The illustrations in this book were beautiful. I enjoyed getting to see the places snowflakes travelled and the idea that a snowflake would want to be warm. ( )

Although I wouldn't say that I was easily seduced by glitter, I'm afraid that I'm not as indifferent as I sometimes feel I should be, either. So it is that, passing my public library's "Winter" display this past weekend, and spying this new (relatively speaking) Bernadette Watts picture-book, with its sparkly cover, I was tempted. Recognizing her name, from the various adaptations of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy-tales that she has illustrated - some of which I enjoyed, and some of which I did not - I decided to take a chance on The Smallest Snowflake. What I discovered was a mixed bag, with a rather flat, mediocre narrative, but artwork that I found sweetly appealing.

The story of a little snowflake who wishes that she, like some of the other snowflakes being driven before the wind, had an idea of where to settle, this is a rather sentimental book, one that can't decide whether it wants to be a meditation about the importance of finding one's rightful place in the world, or a reflection on the passing of the seasons, and the impermanence of all things. Whatever the case may be, I was mostly indifferent to the text, and derived my enjoyment primarily from the illustrations, which had real charm, and ably captured the beauty of various wintry landscapes. Still, given my feelings about the story itself, this is one I would recommend primarily to fans of Bernadette Watts' artwork. ( )

Beginning is a long for storytime. Snowflakes are trying to find the perfect place to land. The smallest snowflake doesn't know where the perfect spot is. She finds a little cottage and thinks it is perfect. She stays so long she becomes warmed by the spring and becomes water for a beautiful plant. ( )

The illustrations in this title are quite lovely. The story is sweet and simple - the smallest snowflake of the group doesn't know where she'll land for the winter. Other, bigger snowflakes have grandiose plans to travel, hang out with exotic people in exotic locales, etc. Eventually the smallest snowflake lands in a small village in the windowbox of a small cottage. There she watches an artist work all winter and finally melts when the spring comes. This is a very gentle, very calm seasonal story - just right for a winter storytime. It's charm lies chiefly in its somewhat detailed illustrations. ( )