Snow Globe Wishes

Gentle rhyming text and naïf illustrations dominated by lovely pale yellow and teal tones are impeccably paired in this heartwarming book. During the “worst storm of the year,” a family of four eats takeout in front of a blazing fireplace (“Picnic dinners,/ candle light./ Darkness draws us close tonight”) and then settles down to sleep in a cozy blanket fort as one child makes “snow globe wishes.” The morning brings clear skies and a “snow globe day” that enticingly beckons townsfolk young and old, who frolic in the snow before joining hands and forming a circle around a Christmas tree. As the wishes behind the story are revealed—“Peace on earth./ Right now./ Right here./ Peace for all throughout the year!”—the family’s cat and dog, back at home, peer into a snow globe in which the outdoor scenario is duplicated. Dealey and Shorrock create a winsome, hopeful portrait of family and community bonds. Ages 4–8. [em](Sept.) [/em]