When It Snows

Snow doesn’t just transform the landscape, it can also open a window into majestic, imaginative territory—just like reading a special book. Following footsteps in the snow-covered ground, a boy marches into a world of snowcapped mountains where children ride on the backs of wolves and polar bears, continuing on to the “place where the snowmen live” and through a “gloomy forest” where he meets the “Queen of the Poles,” fairies, and elves. Newcomer Collingridge’s paintings are sumptuous and absorbing, creating a genuine sense of magic. And, as the final scene makes clear, it’s a kind of magic that any reader can access: “And I can go there every day... because my favorite book takes me there.” Ages 3–6. (Aug.)