The Little General and the Giant Snowflake is a beautifully illustrated allegory by a leading poet, perfect for children and adults alike. The little general heads an army called the Realists, and every day he and his troops practice battle formations on a field, while the Dreamers use it to play strange, peaceful games. His soldiers include Sergeant Samantha, wishes the general would pay attention to her, and Lieutenant Lyle, who always seems to get into trouble. One day the little general sees a giant snowflake hovering in his garden. Ashamed, he pretends not to see it, but eventually he discovers that everyone in his army has a similar problem. What magical message is the snowflake trying to bring to the general, and to the world?

 

There are 64 pages in this book. This book was published 2009 by Tin House Books .

Matthea Harvey is the author of Modern Life (Graywolf, 2007), Little Breathing Machine (Graywolf, 2004), and Pity the Bathtub Its Forced Embrace of the Human Form (Alice James Books, 2000). Modern Life was a finalist for the 2007 National Book Critics Circle Award. She is the winner of the prestigious Kingsly Tufts Poetry Prize for 2009. Harvey has served as the poetry editor of American Letters & Commentary, as well as a contributing editor to jubilatand BOMB. She teaches poetry at Sarah Lawrence and lives in Brooklyn. Elizabeth Zechel is the author and illustrator of Mouse in the Baby's Room (Lark Books) and the illustrator of Bubby's Homemade Pies by Jen Bervin and Ron Silver (Wiley & Sons). She has also created illustrations and art for the Poetry Project Newsletter and the Joyce Dance Theater, along with cover art for Tremble and Shine by poet Todd Colby (Soft Skull Press) and The To Sound by poet Eric Baus (Verse Press). Elizabeth Zechel is an illustrator and author of the children's book Is There a Mouse in the Baby's Room . Her illustrations appear in books such as Wordbirds by Liesl Schillinger , The Little General and the Giant Snowflake by Matthea Harvey, and cookbooks such as Bubby's Homemade Pies by Jen Bervin and Ron Silver, as well as a variety of magazine and literary journals. She lives in Brooklyn, NY where she teaches Kindergarten.