Snow Steps

Celebrate the tenacity of the human spirit with this moving picture book about Lakshmi, a young girl who learns to brave a snowy Minnesota winter after immigrating from tropical Guyana. 

Lakshmi just moved from rural, sunny Guyana to a city in icy, frigid Minnesota. Her family is trying hard to adjust to a new country, but for Lakshmi, the hardest part is the cold, slushy, white stuff everywhere. Snow didn’t exist in Guyana, but it’s inescapable in Minnesota. Lakshmi's too scared to walk in it, so her mama has to carry her everywhere. But when she meets a new friend on the bus, Lakshmi's fears melt away, revealing a bravery she didn't know she had. 

Based on the author’s own childhood experience of immigration, Snow Steps fosters empathy for newcomers and provides reassuring comfort to children facing new experiences.

Karen Latchana Kenney is an Indian-Irish children’s author, born in Guyana and raised in Minnesota. She, too, was once afraid of the snow, but now she sees its quiet beauty on her walks in the woods. Karen writes fiction and nonfiction stories for kids and adults about immigrant and biracial experiences, science, and history. Snow Steps is her first picture book. Please visit her online at www.karenlatchanakenney.com.

Irina Avgustinovich grew up in Belarus, where she began her illustration career and started a family of her own. In 2022, her family moved to Portugal—a move which, like the story in Snow Steps, came with significant cultural change. In Irina’s case, her move created a deep longing for snow that no longer falls like it did in Belarus! Despite the challenges, Irina and her family continue to learn about and appreciate the joy of the Portuguese way of life.