Sadie and the Snowman

Adele Ashby was the former editor of Canadian Materials for Schools and Libraries.

Allen Morgan’s contribution to Canadian children’s literature has been a mixed one. When he gets it right, as he did with Matthew and the Midnight Tow Truck (Annick), his work is an absolute delight. With Sadie and the Snowman, he has it so right that he has produced, along with his illustrator, Brenda Clark, one of the best picture books of 1985. Sadie builds a snowman friend, with “cookies for the eyes, an apple for the nose, and a great big banana for the smile.” Various animals eat away at the features, and a thaw melts what is left. (Sadie must live in southern Ontario!) Sadie tries again. The same thing happens again. Then she tries to protect her snowman, first under a tent, then under the porch. Then, as spring arrives, she finds the perfect solution for the preservation of her friend.

The text is clear and simple; the wonderfully complementary illustrations add the details. The text tells us, “Sadie was sad. She missed the snowman.” The illustration shows us a Sadie, her face a picture of dejection, hanging on a swing made out of an old tire.

For every child who has ever experienced the joys of building a snowman, and especially for those who have not.