I met a king with seven sons
Each son wanted kingdom won
But it was number seven
Who would answer the question
Who was the worthy one
(an original by yours truly)
The Snowcat Prince by Dina Norlund was a story that while I enjoyed it, I do not feel I was the perfect audience for it. I had questions where some were answered only in the afterwards/extras of the story and some never at all. It almost felt like something was missing from the story, as if this was not the first in a series.
However, once I got into the story, all was forgotten because of some far-out, gorgeous illustrations. The images lend themselves to be an interesting movie for fantasy lovers. I was getting younger, The Dragon Prince, vibes in places (without the humans and animals having equal screen or page time for the most part). The theme is simple, a young prince must come into his own. The lead up is familiar with his brothers, all much older, stronger, and honestly vain and lazy, teasing and pushing his brother aside. It is not until they think of a plan to rid them of their brother and his beloved status by their villagers, do things get really hopping. Between myth, secrets and the truth, our young Snowcat Prince, Syv, ventures out to find the lost crown of their ancestors. Along the way, he meets a human girl with some special secrets of her own, and learns the true story of the Crown, his people and their supposed enemy, the Sandfoxes.
Great fantasy and magical elements mix together to give a feeling of Asian folklore and Scandinavian folklore. These elements come alive in the boldly colored with minimal and perfectly detailed images. The age group of 8 to 12 might work best, but some images are fantasy intense, so know your sensitive reader. The extras at the end are delightful and should be explored.