Books For Keeps
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Articles
  • Past Issues
  • Latest Issue
  • Authors and Artists
  • Latest News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
November 5, 2017/in Picture Book Under 5s Pre-School/Nursery/Infant /by Angie Hill
BfK Rating:
BfK 227 November 2017
Reviewer: Elizabeth Schlenther
ISBN: 978-1471162244
Price: £6.99
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK
Genre: Picture Book
Age Range: Under 5s Pre-School/Nursery/Infant
Length: 32pp
Buy the Book

The Snow Lion

Author: Jim HelmoreIllustrator: Richard Jones

Caro and her mum move to ‘a house at the top of a hill’ and when Caro discovers that everything in the house  is white – white walls and ceilings and doors – she  feels lonely and wishes for friends.  Magically, a cuddly white lion materialises from the wall and suggests a game of hide and seek.  The almost mystical illustrations of this satisfying picture book show us child and lion sharing wonderful times together.  No parents, no adults at all, but a lion who gently leads Caro to the realisation that she can find friends in the outside world, and that these friends will bring colour into her life.  Mum (although we don’t see her) also brings colour by inviting Caro’s new friends in to paint the walls so they are no longer white.  This means that Caro cannot see her lion friend anymore, and she is sad until snow comes and he is once again visible.  She learns that he will always be there if she needs him, and she is able to get on with her life and her friends in this knowledge.  Perfectly imagined and gloriously painted, we see Caro come through a difficult experience by using her imagination and inventing a being to help her through.  The pictures have plenty of detail (there is a companionable black cat throughout) and yet are given space to develop the theme.  From the dark of the night of Caro and her mum’s arrival, to the brightness of the interior of the house, to the colour that comes along ultimately – all this mirrors Caro’s moods and her adjustment to her new situation. A beautiful book which will repay reading many times.

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png 0 0 Angie Hill http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png Angie Hill2017-11-05 13:43:002021-06-08 17:47:59The Snow Lion

Search for a specific review

Author Search

Search







Generic filters




Filter by Member Types


Book Author

Download BfK Issue Bfk 272 May 2025
Skip to an Issue:

About Us

Launched in 1980, we’ve reviewed hundreds of new children’s books each year and published articles on every aspect of writing for children.

Read More

Follow Us

Latest News

‘Exceptionally talented illustrators’ Shortlist announced for the 2025 Klaus Flugge Prize

May 15, 2025

Next stop Shakespeare’s Globe – finalists of Poetry By Heart competition 2025 announced

May 8, 2025

School Library Association announces Information Book Award longlist and new nationwide Book Club

May 7, 2025

Contact Us

Books for Keeps,
30 Winton Avenue,
London,
N11 2AT

Telephone: 0780 789 3369

ISSN: 0143-909X (this is our International Standard Serial Number).

© Copyright 2025 - Books For Keeps | Proudly Built by Lemongrass Media - Web Design Buckinghamshire
Potter’s Boy Luna loves Library Day
Scroll to top