B
ased on Rocco’s childhood experience of the Blizzard of
1978, a boy becomes a hero when he manages to walk to
the local grocery store and bring back supplies to his neighbors
after they have been snowed in for days. Rocco uses pencil,
watercolor and digital painting in the artwork which includes
creative use of white space.
John Rocco lives in Los Angeles with his wife and
daughter. His New York Times 2011 bestseller Blackout
was a Caldecott Honor Book and Red Clover Award
nominee. His other titles include Wolf! Wolf!, Fu Finds
the Way and Super Hair-o and the Barber of Doom. He
has created jacket and cover artwork for Rick Riordan’s
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
Web contacts
blog: roccoart.blogspot.com
twitter: ​@johnroccoart
Facebook: ​https://www.facebook.com/roccoart?fref=ts
Big Ideas and Enduring Understanding
Sometimes it takes a village…but sometimes it takes one, young, brave individual to help the
village.
Overarching Question(s)
How can one child’s skills of survival help a community during severe weather conditions?
Sample Text-Dependent Questions
Look carefully at the illustrations early in the story. What types of clues does the author present
about how the boy feels about this blizzard?
How was the boy able to make the trek to the store?
What does perilous mean? Have you ever been in a perilous situation? If so, describe it to a
classmate.
What important actions did the boy take along the way?
How would you describe this boy’s character? Which details from the
book support your conclusion?
How did the community feel about the boy’s actions? How do you
know?
Red Clover Award Educator Resources 2015-2016
Copyright ©2015 Vermont Center for the Book. All rights reserved.
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Common Core ELA Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word
choices shape meaning or tone.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and
style of a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Suggested Activities
1. After reading the story and author’s note about the ‘78 blizzard, have children compose a
personal narrative (real or imaginary) about a time when they needed to use survival skills to
help themselves and/or others during a precarious time. Emphasize the point of view from which
the author told this story so that they may apply it to their own writing.
2. Read and compare Blizzard to Rocco’s Blackout. How are the books similar or different?
Compare the use of white space in Blizzard vs. black space in Blackout.
3. Read and compare this book to Natalie Kinsey Warnock’s Nora’s Ark. Connect to Vermont’s
big flood in 1927 or the flooding from Tropical Storms Sandy and Irene, as well as New
England’s Blizzard of 78’. Go online to do research and find photos. Have your group create a
“pretend scrapbook,” pretending they were there for the events.
4. Consider extreme weather and the damage and dangers from blizzards, floods, volcanic
eruptions, tornadoes or earthquakes, etc. Consider the following questions: What are the causes
of these natural disasters? What have scientists learned? Are they able to predict these events
in advance? If so, what instruments do they use? What can people do to be prepared? Are there
connections to global warming? Is there a way to prevent extreme weather events?
5. In Blizzard, one child asks the question, “What’s an igloo?” Do some research on igloos.
How are they constructed? What kinds of tools are needed? What kind of math is involved? Try
constructing one at your school or library when the snow conditions are right, or make model
igloos using sugar cubes or other materials.
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Red Clover Award Educator Resources 2015-2016
Copyright ©2015 Vermont Center for the Book. All rights reserved.
6. The boy in the story relies on his “survival guide.” Create a blizzard survival guide with your
group. What should it say? What kind of safety tips should go into it? Read other survival guides
to get ideas. Have children illustrate their safety tips.
7. This book has a terrific fold-out map of the neighborhood. Find other books that contain
neighborhood maps. Have children create maps of your neighborhood and/or town.
8. Rocco demonstrates an interesting use of the color “white.” Look at his illustrations carefully
to see how he creates the look of fluffy snow. Consider art projects using white paint, or white
chalk to give the feeling of snow. Consult with your art teacher for detailed ideas or material
suggestions.
Companion Books
Extreme weather
Fradin, Judy. Tornado!
Gibbons, Gail. Hurricanes!
Gibbons, Gail. Tornadoes!
Kostigen, Thomas. Extreme Weather.
Steig, William. Brave Irene.
Thomas, Rick. Whiteout! A Book About Blizzards.
Warnock, Natalie Kinsey. Nora’s Ark.
Wright, Betty Ren. The Blizzard.
Picture books with black-and-white illustrations
Devernay, Laetitia. The Conductor.
Jonas, Ann. Round Trip.
Lee, Suzy. Shadow.
Portis, Antoinette. A Penguin Story.
Swanson, Susan Marie. The House in the Night.
Young, Cybele. Ten Birds.
Red Clover Award Educator Resources 2015-2016
Copyright ©2015 Vermont Center for the Book. All rights reserved.
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