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Picture Book Review by Ronda Einbinder – The Smallest Snowflake

 

 

THE SMALLEST SNOWFLAKE

Written and illustrated by Bernadette Watts

(NorthSouth Books; $17.95, Ages 4-8)

 

 

 

English author and illustrator Bernadette Watts brings her inspiration for nature into The Smallest Snowflake, a heartfelt story about a little snowflake who journeys to earth with the other snowflakes while holding her dreams quietly in her heart.

Watts’ writing brings life to the small pieces of ice each sharing their excitement about their winter voyage. Flowing from the clouds, they see “fields and the orchards, the red roofs of farms, and the lovely city standing at the end of the glacial lake.” The verses read as human characters with each snowflake declaring where they wish to travel. The snowflakes feel relatable as if they are people sharing their dreams.

 

The Smallest Snowflake int1 looking up at snowflakes
Interior spread from The Smallest Snowflake written and illustrated by Bernadette Watts, NorthSouth Books ©2022.

 

Watts empowers the snowflakes with personalities that flow through the story like beloved friends. We meet a snowflake who chooses to travel to a different land and settle on a tree branch, and another snowflake wishing to “watch the caribou and bear, the lynx and raccoon, and even the red squirrel who sleeps in that very tree.” The soft palette of brown, green, and orange are spread across two pages with a bear gazing at the tiny animals gathered on the tree. A blue sky covers another page overlooking the sea. It’s beautifully sprinkled with white snow flowing over the battlement of castle walls.

Each page turn takes the reader to a new location. The snowflakes flow from jeweled domes to the golden pinnacles of St. Basil’s Cathedral, while people are huddled together in the streets trying to stay warm from the frost. Many of the snowflakes keep traveling on.

“The littlest snowflake did not have such a wide education as the others and knew very little about the world.” Watts’ white mountains are topped with snowflakes and birds flying through the pages. “I just want to be warm.”

 

The Smallest Snowflake int2 snowflakes less in number
Interior illustrations from The Smallest Snowflake written and illustrated by Bernadette Watts, NorthSouth Books ©2022.

 

It isn’t often that you think of a snowflake as wanting to be warm, but this earnest piece of snow is determined to find its place. When most of the snowflakes come to rest, the littlest snowflake continues to travel. She eventually lands on a windowsill and finds a home in a window box filled with earth outside a tiny cottage. It was here the little snowflake took her place.

The little snowflake sees the burning logs and a kettle standing on the hearth. The home is warm and friendly. Watts’ words and drawings fill this story with joy and comfort, whether reading beside a crackling fireplace or tucked warmly in a bed. The yellow sun and blue sky are drawn on the final page as spring nears. The closing words read, “loved filled her heart with such warmth that she melted away with joy.” A perfect sentence to end with. This is a lovely read teaching kids to follow their destiny, even if their destiny is different from others.

  • Reviewed by Ronda Einbinder

 

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Three Winter Themed Picture Books

Let it Snow!
A Winter-Themed Review From Rita Zobayan.

The holidays are over, but winter is still in full force in parts of the country! Grab a blanket, your favorite warm drink, and cuddle up to enjoy these wonderful winter stories.

29226You Make Me Smile by Layn Marlow is a sweet and simple story about a little girl who makes a snowman smile. As the first snow falls, a normal day becomes special for the girl who ventures out of her warm house to create a snowy friend. She gathers her materials and builds a buddy, and while the oncoming seasons may separate them, they will once again be able to share their friendship at winter’s return.

I enjoyed the clever play of words during the description. Is the narrator the girl describing the snowman or vice versa?

You’ll be cold, cold, cold, with a radish-red nose. Your arms may be stiff, but your eyes are going to shine. A long woolen scarf around your neck should keep you warm, but the cold doesn’t seem to matter to you, because…today is the special day…when you make me…smile.

The illustrations and typography suit the story well. They are inviting and warm, even though they depict winter. Look for small details, such as the girl’s watchful father, his birdhouse, and its inhabitants. You Make Me Smile certainly brought a smile to my face.

(You Make Me Smile by Layn Marlow, Holiday House, $16.95, Ages 3 and up)

 

17262331In Pip and Posy: The Snowy Day by Axel Scheffler, Pip the rabbit and Posy the mouse are excited to play in the snow! There’s so much to do: leave big footprints, catch snowflakes on their tongues, make snow angels, and go sledding. But when it comes time to create a snow creature, they can’t agree.

“Snowmouse,” said Posy.

                  “Snowrabbit,” said Pip.

Posy was so mad at Pip that she threw the snow creature’s head at him. Oh, dear! Then Pip was even angrier with Posy, so he pushed her very hard and she fell in the snow. Oh, dear! Now Pip and Posy were both very cold and very sad. Poor Pip! Poor Posy!

Will they work out their differences? Can they remain friends? Pip and Posy: The Snowy Day shows children that even best friends can disagree, and that kindness and consideration are really what makes for a great friendship.

(Pip and Posy: The Snowy Day by Axel Scheffler, Nosy Crow, $12.99, Ages 3 and up)

 

Snow can seem magical—its stark purity, its delicacy as it falls, and its ability to create what can seem like another world. When It Snows by Richard Collingridge takes us on a magical journey with a little boy and his teddy bear. On his adventure, the boy finds polar bears, skiers, “the place where the snowmen live,” and the Queen of the Poles who introduces him to “tiny fairies that glow” and “thousands of elves and other magical creatures.”  But the best wonder of all is revealed at the end, and it is one that readers will hold dear.

The illustrations with muted colors and shading perfectly create a feeling of other-worldliness and capture the wonder seen through the boy’s eyes. My four-year old daughter was captivated by this book, I think, mostly because of its sense of fantasy. She even said, “I want to go in there,” pointing to the book, which just goes to show that a book dealing with snow can bring warmth to your heart.

(When It Snows by Richard Collingridge, Feiwel and Friends, 2013; $16.99; ages 4 and up)

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