When winter comes, Hedgie tries to stay awake so he doesn't miss out on all the fun his friends are having.
Snow is on the way, and as Hedgie trundles around the farm all his friends tell him of the winter-time fun he will miss as he hibernates--Icicles decorating the chicken coop! Lisa making snowmen! The pond turned to slippery ice! It sounds so amazing, Hedgie decides to stay awake instead of going to his burrow. But then a snowstorm starts. Luckily, Lisa finds him and brings him inside so Hedgie gets to see the wonders of winter from inside the cozy house.
With over thirty three million books in print, Jan Brett is one of the nation's foremost author illustrators of children's books. Jan lives in a seacoast town in Massachusetts, close to where she grew up. During the summer her family moves to a home in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.
As a child, Jan Brett decided to be an illustrator and spent many hours reading and drawing. She says, "I remember the special quiet of rainy days when I felt that I could enter the pages of my beautiful picture books. Now I try to recreate that feeling of believing that the imaginary place I'm drawing really exists. The detail in my work helps to convince me, and I hope others as well, that such places might be real." As a student at the Boston Museum School, she spent hours in the Museum of Fine Arts. "It was overwhelming to see the room-size landscapes and towering stone sculptures, and then moments later to refocus on delicately embroidered kimonos and ancient porcelain," she says. "I'm delighted and surprised when fragments of these beautiful images come back to me in my painting."
Travel is also a constant inspiration. Together with her husband, Joe Hearne, who is a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Jan visits many different countries where she researches the architecture and costumes that appear in her work. "From cave paintings to Norwegian sleighs, to Japanese gardens, I study the traditions of the many countries I visit and use them as a starting point for my children's books." --from www.janbrett.com
This is the 2nd book about Hedgie I have read and I love the ones about the hedgehog. They are beautiful and so sweet. This is Jan’s latest and it’s wonderful. Perfect for Winter as well.
Question: I have seen many Caldecott Books at this point. Why or Why has Jan Brett not been nominated for this award. I don't get it. Her style is distinct and her borders are something you don't see other places. I don't get it. JAN FOR THE CALDECOTT!
All the critters in the yard can feel it’s about to snow and hedgehog is yawning. They all tell him what he will miss of winter and he always sleeps through these things. Hedgie wants to see them this year and decides to stay awake. The little girl brings him inside and lets him look out the window at all the snowy wonder until he falls asleep.
She has toned down her borders here until there are just two windows on the page. The artistic skills are top notch here.
The kids love these book and this was no exception. The niece thought this was sooooo cute. She wants to read all the Hedgie books now. She gave it 5 stars. The nephew liked this one too and he gave this 4 stars.
We are huge fans of Jan Brett and couldn’t wait to cuddle up to this new wintry story The Snowy Nap.
The time has come for Hedgie to hibernate, but he’s not willing to miss out on all the fun this winter with his friends. Hedgie strives to stay awake for the winter and won’t let himself fall asleep. When Lisa finds him cold and stiff outside, she puts him indoors by a window where he can witness all the joys of winter.
This book is so absorbing and beautiful. The detailed illustrations are stunning with so much to see on each page. Everything about this book feels real. My daughter was so excited that Hedgie would finally get to see winter. This is a favorite and one we’ll keep for our collection. If you’re a fan of Jan Brett, you’ll definitely want to check this one out.
5*****
Age Range: 4 – 8 years Grade Level: Preschool – 3 Hardcover: 32 pages Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers; 1st Edition edition (October 16, 2018) Language: English ISBN-10: 0399170731 ISBN-13: 978-0399170737
I have always since my early childhood adored European hedgehogs and especially picture book stories about them, but for me, the best part of Jan Brett's The Snowy Nap is actually and in fact not so much her presented narrative (not so much her verbal text) but rather her detailed and lush accompanying artwork and the amazing amount of often educational detail that Brett engagingly and evocatively depicts with and through her pictures (such as for example, the Danish flag that without words tells readers and/or listeners the geographic location of The Snowy Nap and that yes, European hedgehogs are also therefore endemic, that they are native to said area, the shaggy coat of the farm horse indicating that winter is indeed well on its way and that Lisa's farmhouse is definitely situated on the coast of Denmark and not further inland).
For really, even though the storyline itself of The Snowy Nap is sweet enough and that I do much appreciate how Lisa both rescues Hedgie from the snowstorm and allows him to see what winter is like from the comfort, warmth and safety of the farm windowsill and that she after a couple of days then takes Hedgie outside again so that he can sleep away the winter months in his natural burrow (as indeed, hedgehogs actually do very much better hibernating outside, in nature, than if they are taken inside for the winter by kindhearted but also sadly misguided humans), personally, I have also found Jan Brett's printed words, I do consider her written narrative while generally tenderly soothing and sweetly delightful also a bit overly long and repetitive, and actually so much so that while I could definitely and easily imagine The Snowy Nap without words, I could absolutely not imagine it without Brett's marvellous pictures, as the latter definitely do make The Snowy Nap magical while the text does at times (and in my opinion) feel a bit forced and dragging (although yes, I do have to laugh at the ending of The Snowy Nap and that all of the other animals want the same watching winter opportunity from a warm house that Hedgie has just had the opportunity to experience, with Lisa having to tell them all to skedaddle).
Daughter liked this one best. A hedgegog postpones hibernation in order to see winter. A kind girl brings him into her home. The other animals of the farm and woodland, who had enjoyed boasting about the sights and wonders that Hedgehog could never enjoy, become a bit jealous as they see Hedgie's new living arrangement.
Moves progressively through all the winter experiences Hedgie will never have, to his enjoyment of each from Lisa's warm house.
It's time for Hedgie to take his long winter's nap, but his friends can't stop telling him about all the things he'll be missing out on. Luckily, Hedgie finds a way to nap, AND, enjoy all the wonders of the season. A lovely book, with the usual stunning artwork by the author.
Lisa and Hedgie, the girl and hedgehog who starred in author/illustrator Jan Brett's The Hat, return in this delightful new winter-time picture-book. As our erinaceous hero makes for his annual hibernation, the many stories he hears about the beauty and joy of winter convince him to stay up instead. Fortunately for him, Lisa spies him out in the cold, and makes a bed for him on her windowsill, where he gets to witness everything he's been missing...
Like its predecessor, and like so many other Jan Brett titles, The Snowy Nap is an absolutely beautiful book! The story itself is a sweet, heartwarming look at the pleasures of winter, as experienced by a little girl and her farmyard friends. The artwork is simply gorgeous, with all of the charm, humor and beauty that one would expect from Brett. Hedgie himself is absolutely adorable, particularly when he's snoozing on Lisa's windowsill. As is often the case with Brett, the decorative side-panels, worked into the borders of her paintings, depict additional aspects of the story - in this case, the other animals looking in the window at Hedgie. Recommended to all Jan Brett fans, and to anyone who has read and enjoyed The Hat.
As Hedgie says goodbye to his farm animal friends in preparation for hibernation, he decides he doesn't want to miss out on the excitement of winter. The young girl on the farm brings him inside as he gets sleepier, and he enjoys watching the snowy activities from his bed by the window. Before long, she places Hedgie back in his burrow to finish his long winter's nap. Classic Brett illustrations, with lots of detail to look at and admire-- an adorable story that also explains how some animals hibernate.
Beautiful illustrations, and gentle, slow pacing. This seems like a good bedtime book, it's a bit longer and wordy, nothing super exciting happens. The premise is that a hedgehog avoids hibernating and gets to see part of winter after hearing all of the other animals talk about what he will miss. Cute book, but, may not appeal to kids who want faster pacing and more adventure.
Hedgie and Lisa are back again. I loved The Hat, but this book was just OK. I didn't care for the storyline, plus the sneak peek windows on the edges of the pages weren't keeping me interested enough in what might happen next.
"I don't want to sleep all winter like last year," protested Hedgie. "I want to see icicles and snowmen, snowflakes and pond ice. I want to hear sleigh bells."
Small children will identify with Hedgie's wish to be part of the adventure that is Winter. So many experiences for youngsters are deferred or seen through the window at a distance. Lucky Hedgie is able to see it all, then dream about in in a long snowy nap...
2.5 stars: 3.5 for the illustrations, 2 for the story
Her illustrations are as detailed and engaging as usual, and the premise was promising, but the story fell flat for me. My memory of her other books is that they were charming; was I expecting too much of this one, or have I grown out of what charm they had?
A Jan Brett story about hibernation. And it isn't a bear! A hedgehog is getting ready to hibernate when the other animals start talking about all of the cool things that happen in winter.
After one last stroll around the farm before he hibernates for winter, Hedgie is informed of all the things he will miss while he sleeps. Hedgie is more determined to stay up all winter. With help from Lisa, Hedgie is provided to experience some of the winter before he dozes off until Spring.
Not exactly the deepest story, but still sweet. The illustrations a gorgeous! My girls adore this book, and it definitely awakens their imaginations to the beauty of winter.
I read this to a group of students today since it was a frigidly cold day! Jan Brett has beautiful illustrations. Her stories are very similar. If you have read The Mitten, you have basically read almost all of her other books.
The Snowy Nap by Jan Brett. PICTURE BOOK. Putnam’s (Penguin), 2018. $19. 9780399170737
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
As Hedgie is headed toward its den for winter hibernation, all of the animals keeping telling it about the wonders of winter. The little girl takes pity on the hedgehog and it does stay awake to see some of the sights of the season – but finally it succumbs to its winter-long nap – leaving the animals to surprise the little girl!
At first I felt bad for Hedgie, because I couldn’t understand what the animals were doing. Brett, of course, was using her masterful pacing to pull me right into the story they way she wanted. So very adorable.
Jan Brett's children's book, "The Snowy Nap" is a beautifully illustrated book and story about a hedgehog who is getting ready to hibernate but wants to see the winter. He tries to stay awake, and with some help from the little girl, Lisa, and a warm and cozy spot in her house; he manages to fend off hibernation just long enough to see all the joys of winter that he had heard about from the other animals. By the end, the little hedgehog cannot keep awake any longer and Lisa takes him back outside and places him in his burrow. This book shows an animal's perspective and introduces the concept of hibernation and the idea that it is something that some animals must do. This book also shows children the importance of kindness.
Jan Brett does an excellent job of depicting animals and humans. In this sweet story, Hedgie hears the other animals discussing the wonderful things about winter, so that he does not want to hibernate, but he wants to stay awake to experience winter. The watercolor and gouache paintings are delightful, with realistic looking animals and landscapes. The buildings and one interior view are based on Danish designs. I love the borders, and the little inset pictures that depict additional action not written in the text. This book would make a good bedtime story on a cold winter's night.