The Snowflake

As a fan of Benji Davies, I was excited to receive his latest title to read and review. Benji has quickly developed a reputation for heart warming stories alongside beautiful illustrations. His artistic style is one of my favourite and the artwork within the book does not disappoint.

As we approach the festive period, we will naturally see an increase in Christmas-themed stories on the market. Few will leave you feeling the warmth of Christmas quite like this one. It avoids the need to be funny or make you laugh with silly rhymes or actions, instead it makes you realise that there is a place on this earth for everyone and everything - no matter how small you are.

The story takes us on the journey of one particular snowflake as she begins falling from the sky. As she travels, she desperately looks for a way to stop falling but every time she seems to be getting close, the wind picks her up and drifts her further along. The vocabulary choices used during this period of the story are exquisite as you really believe that the snowflake is a living thing. You feel an emotional connection with her as you feel her desperation to stop falling. As she falls, you also feel the presence of the ever watching wind and you begin to believe that there is a greater plan for the snowflake.

The story of the snowflake is intertwined with the story of a young girl called Noelle who loves nothing more than the colours and decorations of Christmas. During a wintery walk with her grandad, she comes across the most beautiful tree she has seen. Full of colours, lights and magic, she is truly blown away by it. She desperately wishes for a similar one for her own home, but unfortunately Grandad explains that it really isn't possible. Slightly deflated, they begin the journey home, only for Noelle to find a small branch. The magic of the window tree still in her mind, she decides to make her own magnificent decoration for the world to see. Again, the mixture of superb story telling and stunning illustrations mean you really do connect with Noelle completely and can see the direction the story is taking before the heart warming conclusion.

Despite being a Christmas story, you could easily use this throughout the year due to the strong message it shares. Older primary school children will really access this on multiple levels whilst for younger children, it is just a beautiful text to share. Superb work by a hugely talented author / illustrator.

Picture book / Ages 3+ / Reviewed by Kyle Matravers, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 3+