School Library Journal
ea. vol: illus. by author. unpaged. (Snowman Series). Little. Nov. 1985. BD. $3.95. PreS In these four wordless books, a boy builds a snowman; invites him into his house, where the snowman tries on different noses and clothes; flies with him to a magical place just for snowpeople and participates in an all-snowperson party there. The books form a series, and actually refer to one another (the dancing and balloons at the boy's home match the snowpeople's party, for example), but each succeeds on its own. Collectively they tell a more involved story and portray more action than is seen in most board books for preschoolers. Even individually, each of the books offers more emotional content than does the average board book. Briggs' colored pencil drawings show a snowman who is friendly-looking, unintimidating and quite lovable. Other elements of the books are just right for the age group: simplicity of actions and relationships, the inclusion of familiar objects (teddy bear, electric train set, etc.), the light feeling of the stories. The notion of belief influencing reality is prevalent throughout the series: as the boy's confidence in his snowman grows, the snowman gradually comes to life and the fun escalates. The books are versatile; they tell a simple story that very young children can follow, but they can also have a more sophisticated interpretation. Liza Bliss, Central New England College, Westborough, Mass.