts for winter classrooms and cozy family reading: including three of Bentley's actual snowflake slides

Review Citations:

• Wilson Children's Catalog 04/11/2019 (EAN 9780547248295, Paperback)
• Publishers Weekly 08/31/1998 pg. 75 (EAN 9780395861622, Hardcover)
• School Library Journal 09/01/1998 pg. 194 (EAN 9780395861622, Hardcover)
• Booklist 10/01/1998 pg. 323 (EAN 9780395861622, Hardcover) - *Starred Review
• Booklist Ed Choice Youth 01/01/1999 pg. 785 (EAN 9780395861622, Hardcover)
• New York Times 01/17/1999 pg. 26 (EAN 9780395861622, Hardcover)
• Kirkus Review - Children 07/15/1998 pg. 1038 (EAN 9780395861622, Hardcover)
• Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/1998 pg. 104 (EAN 9780395861622, Hardcover)
• ALA Notable Children's Books 01/01/1999 pg. 1303 (EAN 9780395861622, Hardcover)
• Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/1999 pg. 104 (EAN 9780395861622, Hardcover)
• Wilson Children's Catalog 04/11/2019 (EAN 9780395861622, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:Martin, Jacqueline Briggs

Jacqueline Briggs Martin is the author of Snowflake Bentley, winner of the 1999 Caldecott Medal, and The Lamp, the Ice, and the Boat Called Fish, an ALA Notable Book, a Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book, Riverbank Review Finalist, Notable Social Studies Trade book and winner of The Golden Kite Award for Illustration. She grew up on a farm in Maine much like the one in this story. She lives in Mt. Vernon, Iowa.

Caldecott Medalist Mary Azarian is a consummate gardener and a skilled and original woodblock artist. Many of her prints are heavily influenced by her love of gardening, and her turn-of-the-century farmhouse is surrounded by gardens that reveal an artist's vision. Mary Azarian received the 1999 Caldecott Medal for SNOWFLAKE BENTLEY, written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. She lives, skis, and gardens in Vermont.