THE FIRST SNOW

by David Christiana ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1996

A fable about the seasons, featuring a doll-like Mother Nature as a child who wants ""Summer to stay with her forever."" The rebuffed Winter, a little boy, retreats, wondering why the little girl doesn't like him; urged by Aunt Arctica to win her over, he buries the little girl in fallen leaves and when she emerges into the cold, she freezes. ""Now you might think that Winter would have been delighted"" (at freezing a waif?), but he whips up a blanket from soft white crystals that fall from the sky ""like angel's tears."" Young Mother Nature is warm enough to appreciate her first snowfall. Christiana (A Tooth Fairy's Tale, 1994, etc.) renders his fine paintings with sweeping lines and muted colors, but he seems to start with a story about why there are four seasons (instead of two) and leaves readers adrift in only three. While there are elements of fancy to which children will respond, this is a synthetic concoction.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1996

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1996

Categories: CHILDREN'S