Tonight the temperatures are dipping in the negative numbers, plus add the wind chill, equals Brrrr! Cold is not my favorite; I’d prefer spring to summer any day. So, when I glanced at the dedications, I began sharing my head. Mary Azarian, the illustrator for Snowflake Bentley, writes:
“For all the snow lovers of the world, who – like me – think that snow is like chocolate; there is never enough.”
I do enjoy the white, sparkling beauty of newly fallen snow, so I can grasp that a young Wilson Bentley could become fascinated with snow. Wilson believed that the beauty of a snowflake was a treasure – no two alike. He lived for snowstorms. “I never know when I will find some wonderful prize.”
Snowflake Bentley is a blended genre of narrative nonfiction and informational text. On the side columns, Jacqueline Briggs Martin has added information paralleling the current part in history. I appreciate the voice that is added through this format. I think this format brings to life the biography of Wilson Bentley in a way that your students will respond and find fascinating. Mary Azarian illustrates in an almost-cartoon-like format, grabbing more of the reader’s attention.

- Biography with voice
- Passage of Time – Each part of W. Bentley’s life that is highlighted, the focus is on the progress of his work; very self-motivated.
- Perseverance – “He waited for hours for just the right crystal and didn’t notice the cold.”
- Character traits