The Snowman Code

by Simon Stephenson

A beautifully hopeful, funny and heartwarming tale about the lasting power of love and friendship, from the critically-acclaimed and award-winning screenwriter behind Pixar’s Luca and Paddington 2.

In London, in a winter which shows no sign of ending, a unique friendship begins.

This is the story of Blessing, aged ten-and-a-half, and Albert Framlington, aged six hundred – an eccentric snowman who has seen many winters in many cities, and who is duty-bound by the Snowman Code to help any child in need. Together, Blessing and Albert must find a way to defeat Blessing’s bullies, win back Albert’s long-lost love Clementine, and even overcome the never-ending winter itself…

Perfect for fans of The Christmasaurus, A Boy Called Christmas, The Snowman and Paddington, The Snowman Code is a heartwarming, hilarious and unforgettable modern classic for families to curl up with on frosty winter nights.

Genres: Middle Grade, Christmas, Fantasy

238 pages, Hardcover

Published December 16, 2025

About the author

Hello, good readers!

I am from Edinburgh in Scotland, but now reside in Los Angeles, California. I have had stopovers along the way in London and San Francisco. I’m a writer and screenwriter, and before I became a full-time writer I was a physician.

My new novel, ‘Sometimes People Die’ will be published in September 2022. It's a literary thriller set in a hospital in east London around the turn of the millenium.

I have written two other books. ‘Set My Heart To Five’ came out in 2020. The Washington Post review said that I might be ‘Vonnegut’s first true protege’. You’d better believe I have been dining out on that ever since, and will be for the rest of my days.

‘Let Not the Waves Of the Sea’, my memoir about losing my brother came out in 2012. It won Best First Book at the Scottish Book Awards, and was serialized on BBC Radio 4.

I’ve worked as a writer on various films including Pixar’s LUCA, PADDINGTON 2, and my own THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN. Like every other screenwriter in Hollywood, I have a bottom drawer full of unproduced scripts.

Away from work I mostly like to ride my bike in nearby Griffith Park. in hope of encountering my neighbor the mountain lion. I'm also a fan of animals (petting them not eating them,) cakes (eating them not petting them), and soccer/football.

Reviews

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Snowman Code is a wonderful wintery fantasy adventure -perfect for 7-10 year olds ( or anyone young at heart)

Blessing lives alone with her mum who struggles with her mental health in particular suffering from seasonal adjustment disorder SAD and closes in on herself leaving Blessing to independently organise her days. Unhappy at school- bullied by the Driplet Triplets- she roams the city of London to pass her days.

All changes when she meets a snowman! Albert Framlington- the eccentrically, loveable and often mistaken about facts snowman. By saying "hello" six times to a snowman Blessing finds Albert speaks to her- it is all part of the Snowman Code which consists of various rules/articles that dictate the world of snowmen and women.

A friendship begins and Blessing and Albert soon discover they have the ability to help each other. Albert who is 600 years old has been searching each winter for his one and only love Clementine- and so the hunt begins. And when Blessing has to stay with a foster family, time is running out to help her mum . Winter must end.

This is a bighearted gently comedic read. It would be easy to picture the animated version. Blessings' life and challenges are dealt with sensitively but not losing touch of the relationship between the two main characters and the humorous situations they find themselves in. The pace is pitch perfect for independent readers and children will connect with Blessings and Albert.

Reggie Brown's illustrations add further charm to the story.

Suspend belief and enjoy this lovely bedtime read or lower Key stage 2 class story. A wonderful wintery (not Christmassy ) tale.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Snowman Code is a heartwarming tale of friendship, kindness and compassion. The story follows Blessing, a ten and a half year old who comes across a snowman who is bound by snowman code to help any distressed child. This winter that the London was experiencing was quite a long one and everyone wishes to witness the next season anytime now.

Follow along Blessing and the snowman take up challenges of defeating Blessing's bullies, find his lost love and ways to end winter. Throughout their journey, you will find courage, kindness and self- confidence with an ability to say "It's okay, you are okay."

The Snowman Code gives the readers a cosy, heartwarming welcome to a place where friendships are forged with understanding, hope and patience. The interactions between Blessing and the snowman were hilarious and especially when the snowman insists on Africa having snow all round the year and Sherlock Holmes being a zoo keeper. There is no changing his mind over it however these talks are highlights of Blessing's life. The protagonist is wise beyond her age and the way she navigates her life is definitely commendable.

Perfect for cosy winter reads but surely you can enjoy this anytime without the constricts of seasonal suggestions ( as the author propose as well. )

[✧ Beanie Reads ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read: November 11th - November 12th
Format: E-Book
Rating: 3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is definitely aimed at younger audiences, veering toward the lower end of middle grade fiction. Perhaps even younger, with the idea of an adult and a kid curling up with hot chocolate to read it together.

It has very simple writing that is easy to digest, but it also tackles some harder subjects, like seasonal depression and the loss of someone you care for. The book never gets too dreary or serious though (or if so, not for long). The absurdist humor with Albert kept me chuckling throughout. Stephenson really played with the idea of the snowmen's understanding of the world. Even the most understanding of the snowmen would dispute clear facts.

It's a heartwarming little story with some hard lessons woven in, even if the resolving of the hardships is pretty glossed over. Definitely recommend for young ones during the snowy season!

[Lauren Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with my 8 year old daughter, Peighton. When I asked her what she liked about the book, she said:

“I liked the bit where she faced her bullies, the Driplet Triplets and pranked them with the abominable snowman. I liked the end too when she went in all the sprinkles, it must have been so cold. I hope Jeremiah’s pipe gets back to him.”

As a parent reading this with my daughter, I felt it was really quite an emotional story. It did hit a bit close to home for me as I had a parent who suffered depression growing up and it really resonated with me. It was sad but heartwarming at the same time, this is one I will remember reading for a long time.

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and cozy children’s book that gave me Frosty the Snowman vibes!

The story was great for a younger reader. It was easy to read and a fun. There were lots of cute moments and little lessons sprinkled in as well.

[Ilona Da Costa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wat een lief verhaal🥰 3,75

[Charlotte]

I can see this having lots of appeal for its target audience of kids who enjoy whimsical sillyness....but alas, that isn't me.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this book made me cry! At no point did I know where it was going but I loved the journey regardless. Absolutely adorable and magical read.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snow falls, soft and slow, A girl speaks six times—he wakes, Friendship melts the cold.

There are stories that arrive precisely when you need them, like the first warm breeze after an endless winter. The Snowman Code by Simon Stephenson is such a story—one that understands the particular loneliness of being ten-and-a-half, the weight of worrying about a parent, and the miraculous possibility that magic might be hiding in plain sight, waiting for someone brave enough to speak to it six times.

A Tale of Frost and Friendship

Simon Stephenson, the acclaimed screenwriter behind Pixar's Luca and Paddington 2, makes his children's fiction debut with a novel that feels both wonderfully old-fashioned and startlingly fresh. Set in London during an impossibly long winter—the longest in three hundred years—the story introduces us to Blessing, a resourceful girl who has stopped attending school to avoid three particularly unpleasant bullies. Her mother Margaret suffers from seasonal depression so severe that Blessing fears being sent away again if she adds to her mother's worries.

Everything changes when Blessing encounters Albert Framlington, a crooked, thoroughly unimpressive snowman with bottle-cap eyes, a small potato for a nose, and a personality that could only be described as magnificently wrong about nearly everything. Albert is six hundred and twenty-seven winters old, bound by something called the Snowman Code, and absolutely certain that Sherlock Holmes was a famous zookeeper.

The genius of The Snowman Code by Simon Stephenson lies in its ability to balance absurdist humor with genuine emotional depth. Albert's confident incorrectness about basic facts—he believes Africa is famous for its snow, that encyclopedias are dictionaries about animals, and that being born in summer is a terrible insult among snowmen—provides endless comedy. Yet beneath his cheerful confusion beats a heart carrying six centuries of longing for a lost love named Clementine.

The Architecture of Wonder
What Makes This Story Shine

Stephenson constructs his narrative with the precision of a screenwriter who understands that every scene must earn its place. The story moves through distinct emotional registers:

The opening chapters establish Blessing's isolation with matter-of-fact clarity that makes her situation feel achingly real
The middle sections build the friendship between girl and snowman through a series of misadventures that are genuinely funny
The final act delivers emotional weight without descending into sentimentality

The world-building follows its own delightfully specific logic. Snowmen are nocturnal marsupials (they are not, but try telling Albert that). They gather at the Flower Market in the middle of the night because winter creatures rarely see blooms. They release steam from where their ears should be when thinking particularly hard. These details feel discovered rather than invented, as though Stephenson simply recorded what snowmen told him.

The Snowman Code Itself

The titular code provides both structure and philosophy. Its articles govern snowman behavior—they must ignore humans five times before responding on the sixth, they must help children in need, they cannot travel without disguises unless it is very late and very important. This framework gives Albert's choices meaning and creates genuine stakes when he struggles between following rules and following his heart.

Characters Carved from Snow and Sunlight

Blessing emerges as a protagonist worth rooting for—clever without being precocious, brave without being foolhardy. She forges her mother's handwriting to explain her Australian emigration to teachers. She reverses psychology on bullies. She refuses to burden her struggling mother with her own problems. Her voice feels authentically ten-and-a-half: old enough to understand complex emotions, young enough to believe a snowman might come alive if you ask the right questions.

Albert Framlington could easily have become tiresome—the bumbling magical creature is a familiar archetype. Instead, he feels like someone you might actually enjoy spending an endless winter with. His wrongness about facts never feels mean-spirited or stupid; it reads as the natural result of being ancient and only experiencing winter. His love for Clementine, stretching across six hundred winters and countless countries, provides the story's emotional spine.

The supporting cast—Jeremiah with his fake pipe, the Three Boring Triplets who function as a single unit of menace, Margaret whose sadness feels specific rather than generic—populate the world without cluttering it.

Where the Snow Falls Short

Perfect things melt fast, Even stories carry flaws, Beauty needs its cracks.

The Snowman Code by Simon Stephenson occasionally stumbles in its pacing. The middle section, where Blessing and Albert search London's parks and gardens for Clementine, stretches longer than necessary. We understand they are searching; we do not need quite so many days of fruitless exploration catalogued. The revelation that Albert knew Clementine's location all along creates emotional impact, but the journey there could have been tightened.

Some readers may find Albert's constant factual errors more exhausting than endearing after two hundred pages. The joke runs the same direction each time—Albert states something confidently wrong, Blessing corrects him, Albert insists he is right. While individual instances charm, the cumulative effect occasionally tips toward repetitive.

The story also assumes its readers will accept certain logical leaps without question. How exactly do snowmen travel between continents when they melt? The explanation—they simply wake up in new snowman bodies elsewhere—feels somewhat hand-wavy. For a story that otherwise builds its rules carefully, this central mechanism could have used more development.

Final Reflections

Pages turn to spring, What seemed solid becomes stream, Love outlasts the thaw.

This novel understands something essential: the best children's stories do not protect young readers from sadness but rather provide them with tools for navigating it. Albert and Clementine's fate—their willing embrace of what comes next—teaches something profound about love, loss, and the way water connects everything.

The Snowman Code by Simon Stephenson delivers a reading experience that families will want to return to on cold evenings when the wind howls and the radiator ticks and somewhere outside, perhaps, a snowman waits for someone to speak to him six times. It is not perfect—its middle sags, its jokes occasionally repeat, its mythology leaves questions unanswered. But perfection is perhaps beside the point. What matters is that it makes you feel something true about friendship and endings and the peculiar courage required to love anything that might melt.

A Note on This Review

In the spirit of the Snowman Code—which demands honesty, even when honesty is uncomfortable—I must share something. A publisher sent this book my way, asking only for truthful thoughts in exchange. No ice-promise required. No ceremonial meeting at the Flower Market at midnight. Just a reader, a story, and the understanding that some tales deserve to find their audience, flaws and magic alike.

If you find yourself in an endless winter of your own, this book might be exactly what the snow ordered.

[YSBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a seemingly endless London winter, 10-year-old Blessing has not been to school for more than 3 months.  School is awful, as Blessing is tormented daily by a trio of bullies she has nicknamed the Driplet Triplets.  Home is not much better, since Blessing’s mother Margaret is suffering from seasonal affective disorder (amplified by the extended wintertime) and rarely comes out of her room or takes an interest in Blessing’s daily activities.  So Blessing has told the school she and her mom are moving to Australia to run a kangaroo sanctuary, and she spends each day sneaking into museums and movie theaters.  One afternoon, while stalling for time in Victoria Park, she meets Albert Framlington.  Albert is kind and well-mannered, but has some strange ideas and is always convinced he is right even when he is completely wrong.  Albert is also a snowman – a lopsided snowman with bottlecap eyes, a potato nose, and an old scarf.  Blessing inadvertently witnesses Albert stretching his arms, and forces him to talk to her, and a strange and beautiful friendship is born.

Albert tells Blessing about the Snowman Code, which includes such tenets as a snowman must never be rude, must always help a child if they can, and must answer if someone says their name 6 times.  Snowmen love flowers but mostly hate dogs.  He also explains that snowmen melt each spring but will come back the following year, possibly in a different part of the world, and that he himself has been around for 627 winters.  When Blessing tells him about her mother, he informs her that the ‘weather is broken’ this winter because there is one snowman somewhere who refuses to melt.  Slowly, it is revealed that that snowman is Albert, who is pining away for a snowman called Clementine, with whom Albert fell in love over 600 years ago and he has been seeking ever since.  He is convinced she is somewhere in London this year, and if he can find her he will happily melt, so Blessing agrees to help him. What follows is a delightful romp through the parks and backyards of London, full of funny disguises, near mishaps, and flower markets.  When Margaret is hospitalized, Blessing goes to foster care with a kind couple (whose protective dog Nelson accompanies Blessing on her late night adventures). But missing her mother and their home makes her more determined than ever to help Albert find Clementine, even though finding her will mean saying goodbye to the only friend she’s ever known.

This wintry fantasy is imbued with sadness, and yet readers will feel cozy and optimistic as they follow the adventures of Blessing and Albert.  A lot of heavy issues - mental health, bullying, climate change - come into play, and are handled in appropriate and honest ways.  Readers will empathize with Blessing as she copes with her heartbreaking home life and difficult school situation, marvel at her persistence and ingenuity, and cheer for her and Albert to accomplish their mission.  Albert and his proclamations provide a great deal of comic relief throughout the book, as he mangles historical, cultural, and scientific references and insists that people born in  summer are not that smart, but one can’t help but feel sorry for the hapless snowman in his quest for love.  The snow-covered city of London makes a lovely backdrop to this tale, and its secret network of snowmen is highly entertaining.  Occasional black-and-white illustrations show Blessing and her mother as Black, and imply diversity in the human community. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. With incredibly charming illustrations by Reggie Brown.

Ooof, I should have known from the introductory note itself, with the line "Sometimes it can feel like winter because there is snow inside", that this book would wring me out. Gosh, when was the last time I had an ugly cry like this, over something that didn't touch directly on dark chapters of my own past? I genuinely can't recall, which only speaks to the power of this astonishing middle grade novel.

Blessing is ten years old and enduring the longest winter of her lifetime. Ordinarily, she wouldn't mind the cold and snow. Trouble is, winter weather affects her mother Margaret adversely. Blessing has already been sent away twice to live with foster parents while Margaret was voluntarily institutionalized for depression, so the last thing she wants to do is upset her mother by admitting that she's being bullied at school. Unable to take the bullying any longer tho, she begins to skip classes, loitering around London and making up stories to tell her mother about what she's done all day instead.

Everything changes when she sees a snowman come to life in a deserted park one afternoon. The two strike up a friendship that sees them doing their best to help each other out, and that had me absolutely blubbering by the end of this moving yet still hilarious book about friendship, love, sadness and grief.

It's honestly impressive how much Simon Stephenson packs into this one short novel about two unlikely souls who help each other through some of their darkest days. And don't get me wrong: the reason I was crying wasn't because of the hardships they went through. It was because of their courage and gallantry in staying true to one another throughout everything, from fighting bullies, to tracking down the snowman's long-lost love, to solving the problem of a seemingly endless winter.

It isn't a perfect book -- it took me a while to figure out which city they were in, and the nurse falling for the appendix ruse stretched the bounds of even my credulity -- but it is an important one, especially for young people grappling with loss or whose parents have mental illnesses or who have to spend time in the foster system. Honestly, it's a great book for older readers, too, especially with the subtle reminder of the impact of climate change. This is a terrific, heartwarming read for the snowy months or for whenever your heart needs that flicker of heat to keep beating and feeling that the world is still a magical place.

The Snowman Code by Simon Stephenson will be published tomorrow December 16 2025 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!

This review first appeared at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

With gentle humor and a touch of fantasy, this is a story with a big, warm heart.

Blessing has found a way to skip school for weeks...or maybe even months if she can. She simply forged a letter to the teacher from her mother, claiming they were moving to Australia. It's the only way Blessing can avoid three bullies, keep her mother from growing more depressed, and avoid having the police bring her to another home again. Her mother always is sad during winter. When Blessing accidentally hits the first Snowman code by talking to a snowman six times, he speaks to her and exposes that he's alive.

This is a magical, winter tale, which reminds a bit of Frosty the Snowman in that Albert, this snowman, is alive and romps through the city (in this story London) with Blessing. This book, however, holds quite a bit more depth as it addresses a few difficult themes such as bullying, parents dealing with mental illnesses, temporary foster care, and a nod toward separation from friends. It tackles all of these themes with careful warmth and a touch of fantasy. Gentle humor and silly situations add needed lightness to keep it from growing too heavy. After all, a snowman in disguise who has fun with a kid in the middle of London, holds more than a few unexpected moments. So, adventure is definitely not forgotten.

The writing flows well and keeps a quick pace the entire way through. The short sentences, vocabulary level, and larger font spacing make it ideal for ages 7 to 10. There are not only entire-page illustrations sprinkled in but smaller ones decorate every page (which are always a treat). So, it never weighs down or feels heavy.

Despite the depth, the plot remains mostly playful and creates a magical adventure with many situations to draw smiles...even the Abominable Snowmen finds a way to slide into this mix. There's sadness, hope, silliness, adventure, tension, love, and so much more. In other words, it's a well-round, enjoyable read.

[Katy Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, snowy children's story.

A new world is created here, with its own rules and history. One you might find yourself questioning why you never thought about it more yourself, though child readers discovering this alone are likely to take to the mythology straight away.

Blessing only discovers the snowman in the park can move and talk when she hides out day after day, avoiding the school bullies who make her life miserable, and can't tell her Mum, who's severely depressed by the never-ending winter (it's now May) and snow.

By accident, Blessing finds that she can speak to Albert Framlington, a more than 600-year-old snowman, who admits he has a Snowman Code to live by, and shares the snowman world with his new human friend.

Albert is a concoction of inventiveness and quirk, as he constantly makes a mess of human phrases and customs, but still shines through as a soft-hearted character with a longing for the beautiful Clementine he hasn't seen for centuries.

And can their quests together to help each other even help out Blessing's Mum, now taken away from their home due to her winter-related depression?

A comfortable read for an independent reader, with short chapters and illustrations to bridge the gap from easier material. The story is pretty compelling, as the snowman world is revealed and multiple strands where Blessing and Albert can help each other start to unfold.

It's funny and sweet, and Blessing is a worthy heroine, with her own problems.

This gives us the snowman background that Raymond Briggs' graphic short novel and cartoon couldn't hope to bring to curious readers. And a lovely seasonal story about friendship, family and sacrifice.

For ages 7 to 12.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Snowman Code by Simon Stephenson follows a young girl named Blessing, who makes an unlikely friend during a long, unending winter. In London, winter has lasted for months with no sign of easing. One day, instead of going to school, ten-year-old Blessing wanders into a park and discovers a snowman named Albert Framlington—who turns out to be alive.

The two quickly form a friendship, and as they grow closer, Blessing opens up about her struggles. She talks about her mother, who suffers from seasonal depression, and the bullies at school who make her dread attending. Albert explains that every snowman is duty-bound by the Snowman Code to help any child in need.

As Albert supports Blessing through her challenges, he’s also hiding a secret of his own. The reason winter seems never-ending is that Albert is searching for his long-lost love, Clementine, and winter won’t end until every snowman is ready for it to do so. Will the pair be able to help each other find their happy endings?

I thought the book was a fun and cozy read, filled with silly moments that young readers would enjoy. It’s a heartwarming story about learning, taking risks, and being there for one another. While the book addresses some heavy topics, it does so thoughtfully and could serve as a great conversation starter between young readers and their guardians. It’s a cute, wintry read that might even encourage kids to head outside and make a snow-friend of their own.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

❄So much heart! Magical snowy adventure⛄

This wintry story is wonderful on several different levels. It's a fast moving adventure for a truant ten year old called Blessing wandering the streets, parks and gardens of London. But it also confronts the issue of bullying and mental health, in this case a sadness and depression aggravated by the dark days of winter. And it's a great story of friendship.

Blessing has such challenges at home and at school. Her fantastic discovery of a living, talking snowman named Albert gives her hope about using her own ideas and initiative to partner with Albert and end a gloomy snowy winter that has lasted too long and endangered her mother's health.

It's not all happiness and light. I found the end had a lot of poignancy as Blessing is faced with the loss of her new friends. But I liked the emotional content. And I think a child in the 7-10 age range will really enjoy it.

Thanks to Harper Collins Children's Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Mehsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dit was echt een prachtig boek met veel magie en mooiheid en sneeuw, perfect voor de kersttijd. Nelson was ook zo lief (ik hou van honden in boeken, nou ja als ze niet praten, haha). En een prachtig einde! Oh, en leuke illustraties.

Helaas.. wilde ik dit boek meerdere keren tegen de muur gooien vanwege Albert. Jeetje, wat een lul. Sorry hoor, maar hij denkt steeds dat hij het maar beter weet want hij is ouder en hij had het dus ook steeds fout, maar was dan beledigd en gemeen als iemand hem corrigeerde (Blessing dus). En ja, ik snapte dat hij graag Clementine wilde vinden maar ik vond het ook enorm egoïstisch van hem, en dan kom je ook steeds achter bepaalde dingen, zoals dat Blessing voornamelijk mocht zoeken en dat alles heel snel had opgelost kunnen worden. Jeetje. En ook hoe hij steeds maar vergat dat Blessing's moeder zich mentaal niet goed voelde maar steeds over die blindedarm begon en nooit eens Blessing serieus nam. WTF.

[Alex Freshour · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Snowman Code was a wonderful story that mixed reality with a reality that every kid would dream of. What kid would not want to talk to a snowman and go on an adventure with him/her?
Stephenson's story follows a young girl named Blessing, who met a snowman when she needed him most. As she navigates a secret life of skipping school, going to parks, and sneaking into movies, Albert meets Blessing and shows her what it means to have a true purpose in life.
The story mixes a fantastical story of friendship with the heartbreaking reality of sadness and depression that we as humans can feel all too well. Readers are swept up in a fun adventure as Blessing tries to bring joy back to her mother, while also discovering it for herself.
I loved this story from cover to cover. There were many bright moments of humor, thoughtfulness, and wonder. I cannot wait to share this story with my students.

[Allison • Alli’s Fairy Tales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adjusted Rating: 3.5 stars!!
POV: 3rd Person / Single

Content Thoughts:

This was a cute middle grade story that felt like one of those short animated films that play before a Disney movie.

I loved that the story explored heavier topics like death, grief, and the complicated emotions that come with being related to someone who struggles with severe mental health issues—even when all you know about the topic is that they are really sad. These themes were presented in a way that felt age-appropriate but still meaningful.

That said, the story did feel a bit longer than it needed to be to fully deliver its message. Some sections dragged slightly, and I think the emotional impact would have been just as strong, if not stronger, with a tighter pacing. Even so, the overall experience was still cute.

Thank you Simon and Schuster for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winter has been going on for so long! It's one of the longest winters in memory. Unfortunately, winter makes Blessing's mum unhappy. The longer winter has gone on, the unhappier mum has become.

Blessing has stopped going to school due to bullying. She spends her days sneaking into theaters, walking around museums and pretending to be part of school tours, and more, but mostly avoiding the bullies.

One day, she realizes a snowman in the park is moving. She learns that his name is Albert and he's over 600 years old. She and Albert concoct a plan to work together to help each other. Along the way, Blessing finds courage, strength, and freedom from the bullies.

This is a delightful middle grades novel, perfect for those who love winter stories and stories of ordinary heroes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

[Kim Wilch · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re already over the cold weather like me, this charming book might warm you back up. It mixes cocoa-level coziness with real heart as it tackles bullying, mental health, foster care, and friendship—yet never loses its playful spark. Silly escapades ensue as the duo romp through London. Sweet illustrations scattered throughout add to the magic, while the story has depth beneath the fun. The Abominable Snowman even pops in for a delightful cameo. With its blend of humor, fantasy, and big-hearted warmth, this is the perfect story to melt even the frostiest mood.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blessing is having a rough winter: her mom gets sad in the dark months and she worries she'll be taken away again, and a group of bullies at school led her to tell her teacher that she was moving to Australia, so she has to hide that she's not going to school to keep her mom from getting sadder. It gets worse when winter starts dragging on into March, April, and May. This is very British Whimsy, which grated on me a bit. There were fun moments and sweet moments, and I liked Blessing quite a lot, but the ending came far too easily.

[Chaylee McCleese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet and silly story following a snow man who comes to life and a young girl who's mom struggles with seasonal depression. Not only, does the book tackle climate change with grace but the dialogue will make your child laugh for hours.

So if you get the chance, curl up with your child and read The SnowMan Code during the next winter weather advisory.❄️

Thank you to YA Books Central for providing me with a fee copy through a giveaway.

[Emma Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so cute. I loved this story so much. It was beautiful and heartwarming and perfect to curl up with over the festive season. Even though it's aimed at kids it can be read by any age. I highly recommend it to other readers.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book that I think middle grade readers will enjoy, but as an adult I was left wanting more. I thought there might be a bit more to the story. It starts off kind of witty, but then just fell a bit flat for me. It was okay. Not bad, but not amazing.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so adorable!

[Ailsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sobbed the whole way through this beautiful children’s book about friendship, love and a little girl in foster care.

[Marran · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a sweet read about love and friendship but also about heavier topics like bullying, depression and death.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://sarahreads4.wordpress.com/202...

[Wendy Geoghegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely cozy adorable read 🥰☃️❄️

[Jennifer Huberdeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful silly read that's as heartwarming as its premise.