Just One Flake

Starred review from September 4, 2023
This solo debut from Jonker (Blue Floats Away) sets up its premise with a knockout cover: a pale-skinned child, whose beanie-clad head is tilted back at a 90-degree angle, extends a bright red tongue to catch a hovering snowflake. Inside, boldly graphic brush and digital cartooning with muddy, watercolor-like washes follows the child, named Liam, through several unsuccessful snow-catching strategies, including a tongue-out chase that sends him headfirst into a snow drift. Succinct first-person text invites readers in from the get-go, as Liam articulates an unwavering self-determination (“I’m not going back inside until I do it”) then suffers setbacks (“It’s worrrrrking...Not working”). Just when it seems that Liam and a snowflake will never connect, one falls upon Liam’s green mitten, and the child’s eyes widen in astonishment at the flake’s beautiful six-armed symmetry, which holds for a marvelous four-panel moment before melting. Back inside, and post–hot chocolate, Liam is inspired to create a flurry of paper snowflakes—suggesting that fulfilling the spirit, rather than the letter, of a quest can garner significant rewards. Ages 4–8. Agent: Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management.

Starred review from October 1, 2023

K-Gr 2-Liam has a mission: to catch just one snowflake directly on his tongue. He tries to accomplish his goal in a variety of ways, passive and active, all the while having a fun day outside in the snow. Ultimately, he does catch a snowflake, but in his mitten, not on his tongue. That leads to an exciting discovery-a close-up look at an actual snowflake. This sparks his creativity even more to replicate what he's seen with paper, which, for readers, could naturally segue into a craft or STEM activity during story time. Jonker's ink-and-digital illustrations are seemingly simple but add a lot of humor and heart to the story. Especially striking is the page in which Liam stares at the snowflake he has caught in his mitten, his eyes aglow in wonder. Both characters (Liam and his female caregiver) have light skin. VERDICT Highly recommended, this humorous and cozy book is an excellent addition to any collection.-Kadie Seitz

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2023
Follow one child's monumental effort to catch a snowflake. Liam, a small, dark-haired child with peach-colored skin, has a singular mission: "I want to catch a snowflake. Just one snowflake. Right here." (The accompanying image shows the young narrator, tongue sticking out.) Wearing green mittens, snow boots, and bobble hat, Liam spends the whole day romping in the snow. The child lies on the ground, builds a snowman, and then climbs it (to be closer to the sky) and even runs as fast as possible, mouth open, to no avail. Exhausted by these efforts and then called inside, Liam catches the last snowflake of the day with a flying leap...as the flake lands, safely in hand. As Liam heads inside for cocoa and crafts, the day ends on a comfortable note. Jonker's na�ve illustrations feature thick black lines and expressive movement with comic strip-like pacing. A detailed closeup on the last flake of the day shows the crystalline snowflake melt in the warmth of Liam's mitten in a wordless four-panel page that brings just the right amount of wonder and beauty to this otherwise whimsical tale. Liam's various snow-swallowing poses, tongue lolling out, are sure to entertain, and even though "hot chocolate probably tastes better anyway," any young reader excited about a snow day can be expected to attempt to follow suit. A satisfying snow day saga. (Picture book. 4-8)

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March 29, 2024
Preschool-Grade 1 What child, or adult for that matter, hasn't wanted to catch a pristine snowflake on their tongue? That's just what Liam plans to do. After putting on all his snow gear, the boy sets off on a mission to catch just one flake before he goes back inside. However, those elusive flakes evade the determined boy, and Liam gets frustrated when his game plan nets no flakes and the snow seems to be letting up. He tries running and climbing and lying on the ground to get better results, to no avail. His frustration leads to amazement when he catches a flake on his mitten and is struck by how beautiful a single snowflake is. The large illustration that accompanies Liam's realization shows two huge eyes reflecting the snowflake resting on his glove. Jonker incorporates blues, greens, and white in spare illustrations in which every object is outlined in thick black lines. Here is a universal tale for children lucky enough to live where winter brings snowfalls.

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