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The Snow-Image by Nathaniel Hawthorne was published in 1849 in a magazine for adults. The first appearance of the story for children was in 1864. Here is a Macmillan, 1937 edition, with illustrations by Dorothy P. Lathrop. The 1982 story The Snowman, by Raymond Briggs, owes a lot to The Snow-Image. Frosty the Snow Man is another popular story that follows along the same vein. The Hawthorne version relies heavily on the ideas that child-like faith can make magic happen, and the folly of adult thinking can destroy that magic. When the father tries to rescue the enchanted snow child, it promptly melts by the stove causing heartbreak for the children. |
Exhibited Curated by Kali M.D. Roy, Collection Management Assistant, Miriam Snow Mathes Historical Children's Literature Collection