I really enjoyed this one! The forest critters are adorable and will be sure to capture children’s attention right away. When you add how loveable most of them are? They’re sure to be a hit.

I especially enjoyed the overall theme that success comes after you apply yourself. To work hard is to give of yourself and your time and energy. That working hard IS worth it. Sometimes you can skate through life and apply minimal effort and still do well but I really am glad that this story pointed out so clearly what it is like to lose due to your own hubris. I feel like the story really nailed what it *feels* like to fail. Not every kid will know what it feels like to lose — this might be their first introduction to it — and learning how to bounce back after failure is so key.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this one!

I received an ARC of this children's book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an adorable book. The pictures are really cute and the story is wonderful!

This winter themed story has gorgeous illustrations. The animals are competent in events and the owl must learn that hard work goes into everything. This has a great message for my students and I would definitely read this during the winter months. They would also enjoy the detailed illustrations and animal characters.

This was an excellent picture book! There are all sorts of little details in the illustrations that make Owl's home come to life. This book also does a great job teaching about the dangers of feeling superior to others (especially feeling superior when it comes to privileges you are born with). The story is easy to follow, the message is presented well, and Owl as a protagonist is drawn with a lot of character and charm.

This book left us wanting, but in a way that gave room for a lot of discussion. My daughter (5) really enjoyed this book, but really wanted to see if Owl would win something in the second round of games. The illustrations in this book are very cute and funny, and help to show the different attitudes of the animals well. The 'training montage' showed how much more fun could be had by working together than by thinking you're better than everyone else. My daughter had an emotional reaction to Owl continuing to lose and really wanted to see him win. We've had some imagination discussions about it and whether or not Owl would win on his own or choose to be a team with someone and work together. A very cute book with a good meaning and lesson. We read this e-book through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book. It's beautifully illustrated and has an excellent message for young children and adults. It is one of my favorite children's book reads of the year. Hard work pays off, and friendship is the most important of all. A great read for at home and in the classroom.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to review this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I would actually give this a 3.75/5. The visuals are fantastic. They have a soft and soothing feel that still held my kiddos attention. As the narrator they were my favourite part and allowed me to make the story feel “bigger” for him. The story itself was very front end heavy. It felt like the lesson of the story was rushed after a somewhat bulky first three quarters. And the idea of a “part 2” was not appealing to me. I think it would be a more successful idea if Owl had books based on different challenges vs the “parts 1,2” etc choice. Overall we enjoyed it!

The Big Snowdown by Katy Hudson is a fantastic book with a great life lesson for children. Owl has learned a lesson of hard work paying off. Owl hadn’t worked on anything for the year, but the friends had. Owl was able to see that it worked out for them.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

An owl learns that she can't just wing it and needs to practice if she wants to win competitions with her friends.

The illustrations are great. I love how some scenes take up small or very large portions of the spread.

The text could be better, but it was fine, and kids will get the point.

Thank you for the ARC. This is a nice winter story about persistence.

My son is obsessed!!! He could not stop giggling while we read this and his little face was just lit up with excitement! A very very cute read that I’ll be buying a copy of to add to his winter book collection!

A great message within this book about the need to work hard to accomplish your goals. The text and images are creative, colourful and engaging. Children will love seeing the different events and will relate to the themes . Within classes there is so much room for discussion and development of the themes and characters. The use of a series of events to reach the audience is well thought through as is the way that Owl reflects on what she has learnt and the effort put in over the full year to redeem herself alongside her friends. The message of friendships blossoming through togetherness and hard work is delightfully shared.

I was so excited to see a new Katy Hudson book pop up, as we love all of her other books. The attention to detail in the illustrations combined with the sweet characters make for an amazing reading experience. I enjoyed reading The Big Snowdown, as we follow Owl through a fun filled day of activities. It offers a great message to little ones about the importance not always being on winning or being the best.

I received an arc of this book from NetGalley for an honest review. Owls ready for the showdown, though he didn’t practice at all, and when he doesn’t win at all he learns a great lesson. Perfect story for kids with lovely illustrations.

It is time for the annual Winter Games. All the animals had trained and were ready for the games. Owl hadn’t trained, but she wasn’t worried. She was the best at everything, after all she was the top of the food chain. Come to find out Owl wasn’t ready for the games and lost at every event. She realized that she should have trained and practice, like her friends. Owl decided she would do better next time. Owl trained throughout the year, with the help of her friends. She learned that “she couldn’t fly through life” She had to “earn her place.”

I LOVE books by Katy Hudson and this is no exception. This has a great message. Her illustrations are adorable and there is so much to look at throughout the story. I love seeing her characters show up in books again and again! A definite one to add to my collection and read to my first graders!!

The start of the annual winter games is here. Most of the forest animals have trained all year, showing their skills to compete in a variety of events. Owl hasn’t trained at all. But owl isn’t worried. She’s always the best at everything without having to train or practice. Her natural talent and confidence are enough- or so she thinks.
The story teaches children that they can’t always win and to recognize the hard work others put in. They have to work and do their best. The story teaches children the difference between confidence and arrogance. In the end of the 36 page story, it shows owl’s friends helping him to train for a year, which shows the importance of friendship. The book is beautifully illustrated.

Thank you #netgalley, #capstone publishing, # Katy Hudson

This book is so adorable. The artwork is incredible and the message is even better. I love that owl learns that in order to win one must try. I loved that rather than be a poor sport she looked at it from a different perspective and approached year two with an entirely different mindset. It is an adorable book that will teach a child while being cute and fun to enjoy!

First of all, I was attracted to this book by it's cover. The illustrations inside the book did not disappoint. I love the vivid colors and tiny details. The story and lesson in the book was so sweet. I love how the main character did not get what he wanted and learned that it's okay to still be happy for his friends. This is a HUGE lesson that many children do not understand in this day where "everyone gets a trophy." It is okay to be disappointed and still cheer for our friends! Also learning that we need to work towards our goals and that achievements are not just handed to us. I really love the message in this book and will be purchasing it for my classroom library. I have plans to start my school year with this book because it is such an important lesson.

Thank you Katy Hudson and Capstone Editions for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book! This review was written voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

THE BIG SNOWDOWN by Author and Illustrator KATY HUDSON is a fabulous children's book that will delight and entertain all while imparting essential social skills.

At the beginning of the story readers quickly learn that Owl believes herself to be the best at everything. The decor of her home shows her arrogance with paintings of herself and slogans such as "Top of the Food Chain" scattered throughout.

When the time comes for the forest animals to compete in the annual winter games which the other animals spent all year trading for, Owl isn't worried. She knows she is the smartest, fastest, and all-around best at everything, she knows she will win, even though she didn't do any training at all.

As she competes in each event, she learns a different lesson from each.

The illustrations are sheer perfection. The depiction of each animal is so expertly rendered that the author/Illustrator somehow is able to convey aspects of character, such as "thoughtful" or "humble". It is easy to see why this author has received numerous awards and accolades for her children's books.

There is no way to give a higher rating than 5 out of 5 Stars. If it were possible to rate this higher, I would do so in a heartbeat.

This book is not being released until August, but I think preorders are now available. My advice would be to preorder THE BIG SNOWDOWN ASAP. I have a feeling this book will be winning multiple awards so it may be hard to get once publication day comes.

Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this fabulous #kidlit #childrensbook

I love the message of this book! Immediately adding to our wishlist. The lessons of needing to practice to get good at something and needing be able to cheer on our friends, even when we are in competition is so important! The illustrations are hilarious and full of details that children and parents alike will enjoy. My son and I giggled throughout and enjoyed the whole thing.

The Big Snowdown is a cute story highlighting the importance of hard work. Owl was convinced she was the best and didn’t need to try hard to win the competitions. However, time and time again she was proven wrong. By the end of the competition she realized that she needed to practice and put in the work to be the best. This was a great way to demonstrate this lesson to kids. The illustrations were also engaging and kept my kids’ interest. There was plenty of detail to show each competition allowing my kids to understand what was happening. Overall, we all enjoyed this book and would read it again.