Of Polar Bears and Golden Flowers
Debbie Glade dreams of snow from her home in Miami as she reviews this wonderful, wintery picture book.
A Flower in the Snow ($16.99, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, Ages 4 and up) by Tracey Corderoy is a story about two unlikely friends, an Inuit girl named Luna and a polar bear named Bear who discover an unlikely occurrence – a flower growing in the snow. Bear picks the golden flower to give to Luna, but when the flower dies and Luna gets sad, Bear sets out to find her a replacement. His journey, taking him near and far and also far too long, makes Luna miss him terribly. When he finally returns, together they learn the true meaning of friendship.
A Flower in the Snow teaches kids the valuable message that material gifts are not what friendship is all about, rather it is companionship and time spent together. The lovely watercolor illustrations by Sophie Allsopp are charming and beautifully capture the emotions of the story. This book would make a perfect holiday gift for a young child. After all, what child wouldn’t want to be best friends with a big, white, fluffy polar bear?