A Flower in the Snow

November 5, 2012
This gentle friendship story from Corderoy (Just One More) and Allsopp (Goodnight, Angels) follows a girl named Luna and her polar bear best friend. Allsopp's delicately drafted illustrations depict Luna and Bear's relationship with tenderness and quiet humor: both clasp their hands behind their backs as they skate on a frozen lake, and they huddle close when they catch a cold at the same time, a tiny plaid blanket tossed over Bear's back. When a yellow "sunshine flower" Bear gives Luna proves ephemeral, Bear leaves their wintry home in search of anotherâand absence does indeed make their hearts grow fonder. Corderoy keeps the story moving forward steadily, with Bear's exploration giving it a light sense of adventure. While the story is set in "an icy kingdom far away," Luna's igloo, fur-trimmed outerwear, and braids nod toward Inuit influences. The ending, in which planted seeds result in a field of yellow flowers bursting from the snowy landscape, feels entirely in keeping with the magical â¨nature of this friendship. Ages 4âup.

October 1, 2012
This odd but sweet tale is flavored with a bit of O. Henry's "Gift of the Magi." Luna, in her igloo, and Bear, in a snow cave in Luna's garden, are the best of friends in their snowy world (with not another soul, including a parent for Luna, in sight). They do everything together, and when Bear finds a wonderful yellow flower (a long-stemmed crocus?) blooming in the snow, he knows just whom to give it to. Luna is thrilled with the sunshine flower, but when it dies, nothing can bring back her smile. Desperate to cheer up his friend, Bear sets off on a worldwide search for another sunshine flower, while back at home, Luna pines for her best friend. A stray snowflake on Bear's nose points him, empty-handed, toward home, where Luna has a surprise of her own--she planted a seed from the first flower and grew her own, saving the rest of the seeds to plant with her friend, who brought her smile back. Allsop's friends are full of expression, the simply drawn cuddly polar bear managing to convey emotion, while her adorable, Inuit-looking girl displays great body language. Her watercolors beautifully juxtapose warm and cool colors, though the spare typeface doesn't match the tone of the artwork. This friendship tale definitely has a message, but readers may not be able to find it under the snow. (Picture book. 4-7)

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November 1, 2012

PreS-K-In this improbable story, a girl lives in an igloo and her best friend, a polar bear, lives in a snow cave. The two do everything together, from skating to "rolling giant snowballs, or even catching a cold!" One day Bear finds a flower growing in the snow and gives it to Luna, who loves it and becomes distraught when it eventually dies. An excellent friend, Bear sets off on an around-the-world trip to find Luna a new one. He travels to places that surely challenge a polar bear's survival, but he never finds a flower and returns home, where Luna has been missing him and wants to share her surprise-another flower growing from seeds saved from the original. Happy again, the two plant the remaining seeds in the snow and dance among the flowers that bloom in the snow. Corderoy's text is, no doubt, meant to be circular but seems rather pointless. Allsopp employs a soft, pastel palette with judicious touches of red for her appealing illustrations, which cannot overcome the weakness of the narrative.-Sharon Grover, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, WI

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