SNOW ANGELS

In this too-good-to-be-true debut, best friends Krystal and Angel get the help of snow angels to make a difference in the lives of people around them.

A fall in the deep snow and an offhand, tongue-in-cheek remark lead the duo to the discovery that heavenly angels are just waiting to help people—they just need to be asked. The two decide to spend the day helping others, making snow-angel imprints in the snow before tackling each task. They carol at an elderly neighbor’s door, help make cookies for a boy’s bake sale so he can buy a sled and work at a church quilting bee. All the while, readers and the two friends can see the angels pitching in to aid them on their mission, although the townspeople remain clueless. The final spread hints at more to come: “That was the day we decided we would be ‘angels’ all year long,” the illustrations depicting angelic impressions in snow, grass, sand and fallen leaves. While the girls’ mission is doubtless an important one, this lacks the subtlety, realism and craft that would make readers want to emulate them. Dorman’s illustrations are over-the-top bright and cheerful, just as idealized as the story.

An afterschool special in picture-book form.