"It was Christmas Eve, and Phoebe could see that the little town of Whistlethrop was covered in a thick layer of snow. It was the first snow of winter and it had come silently in the night, the way magic often does."
This opening sentence holds so much promise for a wonderful story. It is Christmas Eve - surely that means wishes can come true. The snow came silently the way magic often does - it is confirmed. Magic is coming. But who is Phoebe? Where is she living? Why does she need some magic in her life?
Phoebe lives in an orphanage and if you need confirmation that it is a horrid place just think about the name - Griselda Bone's Home for Strays. It seems the children who are taken there have to stay or stay that is, until Miracle Day.
As the story opens, it is Miracle Day, a day that happens only once each month. Today is Miracle Day but it is for Jack, Phoebe's friend. And now that he has gone, she is the last child left. All she has now is her little dog Herb.
Griselda punishes Phoebe for using her imagination in a writing activity. She sends her to the dog kennels for the night. It is freezing cold and she is fastened with a metal cuff. Then something magical happens - you can see him on the book cover - the snow dragon.
WOW! This is a picture book I picked up a recent charity bookfair. I based this selection purely on the cover image. I didn't even bother to read the blurb on the back cover. What a fabulous discovery. This is a story about an orphan, it is about the power of dreams and imagination, and it has the most wonderful (and all important) happy ending.
The Snow Dragon was published in 2019 (it is still available) but the story originally appeared in an anthology entitled Winter Magic. Here is the webpage for Abi Elphinstone. I previously talked about her novel Sky Song.
Here is the webpage for Fiona Woodcock. Her work really shines in The Snow Dragon and here are some of her books which I will now hunt out:
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