Snow & Rose Hardcover – Illustrated, October 10, 2017

The book is gorgeously written and weaves a simplified but not simple tale. The language and metaphors are lovely and complex while younger readers (or listeners) can follow the main story. There was enough mystery and foreshadowing to have ample opportunities to pose while-reading questions, to make connections and to make predictions. There are a few points or semi loose ends that aren’t fully explained or pointed out, but they are not inconsistencies, just more intricate concepts or implications that older readers will notice and may want to discuss. There are also some things about which the reader never gets a full explanation: again, it works well, but younger readers who are used to neatly packaged stories may have questions.I read this out loud to my seven year old who loved it. It gets tense in parts, but the overall tone of the book is as enchanting as the soft brushstrokes of the illustrations that scatter the pages, filled with the spell of the hushed quiet one would expect in magic woods.

I read this aloud to my 7 year old who is already into Grimm fairytales, so he was riveted. But I was too! I was the one begging to read more than one chapter a night. The story is compelling and and interesting enough to keep adults’ attention. And the illustrations are beautiful of course. The author’s “Night Animals” was one of our favorite board books for toddlers.I’ve gifted this book to almost all my extended family this summer. A five year old and a 10 year old loved it too.

For Middle-Grade March I selected a couple of books based on reviews, personal recs, and maybe for the covers alone. This one was for the cover alone. But this was NOT a case of good cover/bad book. Not by a long shot.This was one of those books that you didn't now you needed. It is a retelling of Snow White and Rose Red, two young sisters who are forced to move to a cottage in the woods after their father goes missing. As their mother grows more distant by the day, succumbing to her grief, the two venture off into the woods in search of adventure. And sometimes adventure just seems to find them. They befriend a boy who lives underground and come into contact with wolves, a bear, thieves and even a little man who seems to need rescuing over and over again.I have no read the original Grimm tale so I am not sure how closely resembling it this book is, but I can say there was certainly magic on every page and it the anticipation of seeing the wonderful illustrations kept me up long after my bedtime. I dare to say that there was even magic in the very pages. I felt like a kid again.Martin's writing is both magical and breezy. This is not a long book, clocking in at just over 200 pages. The girls are well fleshed out with individual personalities. I recommend this to anyone looking for fairy tales or simply something to get you out of that book slump. I highly recommend it to anybody with kids as they will find it as beautiful as I did.

Interesting twist on the "Snow White and Rose Red" fairy tale, which I've always liked & have wondered why it is so little known.

I cannot recommend this enough!

The story of Snow White and Rose Red was one of my very favorite fairy tales! The gorgeous illustrations convinced me to buy this rewrite, and the story is beautifully filled out. I really enjoyed it myself and read it to my granddaughter. I will continue to enjoy it and read it over and over because a good story continues to be a good story no matter my age! Either the extended story or the lovely pictures alone would have convinced me to buy this, but the combination is fabulous! It is such a delight! I can see gifting it for any little girls who believe in the possibility of magic!

This was the first book we have consistently read until finish, with my 7yo and 4yo. They both absolutely, heck me included, LOVED this book. I wasn't sure what to expect other than incredible art, as we have read a few of EWM's books before. From the art, to the characters and their details, she does a great job at making it easy to picture the story as you read, and truly feel like you know the characters, but never being able to expect what happens. We read a chapter a night until we finished it, and were super sad once it was over. We would LOVE a sequel, even though the book doesn't leave you being able to wonder what happened next, or there is no cliffhanger. It all flows so smoothly, and keeps you wanting to read more without those awful cliffhangers that digital media uses. I could go on and on but bottom line, highly recommend this book, so much that we might just reread it!

I bought this book to read to my five year old and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.She (and her younger sister) grew up with the author’s other books, which have long been favorites in our home. This book, while definitely not for babies, is truly a beautifully written story with impactful characters—and it addresses the full range of human emotions (including sorrow) in a manner that normalizes these feelings in children and adults. I highly recommend it for imaginative children. I’ve got my fingers crossed that somewhere out there a large Hollywood studio has purchased the movie rights from the author so, A.) the author can live comfortably and focus on writing for the rest of her life, and B.) so thus visionary writing can grace the silver screen—because it would adapt well.Buy this book for your children. They’ll love it. You’ll love it. What a grand adventure.