Review - My Snowman, Paul

My Snowman, Paul (Snowman Paul)
by Yossi Lapid
illustrated by Joanna Pasek
Date: 2018
Publisher: Yosef Lapid
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 24
Format: e-book
Source: Amazon.ca

Are you looking for an award winning picture book just in time for the winter holidays? Snowman Paul is ready for you!

On a snowy winter day, Dan builds himself a nice snowman named Paul. Snowman Paul wants to play and Dan hesitates because his friend Bill is watching and Bill thinks snowmen are dumb... But Paul is no ordinary snowman and he doesn’t take no for an answer. Dan and Paul become best friends and, together, they embark on a series of exciting adventures. Dan’s life will never be the same.

Written in rhyme, the Snowman Paul book series celebrates the magic of winter through the evolving friendship between a young boy and his mischievous snowman. Whimsical and humorous, the stories touch upon serious themes such as friendship, peer pressure, family relationships and values. Vivid and expressive illustrations complement the narrative and bring the stories alive.

Children will fall in love with Snowman Paul! He is energetic and playful, he has big dreams and he is not afraid to be different. If you and your young ones enjoy winter fun, then the Snowman Paul book series will be a wonderful addition to your bookshelf.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I first encountered Snowman Paul when I was gifted a copy of Mother's Day with Snowman Paul by the author. I enjoyed it, so I thought I'd try the first book in the series. While seeing the origins of the sentient snowman was interesting, I can't help but feel that My Snowman, Paul is a bit weaker in some ways. It's shorter, which doesn't leave many pages in which to tell the story (especially given that a number of them are taken up by advertising; only 20 pages are for the actual narrative). Bill, the bully, isn't really used as much as he could have been; he's merely a background presence to be avoided. Dan, the main character, goes outside to build a snowman, the snowman comes alive, the two play a little, and that's it.

The illustrations are charming and work well with the story. I just wish there'd been more of a plot to illustrate.

Overall, this was just okay. As a setup to the rest of the series, it's probably fine. But there's not a lot of plot here. I'd recommend trying one of the other books instead, as they likely have more of a story (Mother's Day with Snowman Paul certainly did).

Premise: 3/5
Meter: 4/5
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.29 out of 5