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.

This is an exciting and insightful story with wonderful illustrations!
The story shows that you have to work hard for what you want, and you can't be too confident. Achieving ease comes from working hard. This is the kind of story you'd want to buy for your child.
Thank you to NetGalley and Capstone Editions for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderful story! It teaches that not everything in life comes easily and that talent alone isn’t enough—working on yourself is essential to achieving your goals.
I also want to highlight the incredibly beautiful illustrations. I read this book with my daughter, and she absolutely loved it. Now she wants to have a copy at home!

Thank you to NetGalley and Capstone for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. Owl thought she was the best and should win every time. Yet she never practiced, unlike the other animals. Her friends won in the various events since they’d trained. She realized just cause she thought she was the best at all the events, didn’t mean she was. She realized her friends deserved the wins since they’d practiced and trained hard. So she decided to learn from her friends and slow down; not rush through life.

A fun and entertaining story about forest animals competing in their annual winter games. Owl, despite not training at all, is convinced she can win everything—reminding me of some people who rely on luck and confidence but forget that true success takes effort. Natural talent is great, but it's not everything!
I loved this book—it’s engaging, beautifully illustrated, and would be a great addition to elementary school classrooms.

Wonderfully cute illustrations! Humorous, but also a good lesson, much like the hare and the tortoise. Just because you’re “supposed to win”, because “you’re designed to win” doesn’t mean you will. You have to put in the work at all times.

Overall, the book was well written and I did really enjoy it. Thank you for this advance reading copy!

My goodness, what a spectacular message!

This is an excellently crafted story detailing the difference between earning your place and entitlement - something I find SO important for kids to learn. It also challenges the narrative of being "naturally great" vs those that work hard!

The illustrations in this are great and very detailed! They give the reader lots to look at and explore, perfect for eyes that are learning to notice new things and just starting to explore different details.

Absolutely would recommend!