Book Review of Rupert’s Snowman
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The Children’s Book Review

Rupert’s Snowman

Written by Philippa Warden

Illustrated by Grace Ward

Ages: 3-8 | 44 Pages

Publisher: Purple Butterfly Press | ISBN-13: 9781948604710

What to Expect: Empathy, friendship, family, snow days

Snow days are perfect for lots of things: drinking hot chocolate, making snow angels, and sledding—but most especially for making snowmen! Rupert decides to build the biggest snowman ever, and his snowman needs lots of things: twigs for hands, stones for eyes, and a cup for a hat. But when it’s time to go home for lunch, Rupert realizes that his snowman needs a family to keep him company. With his mummy’s help, Rupert brings the snowman home with him and builds a snow sister, a snow dog, and two snow cats. Now his snowman will never feel lonely!

This delightful picture book uses both words and images to bring the magic of winter to life. Text bursting with sensory details moves dynamically across each page, wrapping around the snowman’s neck like a scarf, rolling around as the snow is swept into a ball, or dribbling down the snowman’s head alongside the hot chocolate. Soft pencil and crayon illustrations continue the emphasis on movement, with details spilling from one page to another in a riot of color and fun. The story itself is simple but sweet, drawing readers’ attention to the positive emotions evoked by family and togetherness.

Rupert’s Snowman is a delightful winter story sure to fill you with warmth.

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About the Author

Phillipa Warden (1971) attended the Royal College of Art and the ICE at Cambridge University studying Creative Writing. She wrote her first children’s picture book Rupert’s Snowman after her son refused to leave his snowman on the hill after a snow day. It is a fun and empathetic tale that launched in September 2020. She is currently editing her second book, for her daughter, having been playfully accused of favoritism towards Rupert.

Phillipa is also the portrait artist at Tortoise Media.

For more information, visit purplebutterflypress.net and phillipawardenbooks.com.

About the Illustrator

Grace Ward, the illustrator of Emma’s Sunflower and Rupert’s Snowman is dyslexic and she chose a font called Open Dyslexic to tell her stories. The unique shape of each letter can help prevent confusion through flipping and swapping letters because they have a heavier bottom. The dyslexic reader will be able to quickly work out which part of the word is down and this aids in recognizing the correct letter.

Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. This is a sponsored, non-biased review of Rupert’s Snowman, by Philippa Warden. Learn more about getting a book review …