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Flurry, Float, and Fly: The Story of a Snowstorm

Written by Laura Purdie Salas
Illustrated by Chiara Fedele
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2025
ISBN: 978-1547603503 40 pages

Description

When the first flakes of snow swirl toward the ground, it almost feels like magic. But in fact, it's science: a delicate process where cold air and moisture high in the sky work together to create tiny crystals that grow into sparkling snowflakes. Laura Purdie Salas's accessible, poetic text and Chiara Fedele's breathtaking art present the science behind snow and revel in the wonder of winter weather. An author's note delves deeper into the science of snow, making the book an excellent choice for classroom lessons on weather and seasons.

From the north,
a polar freeze...
from the south,
a humid breeze.
All winds advance.
They mix and dance.

On the ground,
the sledders sigh.
No snow to flurry, float, and fly.

Journal Reviews

"This ode to snowstorms is perfect for nature lovers and budding scientists alike..."

—Booklist

“With exquisite clarity, Salas’ gentle verse speaks to the poetic beauty of a first snow while gently leading readers through the very real science…[Fedele’s art] excels both in its depiction of a joyful wintry romp and in its accurate renderings of the different types of flakes. Deft wordplay and lovely art blend for a tale of a most magical snowy day.”

—Kirkus Reviews

"Purdie Salas’s incantatory rhyming verse conveys meteorological basics in a science-led account of a snowstorm’s emergence...The creators successfully balance art, information, and poetry for a result that captures the fleeting magic of snowflake-filled skies as well as their power to generate community activity."

—Publishers Weekly

"Salas...turns her lyrical meteorological observations toward an impending snowstorm, as two children (and some forest animals) scan the sky above their rural home....[T]he text combines brief and accessible scientific detail with wonder and an alliterative refrain: 'flurry, float, and fly.' "

—Horn Book

Reader Reactions

An exquisite and spellbinding story, Flurry, Float, and Fly!: The Story of a Snowstorm is creative nonfiction at its finest

—Celebrate Picture Books

"I look forward to sharing this book with my grandchildren who are just beginning to read. The text delights with rhyme: 'From the north, a polar freeze…from the south, a humid breeze. All winds advance. They mix and dance.'"

"In addition to lively text, this book includes science that can be easily understood by our youngest readers. Did you know 'each cloud’s type—how cold?—how wet? shapes each crystal’s silhouette.'?"

—Margaret Simon, Reflections on the Teche

"Snow brings about a magic. Not just in the way it flurries and floats, but in the way it invites us to slow down and notice what’s often missed in our busier moments. A timely story following the business of a holiday season."

—Lindsay at KidLit Grove

"The text of Flurry, Float, and Fly is full of momentum and joy, while the pictures, rendered in watercolor, gouache, and pencils with digital editing, are both bold and delicate...The unparalleled wonder of welcoming a snowstorm emerges from every page. "

—Imaginary Elevators

Videos

Playlist

5 Videos

1:36

1:59

1:45

1:06

1:32

Downloadable Activities

Winter Trivia (page 2 is answer key)

Color a snowy scene

Color cozy squirrels

Color a sleeping fox

Color cute close-ups

Write a story

Spend a day with this book!

Download

What To Do on a Snowy Day - Venn Diagram

Download

Photo Gallery

Snow isn't JUST science. It's memories, magic, and wonder, too. 1970s: Me with my mom and sister--lucky enough to ski in California! This is when I fell in love with snow.

2003: Snow tubing with my childhood best friend, Alison

2003: Our daredevil daughter Maddie tries a snowboard.

2009: A huge blizzard hit during a multi-day author visit. School closed early, and I hit the road. A quick rest stop left me drenched.

2014: My favorite neighborhood tree--even more gorgeous after an ice storm.

2017: A snowy landscape in Iceland

2017: Me with the Þingvellir Rift Valley behind me in Iceland

2021: Randy and I out for a winter hike

2023: Our favorite dog-niece, Pumpkin, runs the snow gauntlet outside our front door!

2023: A snow-covered cemetery always feels like the quietest place on earth.

20230401_092653_Book launch day blizzard

2023: It's book launch day. Must be time for a blizzard!

20230401_102150_Randy shovels out Red Balloon

2023: Randy shovels at the Red Balloon Bookshop so people can get to my book launch party.

2023: Snowy evergreens are one of my favorite things about winter.

20240215_122027_Claire and Randy snowball fight

2023: One of our visiting Georgia nieces launches a snowball at Uncle Randy :>D

More for Educators or Writers

Make a snowflake! My favorite directions are here.
Add your kids'/students' handmade/decorated snowflakes to my Snowflakes Padlet! Once you're there, just click on the green circle with a + in it to add your creations:>)
Read additional snow/winter poems in my Small Reads Winter Roundup
Read an interview with me at Blissfully Bookish!
View loads of snow science and photographs by Dr. Kenneth G. Libbrecht, whose snow photos are featured in the back matter of Flurry, Float, and Fly
Find all the snow data you could want, from NSIDC
No snow? No problem! Make snow dough! (sensory activity from the Boston Children's Museum)
Make a snowstorm in a jar
Great ideas for a winter nature walk
Make a snowman treat (from National Geographic Kids)
Paint the snow!
Winter games from around the world (from National Geographic Kids)
Sing "I'm a Little Snowman"

How this Book Got Started

First, I wrote Zap! Clap! Boom! The Story of a Thunderstorm, inspired by my Florida childhood full of frequent, impressive thunderstorms. When my editor asked if I'd be interested in writing a companion book about snow, I positively glowed and sparkled. Snow! I spent my childhood dreaming of, wishing for, yearning for snow! So much so that my husband and I moved to Minnesota shortly after we married. I loved learning about the science of snow while also celebrating the wonder of it.