09/28/2015
Baccalario (the Enchanted Emporium series) and Gatti, in his English-language debut, trace the paths of a black inkdrop and a white snowflake, which come together in a central gatefold. In the snowflake’s tale, he seeks the perfect place to land as a snowstorm descends on a town; intricate laser-cut snowflakes provide glimpses of a few options (an urban canal, a circus), which are revealed in their full glory after page turns. Flipping the book over, readers meet the inkdrop, which dreams of leaving her jar to become part of a drawing. A gust of wind brings the snowflake and inkdrop together in a wintry midair collision. Their meeting results in an explosion of creative energy, which Mulazzini (Tree of Wonder) captures in a four-page foldout spread that shows an enormous snowflake surrounded by inky blackness, illuminated with delicately drawn pastel images of flora and fauna: “They had endless stories to tell each other. Their embrace lasted forever.” While the laser-cut snowflakes and ink splotches may not hold up well to rereading, it’s a lovely vision of the unpredictable miracles that bring people together. Ages 4–8. (Nov.)
A Huffington Post Honorable Mention in "Best Design" Category for 2015.
Selected by Shelf Awareness as 1 of 20 outstanding gift titles for the 2015 Holiday Season
"In the center of the book the two stories meet in spectacular form: a paper gate, die-cut into the shape of a snowflake on one side and ink puddles on the other, opens to reveal a burst of folkloric doodles stretching across four pages. It’s a deeply satisfying perspective that unites opposites — black and white — into one glorious vision of friendship and collaboration."––Nicole Lamy, The Boston Globe's Short Stack
“A gust of wind brings the snowflake and inkdrop together in a wintry midair collision. Their meeting results in an explosion of creative energy . . . a lovely vision of the unpredictable miracles that bring people together.” – Publishers Weekly
"Beautifully illustrated and cleverly produced, this is one for all ages."––Montreal Gazette
"Alessandro Gatti and Pierdomenico Baccalario's "The Story of Snowflake and Inkdrop" may not be about humans, but the journey of these two unlikely soul mates is deeply rooted in humanity. [...] Both worlds are colorful and lovely and enhance the protagonists' desire to fling themselves into the unknown in order to find love. This tale is punctuated with several die-cut pages of geometric snowflakes and organic ink-drop shapes. Text, illustration, and design culminate harmoniously in the center of the book to elevate this unlikely love affair."––Dan Yaccarino, The New York Times Book Review
“A snowflake meets a drop of ink in midair in this dreamy, creatively designed import . . . A love story with design elements and harmonious illustrations that might spread its appeal from children to adult readers looking for an unusual wedding gift and beyond.” – Kirkus Reviews
"The theme of finding a friend will likely resonate with young readers... the artwork is marvelous and invites lingering looks." — Booklist
"Originally published in Italian as Storia di Goccia e Fiocco, this lavish, oversized labor of love tells the dreamily romantic tale of Snowflake and Inkdrop from two separate points of view. (The book has two front covers!) A lovely gift for children and enamored adults alike." —Karin Snelson, children's editor, Shelf Awareness
02/01/2016
Gr 1–4—This lovely volume consists of two stories that meet in the middle in an impressive double gatefold spread. The front story is the tale of a snowflake, patiently dreaming of where he will fall. Just as he is about to alight on the window of a bakery, he is blown off course. As he whirls back into the air, he spots a drop of ink headed toward him, and they join, finding perfect joy in sharing their stories for eternity. Turn the book over, and read the story of Inkdrop, who longs to become part of beautiful artworks in the studio. A sudden wind whisks Inkdrop out the window. "As she began to fall, she felt sure she would change into a tear." Each scene that the snowflake considers falling into is viewed through an intricate snowy laser-cut overlay. Turn the page, and the full scene is revealed. Similarly, each piece of art that Inkdrop dreams of is viewed through a cutout pattern of spilled ink. The beautiful muted paintings evoke the beauty of winter, and where the two stories meet the art changes to soft colored pencil sketches, uniting the plotlines in dreamy fantasy. Readers will enjoy scouring the illustrations to make connections between the tales. The paper is extra thick, but this book is a delicate piece of art to be handled and appreciated by older readers. VERDICT A beautiful offering for lovers of books as art objects and a good choice for large collections.—Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN
2015-10-06
A snowflake meets a drop of ink in midair in this dreamy, creatively designed import. Carried after a "particularly long time" by silver clouds toward a town, Snowflake looks through a series of lacy white die-cut screens at possible landings: a boat on a canal, a colorful circus tent, children on a playground. But just as the wind whispers "Go now!" a draft whirls him upward again, directly toward a falling drop of ink that is "shiny, dense, round, beautiful." Meanwhile, a drop of ink waiting to be used by her artist catches enticing glimpses of brightly hued landscapes and other paintings through black pages of irregular, blot-shaped holes, until her bottle is jarred and she flies out the open window to an unexpected rendezvous. The two stories, bound dos-à-dos, meet in the middle on a climactic (in every sense of the word) double gatefold in which images of stars and rolling ocean, animals and people, light and dark whirl together: "They had endless stories to tell each other. Their embrace lasted forever." The surreal plotline, plus the peekaboo pleasures of viewing each scene partially through the cutouts and then in full, will draw viewers too young to appreciate the story's erotic aspects, but the latter lie at its rapturous heart. A love story with design elements and harmonious illustrations that might spread its appeal from children to adult readers looking for an unusual wedding gift and beyond. (Picture book. 6-8, adult)
