THE SNOW ANGELS' CHRISTMAS

The Nativity story is retold from the viewpoint of helpful snowman-shaped angels.

The story opens with the Snow Angels in the sky over the town of Nazareth, pouring buckets of snowballs from the sky. Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem with the help of the Snow Angels. The Snow Angels pack for the trip, wash the donkey, and shovel the deep snow on the road. They prepare the stable in Bethlehem and are the first visitors to see baby Jesus, and they alert the shepherds and the wise men of the baby’s arrival. While the basic elements of the traditional Nativity story are included, the prominent role of the Snow Angels is rather confusing, as they seem to be the main characters in the story, driving the plot. The characters of Mary and Joseph are also problematic, as the illustration style makes them look like children, even though Joseph has a beard. All the human characters have pink skin and darker pink cheeks that echo the round, pink cheeks on the Snow Angels. The double-page–spread illustrations are flat and rather amateurish in execution, with awkward stick arms on the Snow Angels and little variation in perspective or in the Snow Angels themselves.

This muddled effort tries hard to be cute and clever, but it doesn’t stand out among the many excellent choices available for Christmas Eve reading.