Year after year, it never loses its magic. Every time that first snow falls—the first real snow, the one that blankets the ground in white—I feel a simultaneous spark of exhilaration and a sense of peace. The world is transformed and made into a place familiar yet different. And while I wrote it in a decidedly un-snowy month, the book Sam Sees Snow (cover pictured) was very much inspired by this feeling.

In this sight-words book for emergent readers, our hero Sam (adorably illustrated by Shelley Dieterichs, complete with rosy cheeks and an expression of wonder) sits on his front steps wishing for snow. And then it happens: Fluffy flakes start drifting down. You guys, let me just tell you: when I was a kid in suburban Minneapolis, seeing those first flakes was like my birthday, Christmas, and the last day of school combined. It’s the same thing for Sam. Soon he, his younger brother, and their little white dog are rolling in the snow, playing catch with snowballs, and zooming down hills on sleds.

What I loved so much about writing this book was capturing one of life’s simple moments of joy: an afternoon spent reveling in our world’s beauty. And the culmination of the tale is yet another simple moment. The boys’ dad brings the kids hot cocoa, inviting them indoors for a cozy winter night. May you all experience such simple pleasures this season—whether your part of the world sees snow or not.