Rupert's Snowman by Phillipa Warden

 

I have a guilty pleasure of reading holiday and winter books during the dog days of summer! Somehow the thought of a fresh, beautiful snowfall is a comfort when the days are hot and humid.  And now that my own children are almost past the age of sledding and snowmen, I enjoy a trip down memory lane when they loved bundling up to experience the season's first snow!

Rupert's Snowman is a fun book to read at any time of year. I love the adventure that Rupert and his mother go on as they go sledding. Or, more accurately, Rupert and his "Mummy" have an adventure with a "sledge" (I'm guessing the author is British--makes it all the more charming in my opinion!). 

The illustrations are bright, bold, colorful and very child-like which I think draws a child into the book making him feel like the author understands their simplistic world. The excitement of a morning out with mom is very sweetly told. They stop to make snow angels, have snowball fights, go "sledging",  and of course build a snowman.  And when it's time to go home, the thought of leaving his new Frosty friend is heartbreaking to Rupert.

Children will delight in the clever solution Rupert has to make sure Frosty doesn't get lonely. And the book closes with a homey description of Rupert tucked safely inside his warm home, with a cozy fire and eager anticipation for the arrival of Father Christmas. One quirky thing about the book is the random capitalization of some words on each page. Not sure if those were intended to be emphasized or just a way of breaking up the written monotony of each page. I suppose an adult could ask the child to point out that part of the page or act out the word that is highlighted (or maybe those are built in to be "shouted" to surprise the reader and help keep them tuned in to the story?!).  I loved how some of the words were floating through the air and some wrapped around the illustrations. All in all, Rupert's Snowman is a delightful read and would make a great additon to any home or school library's winter or holiday collection.

The author, Phillipa Warden, shared an adorable set of "story spoons" that a reader had shared with her. You can see the example of the story spoons on the author's Instagram feed. Making your own set of story spoons (plastic spoons could be substitued) would be a fabulous way for a child to actively take part in the story as it is read to them. The spoons can provide a matching activity for child to match a spoon with parts of the story. And the spoons can be used for child to retell the events back to a parent. And the making of the spoons will offer another great memory with caregiver!  You can pre-order your copy on Amazon (affiliate link--your purchase sends a few pennies my way at no additional cost to you).

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Rupert's Snowman from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.