Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--A young boy named James dreams of making a snowman. After a blizzard rolls through overnight, it looks like James's wish has been granted. This simple, beautifully conveyed story is an installment in the "Poetic Vintage Tales" series originally published in the Czech Republic in 1978. The artwork has a vintage European abstractness to it. The animals have large, human-like eyes and James, the main human, looks like an animal when his mouth is obscured. The snow takes on animalistic characteristics. Similar to how a cloud can resemble an animal, the blustery snow resembles a white horse. In a unique choice for a book from 1978, James eschews playing snow forts with the boys and decides to play carnival with the girls, dolling up a parade of snowmen in wigs and makeshift hats. VERDICT A timeless tale about the transformative magic of a snowstorm and imaginative play.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
All the way from the Czech Republic, a snow story for readers. A mystical white horse that symbolizes snowfall transforms the dark winter landscape at the beginning of this lyrical, enigmatic picture book. The wind blows the snow into drifts and piles on objects and animals outside, so "in the morning, the yard is filled with snowmen," answering the dreams of a young boy named James. After he comes outside, the animals tell him how the snow has affected them. "I've lost the roof you made for me." "It blew away my nuts and seeds." The "wise woodpecker" suggests that everyone "pitch in" and help. Abruptly, the scene shifts to focus on James' peers romping in the snow; James decides he would rather join the girls in decorating the snowmen instead of playing with the boys, who are building forts. After James and a girl named Elise enjoy a day of wintry fun, that night the white horse appears in Elise's dream. "But only James knows why," reads the final, mystifying line. Some elements of this tale are confusing, perhaps quite literally lost in translation, though Kudláček's whimsical multimedia illustrations may pique readers' interest, with playful details in the snowmen's attire, the characters' depictions, and the saturated landscapes. The children are pale-skinned. A bit too much left to wonder about in this winter wonderland.(Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
