CROW & SNOW

An unexpected love story.

A joyful scarecrow with arms stretched wide and a stitched-on smile longs to make friends. The field can get mighty lonely. But the only new visitor is a tractor, and the tractor always rushes by Crow without talking. One winter, the farmer’s children build a snowman, and suddenly Crow has a friend! Snow, a dumpy little fellow, and Crow stand side by side. “Will you be staying awhile?” Crow asks. “I’m not sure,” Snow replies. “Maybe.” Alas, in keeping with the transient nature of snowmen, Snow begins to melt. In a heartbreaking scene, the melted heap that is all that remains of Snow looks up from the ground. Luckily, winter comes around again, and Snow, while made from different snow and different features, is still Snow. Year after year, the pair’s bond grows. But when the farmer’s children get older, they stop playing in the snow, and Crow is left alone once again. When new children finally come, and Snow and Crow are reunited, Crow wonders “if he could say what he was feeling.” A strong wind suddenly blows Crow out of the ground and into Snow’s arms. Finally declaring their love for each other, they are right where they belong. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.5-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 34.1% of actual size.)

A quiet tale of poignant resilience.