This is such a lovely wintry book for children with a beautiful message. Blessing has stopped going to school and her life is filled with her mum struggling with depression during the winter months. One day, she meets a six hundred year old snowman, Albert, in the park and she learns about friendship, love and how it can change your life. The story was deceptively simple but really well written - I loved the characters and the underlying messages of hope. It’s a perfect book if you want something wintry but not Christmassy. Would make a lovely gift!

This book was everything! It felt like a warm Christmas hug. I enjoyed how the author dealt with very important issues while keeping it on child friendly level. The book follows a lovely story while dealing with big life events along the way

This was such a lovely read. Blessing is a protagonist you can't help but root for, and the relationship she develops with Albert is so sweet. Its full of whimsy and wonder as we learn about the world of the snowmen, but balanced with real life issues and emotions, which were handled very well, especially for a children's book. I can't say enough good things about this book, its the perfect warm winter hug, best suited for children aged 7-10, but can be enjoyed at any age!

"Do you know the most incredible fact about Planet Earth? It is always snowing somewhere! And you must know what that means? It means that somewhere on Earth there is always a child building a snowman...." When Blessing speaks to a lopsided snowman six times, she unknowingly triggers the Snowman Code and compels him to respond to her. Thus begins her friendship with one Albert Framlington - and a whirlwind adventure that seeks to reunite a love lost for over six centuries, an enchanting night-time excursion to the Flower Market and a daring hospital breakout! What an adorable little thing this book is! Simon Stephenson's magical tale strikes the perfect balance between gentle storytelling, wintry adventure and modern fable. Diving into it is like being enveloped in a cosy winter-time hug. The themes are universal but important for younger readers to understand as early as possible: of friendship, of promises made and promises kept, of the cyclical nature of life. Of the things that are of their time and the things that endure until the end of time. Sublime.

This is a magical tale about a friendship between a young girl and a snowman called Albert. It also gently introduces themes around mental health as Blessing’s mother suffers from SAD ( seasonal affective disorder) and the importance of friendship. Blessing finds making friends difficult and therefore finds school challenging and with a mother with her own struggles Blessing decides to skip school at least until winter ends. However it’s already well into March and there is still snow on the ground and there’s no sign of it disappearing. Whilst wondering around her neighbourhood during the daytime Blessing discovers a snowman who can talk, they become friends and he promises to help her end winter so that her mum will get better. This is a rather charming tale which on the surface has some heavy themes around bullying and mental health but it is done in a sensitive way that will have you both laughing aloud and reaching for the tissues! I loved everything about this book and wizzed through it in a day, its perfect to cosy up with on these chilly nights!