Snowflake Bentley

Snowflake Bentley, written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, is a Caldecott Award winner from 1999.

Martin, J. B., & Azarian, M. (1998). Snowflake Bentley . Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Exposition:

Set in Jericho, Vermont on a family farm in the heart of the “snowbelt.”  The story begins in 1865 when Wilson (Willie) Bentley is born and continues throughout his life. Wilson’s family and neighbors are also minor characters in the story.

Conflict:

Willie wanted to be able to share snowflakes the same way he could share the other beauties in nature.

Rising Action:

His family did not understand his need to “share” snow, but supported him and bought Willis an expensive camera to help him attain his dream.

Climax:

After many failed attempts, Willie was able to capture the beauty of a snow crystal on film; some winters he was only able to produce a dozen pictures, others he produced hundreds.

Falling Action:

Willie so loved nature that he took pictures in all seasons. His work was published and he became known as “the Snowflake Man.”

Resolution:

With financial help from other scientists, his best work was published in a book. Six weeks later, Willie died from catching pneumonia during a walk in a blizzard

Illustration:

The illustrations in this book are beautiful and muted. The snowflakes framing each side of the pages enhance the story and display the unique qualities of flakes as it is discussed in the text. The heavy use of blue tones is calming as the reader follows Willie’s story.