Ten Ways to Hear Snow and Daniel Finds a Poem

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

You're listening to Julie's Library, where books bring us together. Today, we're going to read Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper, illustrated by Kenard Pak, and Daniel Finds a Poem, written and illustrated by Micha Archer.

Julie Andrews (0:20)

Hello, dear listeners. I'm Julie Andrews, and this is my library.

As always, my daughter, Emma Walton-Hamilton, is here, too.

SPEAKER_1 (0:30)

Hello.

Julie Andrews (0:32)

And we're feeling awfully cozy today, aren't we? We've got steaming mugs of tea.

Emma Walton-Hamilton (0:39)

And we're listening to the sound of rain on the roof. Can you hear it?

Julie Andrews (0:46)

It is such a soothing sound.

Rain is my favorite weather. It makes me want to curl up with a good book.

Emma Walton-Hamilton (0:54)

I love the rain, too.

Though I think if I had to pick, my favorite is crisp and sunny weather. When there's a soft breeze and the sky is a bright deep blue. Hmm, it reminds me of the last days of summer.

Julie Andrews (1:10)

Listeners, what about you? What's your favorite kind of weather and why?

SPEAKER_1 (1:16)

My favorite type of weather is rain because it brings prosperity to the land.

I love windy days because I can fly my butterfly kite. I really like the weather fall because there's lots of fuzzy, wuzzy caterpillars and it's close to my birthday. Sunny weather because it makes me feel happy and it's fun to play outside. My favorite type of weather is winter because I love hot cocoa and playing in the snow.

Julie Andrews (1:46)

Terrific descriptions. Thank you so much for sharing them.

Cathy Camper (1:52)

Hello?

Emma Walton-Hamilton (1:54)

Oh, Cathy, you made it.

Cathy Camper (1:56)

I did. I might be a bit soggy, but I'm here.

Julie Andrews (1:59)

Oh, listeners, Cathy Camper is going to read her book for us today. It's about weather also.

Cathy Camper (2:07)

The best kind in my opinion, snow.

Julie Andrews (2:12)

Oh, I can feel it getting colder in the library already.

Emma Walton-Hamilton (2:15)

Well then, let's warm up in the reading nook.

Julie Andrews (2:20)

Here in the library, my favorite spot to curl up with the story is our reading nook.

Emma Walton-Hamilton (2:27)

With cozy pillows all around.

Julie Andrews (2:30)

A glowing lamp shines its light on the pages.

Emma Walton-Hamilton (2:34)

There's a squishy rug under our feet.

Julie Andrews (2:37)

And an extra log in our wood-burning stove to keep us warm.

Emma Walton-Hamilton (2:43)

Cathy, are you ready to read?

Cathy Camper (2:45)

I am indeed.

Julie Andrews (2:47)

Wonderful. The seat of honor is all yours.

Cathy Camper (2:54)

Ten Ways to Hear Snow by me, Cathy Camper.

When Lena woke up, everything was quiet. No cars honked. No buses chugged. No garbage trucks gulped trash across the street. Snow!

Last night's blizzard was gone, leaving the city muffled and white. But today was grape leaf day, when Lena would help her grandma make warak inab. City was losing her eyesight, and Lena loved helping her cook. I want to tell City about the snowstorm and make sure she's okay. The snow's so deep, Lena's mom said. We could go with you, Lena's dad offered. But Lena wanted to go to cities by herself. Stay warm, Habibti, her dad told her. Lena bundled up.

Outside, the sun on the snow was as bright white as a light bulb. Lena squinted her eyes and pulled her scarf over her nose. She could barely see. I wonder if this is how City feels, Lena thought.

The world sounded softer, but the noises she heard were clearer. Scrape, scrape, scrape, scrape. What was that? It was Mrs. Watson's shovel digging out the sidewalk. That's one way to hear snow, Lena thought. Lena walked down the street. Snack, snack, snack. The noise was low to the ground. What was that? It was the treads of Lena's boots crunching snow into tiny waffles. Two ways to hear snow.

Lena ducked under a pine tree.

A powdery sound. A blue jay on a branch had knocked down snow. Three ways to hear snow, Lena counted. She listened for more.

Julie Andrews (5:06)

Swish, swish, swish, swish.

Cathy Camper (5:09)

What was that soft, whiskery noise? People were sweeping snow off their cars. Their brushes made the fourth way to hear snow.

Lena cut across the park. Scritch, scratch, scritch, scratch. Another snow noise?

Lena saw long, skinny tracks by her boots. Ahead of her, people were skiing. Their skis made the fifth way to hear snow. Rashid and Mariam were building a snowman.

SPEAKER_5 (5:41)

Pat, pat, pat.

Cathy Camper (5:43)

What was that? It was mitten smoothing the snowman's head. The gentle sound made the sixth way to hear snow. As Lena walked away, her friends whispered and laughed. Thwomp! Snowballs! Oh, no! Lena ran away fast from the seventh way to hear snow.