 |
A Whisper in the Snow, due to some slightly choppy language, caused me to have to stop and start a few times. The text is rich, but I think it might have been translated. Therefore, making the (I am assuming German) original text to English not an easy transition for some people’s ears. This makes it only a rating of 4.5. This is because of two main points. The first is that Ferdun Oral’s illustrations are amazingly fabulous pieces of art. They are items that I would love to see framed somehow and placed in a nursery or a toddler’s room. The other point is that it is a wonderful spiritual Christmas story without being religious. It also does not rely on Santa (or some equal character) to save the day. The animals of the forest can figure out the problem themselves.
The story itself is familiar, yet, I am unable to say what it reminds me of. Yet the basic idea of the “true Christmas spirit” is obvious. The children animals of the forest find a bedraggled teddy bear lost in the snow. They are alerted to this lost toy in a most magical manner. And with the help (and a little honey) from a real bear, they make their find into something even better than what it was before. In fact, putting some very special pieces of themselves into their project. |
This is a great gift for adults and children looking for a new Christmas book to add to their collection. However, I do think more adult readers will relate to the work of Kate Westerlund and not the very young crowd.