The Snowman and the Robin
Michael Foreman
Scholastic

Over forty years ago, Raymond Briggs created the The Snowman, which has become a classic. Since then others have added additional layers of seasonal magic to the story and now we have this wondrous tale by Michael Foreman.

On a chilly winter’s evening in a park in London there stands a snowman created by children who have clad him in a striped scarf and old woolly bobble hat. As the snow falls around him, the snowman suddenly hears, “Hey! Mr Snowman! You’re back!” It’s a little robin standing atop a statue, the Snowman discovers having turned his head around with considerable effort. The two strike up a conversation that quickly becomes a friendship as Robin invites the snowman to accompany him on a tour of the city.

We then follow the two on a night of adventure as the robin takes to the wing and the snowman finds his feet. Gliding through Hyde Park they pass the Albert Memorial and Marble Arch, then onwards to other famous London landmarks including Buckingham Palace,

Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square with Nelson’s Column, and Big Ben. As the sun rises, their itinerary also takes them to the Millennium Wheel

and it’s there that the snowman notices something, to his eyes the wheel is growing. Robin knows that it’s not the wheel but the snowman that is gradually changing.
His night of wonderment is coming to an end but not before he discovered how absolutely amazing the world is, even if his own existence is short. The last few spreads are truly beautiful and poignant. Foreman’s artistry with words and pictures remained undimmed; indeed here it shines brighter than ever.

This, like its progenitor, is sure to become a classic. Buy to give and buy to keep.