Although summertime on the beach is a common theme across the corpus, representations of winter are harder to come by. The magical experience of witnessing a new snowfall for the first time is encapsulated in this charming tale. Two children look out from their house at the falling snow and observe a group of animals that appear to be stalking a little bird. To make matters worse, a bear appears on the other side of the bird, so it is cornered on all sides. The children rush outside to defend the small creature, only to find that the animals are not enemies after all. Instead, the animals have gone into the house and wave to the children from the window, wrapped in blankets and drinking hot chocolate. This light-hearted, friendly story represents themes of home and shelter in a harsh winter climate. The meaning of each visual sign is led by the rich palette of colour – the fierce white of the falling snow, the warm and inviting yellow of the inside of the house. Children aged 4-7 years will find much to talk about after considering this charming Italian tale.
