I Want Snow!

Tony Ross's I Want Snow is a Little Princess picture book for 5 year olds about a very royal demand in the middle of summer.

What happens

It's the summer holidays. The Queen is away counting penguins at the South Pole, and she sends home a postcard of a snowman. The Little Princess has never seen snow. What is it? What does it DO?

Once the King explains, that's that. She wants snow. She wants it NOW.

The trouble is, it's summer. So the whole castle has a go at helping. The Maid bundles her up in her woolly hat, scarf, gloves and snow boots (she's boiling). The Prime Minister builds her a snowman out of stones. The Admiral makes a snowcastle on the beach. The General throws a mudball, and it hits her right on the nose.

None of it is SNOW, and she tells them so every single time. Children love the pattern of it. You'll probably find yourself doing "I WANT SNOW!" in your most royal voice before long.

Even the Cook's snow globe won't do. So she stomps off to bed forever. Or at least until it snows (only getting up for meals, school, her friends and a little telly).

The Little Princess is a brilliant character for this age because she's so honest. She's cross and demanding and completely sure of herself, which is exactly how being little feels sometimes. And the ending has a lovely twist that grown-ups will enjoy as much as the children.

It's short enough for bedtime, with plenty of chances to join in. It's a good one to reach for when your own child wants something they can't have right this minute. (We've all been there!)

This is the American edition, so the book says summer vacation where we'd say holidays.

What to read next

If they love her, I Want a Bunny is another Little Princess story about wanting something VERY badly, with a stick insect, a goldfish and a bunny called Chalky along the way.