Raccoon’s Perfect Snowman by Katia Wish

Raccoon’s Perfect Snowman by Katia Wish
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Raccoon loves making snowmen. He practices all winter with his rolling, his stacking, and his decorating. He doesn’t overlook any detail and his snowmen are perfect. When his friends come by, Raccoon is certain that they will also want to build snowmen. And they will need his help. But following Raccoon’s directions aren’t that easy. Poor Rabbit can’t find the right snow (someone has used it all); Fox doesn’t have the right tools (someone isn’t sharing them); and Mouse can’t decorate her snowman (someone has taken the best items). And that someone is Raccoon. When his friends have decided they have had enough, Raccoon realizes too late the error of his ways. But is it too late? Will his friends give Raccoon one more chance to work together to build a totally different kind of perfect snowman? This ideal-for-every-time-of-the-year story celebrates the bonds of friendship and the power of forgiveness.

Who wouldn’t want to build a perfect snowman?

There are many different ways to be a good friend. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that showed how all of the animals in the forest related to each other, especially when they were competing for limited resources and trying to get their snowmen built on time. Not everyone took the same approach, so it was interesting to compare Raccoon’s personality to his friends who were impatient, generous, or timid. I think every reader could find someone in this tale to relate to!

It would have been nice to have more development of the final scene. It was such an important part of the storyline that I expected it to receive a little more attention than it did. Adult readers would understand it without a problem, but I’d expect to do some explaining of what it meant for the youngest age group this might appeal to. This was a minor criticism of something I thought was otherwise well written.

I adored what this story had to say about perfectionism. It communicated it’s message clearly with the audience without ever sounding preachy. Instead, it allowed Raccoon’s adventures to unfold naturally and gave everyone a chance to come up with their own conclusions about what went wrong and how Raccoon could do better in the future. While I do wish the message of the final scene had been a bit clearer, I did enjoy how much room the author otherwise left for discussion. This was something that worked for a wide range of ages and that I wouldn’t mind reading over and over again.

Raccoon’s Perfect Snowman was a heartwarming winter read that I’d recommend to adults and kids alike.