Little Daughter of the Snow

Grace

by Arthur Ransome

Childless and sad, an old Russian man and his wife watch the village children playing in the snow. One day they decide to make their own little snow girl. To their surprise, she comes alive! But Little Daughter of the Snow soon tells them that she isn’t quite like other children — she plays outside all day and night, and eats ice porridge for breakfast. Will the couple love her enough to make her stay? This poignant version of the classic Russian tale, with atmospheric illustrations by Tom Bower, carries a timeless message about the true value of love.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Middle Grade, Cultural

32 pages, Paperback

First published December 29, 2003

About the author

Arthur Michell Ransome (January 18, 1884 – June 3, 1967) was an English author and journalist. He was educated in Windermere and Rugby.

In 1902, Ransome abandoned a chemistry degree to become a publisher's office boy in London. He used this precarious existence to practice writing, producing several minor works before Bohemia in London (1907), a study of London's artistic scene and his first significant book.

An interest in folklore, together with a desire to escape an unhappy first marriage, led Ransome to St. Petersburg, where he was ideally placed to observe and report on the Russian Revolution. He knew many of the leading Bolsheviks, including Lenin, Radek, Trotsky and the latter's secretary, Evgenia Shvelpina. These contacts led to persistent but unproven accusations that he "spied" for both the Bolsheviks and Britain.

Ransome married Evgenia and returned to England in 1924. Settling in the Lake District, he spent the late 1920s as a foreign correspondent and highly-respected angling columnist for the Manchester Guardian, before settling down to write Swallows and Amazons and its successors.

Today Ransome is best known for his Swallows and Amazons series of novels, (1931 - 1947). All remain in print and have been widely translated.

Arthur Ransome died in June 1967 and is buried at Rusland in the Lake District.

Reviews

[Mairéad · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 Grace and the gang experience lots of tough challenges and changes in their lives in this short chapter book (suitable for readers aged 8-11 and ideal as a conversation springboard for a variety of topics relevant to this age group.)

[Salsabrarian]

Grace and her friends of the Famous Five have started school again and it proves to be an eventful year. The arrival of new girl Crishell may or may not present a threat to their tight-knit group, until Grace learns about Crishell's unhappy hope life. Then Aimee and her family move away before Christmas, leaving a hole in the group. Also keeping the gang busy are rehearsals for the class play "Waking Beauty." Finally Grace's elderly neighbor dies of pneumonia and Grace's mother announces that her boyfriend Vince has proposed.