THE SNOW THEATER

After a boy in a remote, snowy town quarrels with a friend, his subsequent tumble while skiing reveals a mysterious, glowing theater.

As this Japanese import opens, the two companions argue over the butterfly book they’re admiring. As they tussle, a page tears, and the friend skis home. The boy worriedly repairs the book (one of his father’s treasured possessions), then skis off himself, seeking to quell his discomfort. Negotiating a steep downhill trail, the boy overlooks a gap and falls in. Within the shallow crevasse, he discovers a tiny theater and a dazzling musical, staged by snow people, about to begin. After he rescues a fallen performer, the troupe invites him to view their show. Whispering ballerinas, singing children, and a sudden transformation from a tiny to full-size production hint at the boy’s dream state. He joins the troupe onstage as they begin a “spinning top song.” A giant top appears, sparkling with snow crystals; a snow queen summons an enchanted blizzard. Arai’s charming illustrations dazzle. Intentionally naïve and expressionistic, they pair thick, impasto-like color with delicately rendered performers—singing, dancing, even snowboarding. Playing with perspective, the artist contrasts the village’s snowy expanses with the small figures of the boy and his father, who rescues him with a promise of cocoa and a suggestion to lend the butterfly book to his friend tomorrow. Human characters are tan-skinned.

Conflict, enchantment, resolution, solace—all interweave in this beautifully illustrated tale.