Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Following the events of Little Snowman Stan (2011), the eponymous snowman is adjusting to life in Freezeland when a new snowman named Dmitri arrives without a hat on his head. Stan generously lends him his own hat, but when Dmitri refuses to return it, Stan seeks the counsel of wise Alfred, who comes up with an equitable solution. There's no missing the message about the value of sharing (it appears in all caps), and readers will relate to Stan's situation. Ages 3-5. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Snowman Stan lives in Freezeland. He and the other snowmen all dress in a traditional, simple style that always includes a hat, which varies from knit cap to flower pot to tin bucket. One day, a stranger arrives with a bare head. Stan feels sorry for him and offers his own hat to Dmitri for a day or two, but when he tries to get it back after ten days, the snowman refuses to return it. The snowfolk meet in Ice Square to help solve the problem, and Stan himself comes up with the perfect solution. Hint: sharing is the answer. The illustrations are sweet and straightforward: spare, snowy backgrounds feature lots of snowmen, all with carrot noses and colorful scarves and headgear. Children will be charmed by this picture book and may relate to the unfairness of Dmitri's keeping Stan's hat. The lovely story offers a kind way to solve the problem of what to do when someone does not share.-Mary Hazelton, formerly at Warren & Waldoboro Elementary Schools, ME (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This sharing lesson is about as didactic as they come. Little Snowman Stan lives with his friends (oddly, there are no family relationships) in Freezeland, where it is always cold and snowy. While the snowmen all look a little different, each wears a hat of some sort. That is, until Dmitri arrives without one--a blizzard blew his hat away: "Sad and without my hat, I kept going. Until I arrived here." Impetuously, the generous and bighearted Stan hands over his own blue plaid hat so Dmitri can wear it for a few days. But Dmitri has no intention of giving it back. The snowmen meet and discuss solutions to the problem, but all focus on either punishing Dmitri or forcing either Dmitri or Stan to live hatless. But Stan comes up with a sharing solution acceptable to all: They will rotate the hats so that no one goes more than one day bareheaded. The watercolor snowmen convey emotion through the curve of their mouths and the roundness of their eyes. It's a cute-enough, though plodding, story with sweet illustrations, but readers are practically hit over the head with the sharing message. Who knows, though--didactic sometimes proves to be pretty popular; look at Rainbow Fish. Still, in this day and age of lice, parents may wish the snowmen shared something other than hats. (Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
