Young children crave routines and predictability. Some find transitions—such as moving to a new home, adjusting to the arrival of a new sibling, or beginning a new school year—challenging or even anxiety-inducing. PJ Library’s Book Selection Committee was thrilled when we discovered Dandelion Snow, written by Rinat Primo and illustrated by Maya Ish-Shalom, a book that explores the range of complicated feelings accompanying change.
Set in Israel, the story follows the unfolding drama faced by an Israeli kindergarten class as they discover their beloved neighborhood field will soon be replaced by a large apartment complex. The children initially experience anger, sadness, and confusion as they contemplate the imminent destruction of their dandelion-filled field. But as the children watch the bulldozers at work, their disappointment slowly gives way to a sense of wonder, followed by optimism, as they imagine the many new friends who will soon move into the building. Rather than passively accepting the disappearance of their field, the children blow dandelion seeds across the neighborhood, unleashing a flutter of wispy snow that’s guaranteed to keep dandelions flourishing in their neighborhood for many years to come. The book concludes with Ish-Shalom’s satisfying, vivid illustration of the neighborhood one year later, dappled with larger-than-life, vibrant dandelions. We hope families will enjoy this book as much as we do and that it will prove useful in helping children adjust to life’s many transitions and changes.
June 3, 2024