The Festival of Ice and Snow (Angie Cui, illus Anna Wilson, University of Queensland Press)

In The Festival of Ice and Snow, Angie Cui (My Mum Is a Bird) and illustrator Anna Wilson (A Taste of Home) transport readers aged 5 to 8 to the Festival of Ice and Snow (based on the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival). Written in English and simplified Chinese, this beautiful dual-language picture book follows two children as they visit the festival with their grandfather.

The text is clear enough for young language learners and filled with the excitement of childhood. Cui captures the immersive experience of the event through the sounds, tastes and feelings of the festival, as the children enjoy its sights, ice slides and celebrations.

Wilson’s illustrations strike a perfect balance between cold and warm. The snowy setting feels luminous and inviting, while warm pops of colour bring warmth even in the wintry setting. As the sun sets and the surrounds become darker, the light changes from diffuse and glowing to spotlighting individual moments of the night.

There is a strong sense of joy throughout the book, and a lovely depiction of the rhythms of a family outing as the young girl and her grandfather slowly appreciate their surroundings while cousin Yan Yan races ahead.

The Festival of Ice and Snow is perfect for celebrating different cultural traditions.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Fay Helfenbaum is a freelance writer and editor and was a bookseller for 5 years. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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