The Story of Snowflake and Inkdrop

Baccalario (the Enchanted Emporium series) and Gatti, in his English-language debut, trace the paths of a black inkdrop and a white snowflake, which come together in a central gatefold. In the snowflake’s tale, he seeks the perfect place to land as a snowstorm descends on a town; intricate laser-cut snowflakes provide glimpses of a few options (an urban canal, a circus), which are revealed in their full glory after page turns. Flipping the book over, readers meet the inkdrop, which dreams of leaving her jar to become part of a drawing. A gust of wind brings the snowflake and inkdrop together in a wintry midair collision. Their meeting results in an explosion of creative energy, which Mulazzini (Tree of Wonder) captures in a four-page foldout spread that shows an enormous snowflake surrounded by inky blackness, illuminated with delicately drawn pastel images of flora and fauna: “They had endless stories to tell each other. Their embrace lasted forever.” While the laser-cut snowflakes and ink splotches may not hold up well to rereading, it’s a lovely vision of the unpredictable miracles that bring people together. Ages 4–8. (Nov.)