#325 of 1001 · June 21, 2021

For a loving ode to the inherent kindness of children, come and peruse Geraldine McCaughrean’s adaptation of Japanese author and philosopher Daisaku Ikeda’s The Snow Country Prince, illustrated by @brianwildsmithofficial. Young siblings Mariko and Kazuo, residents of a land called the Snow Country, care for swans struggling to find food during a particularly harsh winter. Their efforts catch the attention of the Snow Country Prince, a mysterious nature spirit and guardian of the birds who commends them on their selfless behavior and watches over them invisibly from then on. McCaughrean’s presentation of Ikeda’s story advocates for a spiritual connection between humans and nature, and Wildsmith’s art adds expressive color to the otherwise bleak landscape of winter. #snow #country #prince #winter #bird #birds #swan #swans #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks