Bomi Park

Awakened by the pitter patter of snow striking her window, a young child heads out into the nighttime world in this lovely picture-book from South Korea, enjoying the first snow of the season. Rolling a snowball in the confines of her yard, the girl eventually rolls through the nearby woods, and into a field, where countless other children have come as well, rolling their own balls. It is a magical time, as the children build their snowmen...

Originally published in 2012 as 첫눈, and then translated into English in 2016, First Snow is author/illustrator Bomi Park's debut picture-book. Although not wordless, it is textually sparse, allowing the beautiful illustrations to tell most of the story. Mostly black and white and shades of gray, with some limited color accents - the girl's red scarf, and the red hats and scarves of the other children - the artwork here skillfully captures the wonder of the nighttime vista, and the enchantment of the first snowfall of the season. I loved the overall aesthetic of the book, with its quiet sense of wonder, and I appreciated some of the little details as well, particularly the little puppy that follows the girl on her nighttime adventure. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for winter-time picture-books for younger children, perhaps six years and under.… (mehr)