by Moe Zilla

Created on: March 03, 2010

"One Christmas Eve I made a snowman,
Very fat and jolly.
I dressed him up in red and green
And trimmed his hat with holly.

I saw his arms were trembling
as if he couldn't wait;
It made me start to wonder -
how do snowmen celebrate?"

It's a sequel to "Snowmen at Night," where the narrator imagines December and "Snowmen at Christmas." But it's illustrations are just as vivid, matching the holiday theme with a magical glow.  A little boy sleeps in his darkened room, its window ringed with colorful Christmas lights. But in the distance out on the lawn, a smiling snowman can be glimpsed dashing away.

It's the perfect book for Christmas, since every picture includes bright, festive colors. Every window in the city is lit with Christmas lights, and green ribbons dangle wreaths across the street. There's a colorful tree in the town square, with colored bulbs circling the tree trunks. The outlines of the building are trimmed with more Christmas lights, while the city's lamps add an orange glow. All the Christmas lights allow illustrator Mark Buehner to fill each page with a magical glow.

And his wife Caralyn Buehner has written the perfect text, describing the snowmen's warm adventures in perfectly-rhymed verses.

"The jolly snowmen gather
from everywhere around
for a Christmas party
in the center of the town..."

She describes how the snowmen trim the tree at the town square, and decorate it with icicles and snow balls. The snow children even play games while their mothers lay out tasty cold treats like ice cream and snow cones.

But before things get boring, Caralyn announces the arrival of snowman Kris Kringle! (Mark draws him arriving with a sleigh drawn by eight snowball-shaped reindeer.) He's just like the regular Santa Claus, even sipping cocoa while he watches his reindeer romping and playing. The only different is that when he pulls out the snowmen's presents - every one of them is made out of snow.

"Such fun snowmen have!
But there's still one more thing -
with hearts full of joy
they hold hands and they sing."

It's a beautiful picture - their faces lit by the glow of a tree. Each snowman sports a wide smile on his face, as they join hands in a circle. And I appreciate the fact that Mark Buehner drew a LOT of snowmen into his picture. Even though it's a fantasy story, he remembers the most important holiday tradition is sharing time with the ones you love.

"They're all back in their places
When Christmas Day starts,
But these folks made of snow
Have a glow in their hearts."

Learn more about this author, Moe Zilla.
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