In ‘Snow’ it is Carolina Rabei’s glorious illustrations which bring Walter de la Mare’s magical wintery poem to life in a way that is accessible for young children. The stunning cover conjures up this idyllic winter wonderland of deep crisp snow with children all wrapped up warm enjoying this special time. It creates this inviting picture which makes you long to step into this story and join in their fun and evokes memories of snow days of the past. You can almost hear the snow crunching beneath your feet as you make fresh footprints across this huge blanket of snow.
When the children return home we immediately get drawn into their festivities as they prepare for Christmas. The tree is decorated, stockings hung and treats for Santa are left by the fireplace. All the while ‘still the white snow whirls softly down.’ As night falls our family goes to bed in anticipation of a special visitor arriving while they are fast asleep.
The joy of this book is that not only do you get swept along on this winter adventure by this delightful poem but you get to gaze and get lost in this wintery world which Carolina has crafted. This world is created using only a limited palette of reds, greys and browns contrasting superbly against the bright white snow giving the book a warm and cosy feel. With very limited words throughout the book children can create their own stories and imagine what is going on in every scene. When I shared this stunning book with my girls we lingered over each page enjoying all the details and sharing our thoughts on how the story was unfolding. It is a perfect book for sharing with children of all ages.
Thank you to Faber & Faber for sending this sublime book to review I thoroughly enjoyed reading and sharing it with my children.
bookloverjo 