Snowflake Bentley-Picture Book # 14

Author: Briggs Martin
Title: Snowflake Bentley
Illustrator: Mary Azarian
Readability score: Kindergarten-Grade 2
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub genre: Biography
Theme: never give up on your passions in life
Primary and secondary characters: Willie Bentley is the primary character, the secondary characters are his parents, his brother (Charlie), neighbors, farmers, scientists
Awards: Caldecott
Publishing company: Houghton Mifflin Company Boston
Date of publication: 1998
ISBN number: 0-395-86162-4
Summary: This book discusses the life of the photographer and farmer, Wilson (Willie) Bentley. It begins during the time when he was a small boy and he had a fascination for snow. He was from Vermont and he was lucky enough to receive a lot of snow. He was home schooled and spent a lot of his time studying snowflakes and their shapes. When he was 17 his parents bought him an expensive camera and he began to photograph the snowflakes that he grew a passion for. He wrote about snow and published his pictures in magazines. He even gave speeches about snow to scholars who were far away. He soon became known as "the Snowflake Man." He always spent his money on his pictures, so he never became rich. He claims that there were treasures in the snow. When he was 66 years old his book was published that contained his best photographs. A month after the book was published, he took a six mile walk to take more photos. However, he became sick with pneumonia and died two weeks later. A museum and monument were built in honor of him, and he was given the name, Snowflake Bentley. This book is a tribute to him, his success, and his passion for snowflakes.

I think this book is a good read for students in the classroom. It depicts a historical person who shared a love for snowflakes and displayed it throughout art. The illustrations are vivid and show how important the snow was to Willie in this time. On the side of each page, the author writes a historical fact about Bentley. The facts contribute to his upbringing, his passion for snowflakes, and how he came to each phase in his life. This book can be included in a lesson about weather and learning about snow. Students can also learn about Willie in an art lesson and how he contributed to the world of photography. The book also portrays the theme of never giving up on your passion in life. He always loved the snow, above anything else, and he found a passion for learning everything about snowflakes. Despite being different from everyone else, he ran with his ideas and his creativity and it lead to a successful career.