Mother's Day with Snowman Paul


Children - Picture Book
38 Pages
Reviewed on 04/27/2018
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Yossi Lapid was born in a small town in Romania where toy stores were absent, but snowmen were abundant. Lapid's series titled Snowman Paul won the silver medal in the 2016 Moonbeam Award competition in the best picture book series category. Subsequent volumes in 2017 have won Mom's Choice and Reader's Favorite gold medals. Lapid was previously a college professor with a Ph.D. from Colombia University. He has three grown-up children and lives with his wife in New Mexico.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Alyssa Elmore for Readers' Favorite

Come explore Mother's Day with award-winning character Snowman Paul in the brilliantly colorful children's picture book, Mother's Day with Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid. It's time to celebrate Mother's Day again, and who better to celebrate with than our friend, Snowman Paul? Snowman Paul will show us why mothers are unique in their own sort of way. Mommy nourishes us with good food, takes care of us when we are sick, protects us when we are afraid, and gives us love when we need it most. Snowman Paul will even show us how each of us is connected to one another; even to the animal mommies and babies. Then, he will introduce us to his mommy, Mother Earth, explaining how he became a snowman.

Mother's Day with Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid is a beautifully illustrated children's story about a young boy who is shown what an incredible mother he has, and why Mother's Day is a special day. I loved the story; it is superbly written with a captivating story line. The watercolor illustrations are vivid and engaging, the characters charming, and the text simply lyrical. I appreciated how the author portrayed Mother's Day as a time to celebrate love from and of mothers; distancing ego and highlighting love. Better still, this book is educational, describing the water cycle, and how important the earth is as a planet and as our home. This story is a beautiful tribute to all the mothers of the earth, and even Mother Earth herself.

Jack Magnus

Mother's Day with Snowman Paul is a holiday-themed children’s picture book written by Yossi Lapid and illustrated by Joanna Pasek. Dan and Snowman Paul were sitting outside on the treehouse ladder, watching as Dan’s mom read a story to his little sister. Paul commented that Dan probably has the coolest mom ever. He discussed all the good things she does for Dan and the rest of their family: the hugs, the care during sickness, the treats she bakes, and Dan, in turn, started wondering about Paul’s mom. Did Snowman Paul have a mom? Who was she? Paul thought a bit before he answered as his story was just a bit different from Dan’s. Paul reminded Dan of how Dan first built Paul. Paul loves remembering that day and the fun they had and are still having together. But Paul’s story is even bigger than that.

Yossi Lapid’s holiday-themed children’s picture book, Mother's Day with Snowman Paul, celebrates Mother’s Day while it teaches children that everyone on earth is really part of one big family. I loved watching Paul hesitate as he thought about how to answer Dan’s question, and his reference to Mother Nature and his being part of the wind, the clouds and the other elements is both inspired and inspiring. Lapid’s story minimizes the differences people often place undue emphasis on in favor of seeing every living creature as a child of Mother Nature. Pasek’s illustrations work so well with that premise. I particularly loved the seasonal pictures that show a lake in the mountains under a sunny sky and then surrounded by ice and snow. The stormy sky is filled with action, and the colors are dramatic and intense. Pasek affirms Lapid’s message of universality with a concluding succession of mother/child images of animals and a human mother and child that work so well to celebrate moms and Mother Nature. Mother's Day with Snowman Paul is most highly recommended.

Marta Tandori

It’s wintertime. Young Dan and his friend, Paul the Snowman, are sitting in Dan’s tree house, watching Dan’s mother read his sister a story as she settles down for a nap. Paul the Snowman admires Dan’s mother, indicating that Dan has the coolest mom because she dispenses hugs when needed, heals Dan and his sister when they’re sick, feeds them when they’re hungry, tucks them into bed at night and constantly showers them with love. Dan then asks about Paul the Snowman’s mother to which Paul replies that Dan made him when it snowed one day, but then admits that his creation was in the works long before Dan actually shaped him out of snow. He then explains that it was actually the combined efforts of the sun, the wind, the clouds and the sea that created him and that Mother Nature was really his mother…

Mother’s Day with Snowman Paul is a charming picture book written by Yossi Lapid, with illustrations by Joanna Pasek, which introduces the concept of life and a mother’s important role to young children. Although the book is entitled Mother’s Day with Snowman Paul, it’s not really about the special day celebrated by all mothers, but is actually a tribute to the special qualities that most mothers have in their innate ability to nurture and love unconditionally. The book is sparse on prose, told in rhyme. Rather, it lets the colorful images carry the author’s message. The watercolor pastel hues are wonderfully subtle yet convey context, mood and setting beautifully. Lapid also reminds us of the strength of Mother Nature and how she’s shaped our world and the animals and humans that live in it. Mother’s Day with Snowman Paul works well as a bedtime reader, inviting young children to identify familiar objects within the colorful images. Thanks to simple and uncluttered prose, the book also works equally well as a first book for the youngest of readers.

Marie-Hélène Fasquel

Mother's Day with Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid, illustrated by Joanna Pasek, is a beautiful children’s picture book and is part of an award-winning series of books featuring Snowman Paul, a lively and adorable character. I have already read and reviewed three, and all share uplifting and essential messages with young children, helping them to grow and feel safe in their environment. To top it off, this specific copy even comes with a free gift: a coloring book (Halloween with Snowman Paul), to be downloaded, something that children will love.

Mother's Day with Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid is an enchanting children’s book which allows kids to learn while being entertained. Snowman Paul is a caring and fun character and the illustrations are sweet and colourful. As a literature teacher, I love the rhyming patterns (internal rhymes and end rhymes) as well as the numerous poetic devices such as alliteration and assonance. The text could be sung! It is, above all, a beautiful ode to motherhood, to nurturing and to Mother Nature. The illustrations by Joanna Pasek are lovely and express the message that the text is conveying. The Snowman Paul series will help you as parents to make your children love reading and learning more about different topics and questions. This specific book is extremely poetic and moving. The conclusion is indeed very compelling: nature and nurture go hand in hand. “Now let’s go celebrate this day! From every baby, big and small, Thank you, dear mothers, one and all!” That is why I highly recommend this book!

Rosie Malezer

Mother’s Day with Snowman Paul is a delightful children’s picture book written by Yossi Lapid and illustrated by Joanna Pasek. Snowman Paul and Dan are caught up in a conversation about Dan’s mother and the tremendous amount of love and care she puts into making her family whole. When Dan asks Snowman Paul about who his parents are, the smiling snowman thinks hard about it before replying that Mother Nature is his mother, and that he was created by Nature’s elements, as are we all.

Although I was already a fan of the Snowman Paul series, I still managed to be intrigued, fascinated, and could not stop smiling after reading Yossi Lapid’s beautiful words today. Not only does Mother’s Day with Snowman Paul point out all of the loving and caring aspects of Dan’s mother, but it also goes into thoughtful detail regarding Snowman Paul’s creation, linking the elements of Nature together. As a Pagan, I could not help but feel so proud of the message that every single living being on the planet is somehow related to one another, as we are all the creations of Mother Nature. The story is very well worded, yet carries with it a message of peace, harmony and love between species of our planet. I wholeheartedly recommend Mother’s Day with Snowman Paul to young readers aged 5-12 years of age, in order that they see the world’s creations as a whole, rather than growing up thinking of the world with an 'us' and 'them' mentality. Bravo on such an incredible message to today’s children, who have the potential to collectively form a wonderful tomorrow.