#920 of 1001 · February 6, 2023

Robert D. San Souci and Stephen T. Johnson combine their talents to produce a frightening yet alluring tale—The Snow Wife. One night in a little hut in the middle of a blizzard, apprentice woodcutter Minokichi witnesses the death of his old mentor at the hands of a pale, ghostly woman, whose body ends in a wisp of smoke where legs ought to be. The specter agrees to spare the young man’s life in exchange for his promise never to reveal the supernatural occurrence to anyone. Months later, he meets a young woman named Yuki and falls in love. The two of them marry, raise three children and live together for years in happiness. However, one evening after Minokichi carelessly lets slip the story of the woman in the snow, Yuki reveals that she herself is the entity and vanishes. The despondent woodcutter must make a dangerous pilgrimage to the Wind God on the peak of of Bitter Mountain to retain his lost love. San Souci, inspired by numerous Japanese tales of yuki-onna, the Snow Woman, crafts an adventure of drama, danger, and lost love, well matched by Johnson’s illustrations, a thrilling blend of watercolor and pastel art. #snow #wife #mountain #wind #love #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks