Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin

Snow & Rose

by Emily Winfield Martin

A fairy-tale reimagining of Snow White and Rose Red from the New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Emily Winfield Martin. Filled with stunning illustrations. 

"Emily Winfield Martin — reimagine[s] Brothers Grimm fairy tales, treating delight, with a few grisly bits folded in, as its own reward. The deeper meanings of these stories do emerge, but the pleasure they give is paramount." —The New York Times

Snow and Rose didn’t know they were in a fairy tale. People never do. . . .
 
Once, they lived in a big house with spectacular gardens and an army of servants.
 
Once, they had a father and mother who loved them more than the sun and moon.
 
But that was before their father disappeared into the woods and their mother disappeared into sorrow.
 
This is the story of two sisters and the enchanted woods that have been waiting for them to break a set of terrible spells.

In Snow & Rose, bestselling author-illustrator Emily Winfield Martin retells the traditional but little-known fairy tale “Snow White and Rose Red.” The beautiful full-color illustrations throughout and unusual yet relatable characters will bring readers back to this book again and again.

Reviewed by Terri M. LeBlanc on

2 of 5 stars

Share
Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin is a middle grade reimagining of the Snow White and Rose Red fairy tale as told by The Brothers Grimm. It is littered with beautiful illustrations and colorful characters that fit seamlessly into the story and enhance the tale Winfield is attempting to tell.

From Ivo and his mushroom farming parents living in their underground hovel to the creepy-sometimes-mean-sometimes nice elf Snow and Rose encounter on their adventures, Winfield does a wonderful job describing the people and things of the forest in words and images. Many readers may fall in love with the Librarian, a strange woman Snow and Rose discover one day while exploring. Her library was not a library of books, but of things. Upon encountering the Librarian for the first time, readers may be hopeful her unusual library would be a key to solving the mysteries of the forest and the disappearance of Snow and Rose’s father. Full of wisdom, the Librarian does provide Snow and Rose with objects that help them on their adventures, but the Librarian unfortunately does not stick around for long. Like most things Snow and Rose encounter in the forest, the Librarian’s appearance is fleeting.

While the world and the characters that inhabit it is beautifully imagined and drawn out in great detail in the illustrations, the actual plot of Snow & Rose is lacking. A lot happens to Snow and Rose, but the danger is quickly resolved. The danger and fear never seems real or perceptible. Snow & Rose is intended for middle grade readers so perhaps adult readers may expect too much from the actual story and as a result it may truly never deliver. It is possible that younger readers may feel more pull in the story than adult readers. The story may also be better served being read aloud to young readers than read silently as much more feeling and emotion can be conveyed vocally.

In the end, Snow & Rose may not stand up for adult readers. The beautifully rendered world with vibrant, loveable characters portrayed through amazing illustrations isn’t enough to rescue the slow, unexciting pacing of the plot which doesn’t seem to add much to the pantheon of the Snow White and Rose Red fairy tale. Overall, Snow & Rose is a disappointing read with beautiful pictures.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 19 November, 2017: Finished reading
  • 19 November, 2017: Reviewed