★ about the book
The Snow Sister, also called Snøsøsteren in the original language or Die Schneeschwester - the German version I flip through in the video above - is a book written by author Maja Lunde and illustrated by amazing artist Lisa Aisato.
It features more than 180 pages and dozens of illustrations, organized into 24 chapters. Just like an advent calendar. But you won’t find delicious treats. Nor joyful stories.
What you’ll get instead is a life story full packed with grief, sadness, mystery, unexpected events, but also new friends, sparks of joy and powerful emotions.
Unfortunately, I own the German version and cannot understand it at all. I’ve only recently seen the Italian version in bookstores and wish it had been available earlier. However, I let you a small summary I found online:
« Christmas Eve is approaching. It is also the day Christian will turn eleven years old. Usually it is the best day of the year, filled with the fantastic aroma of gingersnaps and tangerines, the sound of a crackling fire, the decorated Christmas tree and the flickering candlelight. All the things that make up Christmas. But this year nothing is as usual. Christian and his family mourn the death of his big sister, and Christian feels that Christmas has just been cancelled. Then one day Christian meets the happy and Christmas-loving Hedwig and he begins to believe that perhaps there will be Christmas after all. But there’s something strange about Hedwig’s house, and who is the old man who is lurking around the house all the time? »
The Snow Sister is also now available on Netflix (with English subtitles). I plan to watch it after Christmas though, since this story might be a little too harsh for me during this period..
★ about the artist
Lisa Aisato is an award-winning illustrator and artist who has published 7 books of her own, among which the picture book All the Colors of Life, and has illustrated more than 30 books for other authors. Lisa runs her own gallery at Hvaler archipelago on the Norwegian South East coast where she lives and works.
She mixes a wide variety of techniques in her illustrations: chalk, inks, watercolors, pencil and gouache. But she also includes digital tools in her process. She first draws and paints on canvas and then switches to Photoshop where she continues to paint and add details, while preserving the traditional textures.
She has developed a unique style that allows her to better capture the expressiveness of her characters. You can feel true joy, sadness and excitement on their faces. This is so important to the story! I believe Lisa has succeeded in achieving the ultimate goal of every artist: evoke emotion.
Dear fellow readers, this is the last post of 2024. See you in 2025 with amazing new artists and books!
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas full of genuine joy and positive thoughts!
Stay warm ♥
-Madalina
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