The Woodcutter and the Snow Prince

Kai is a lonely woodcutter living deep in a forest. Every winter he carves beautiful statues, but no one sees them. His grandmother used to tell him tales of the cursed Snow Prince, who breaks free from his icy prison every year and turns everyone he meets into ice statues. This time, Kai doesn’t hide, and when his door is flung open and the prince stands there, he sees adventure in his eyes.

Kai takes the prince’s hand and they are whirled away into the skies to a beautiful ice palace. They laugh and talk under the Northern Lights. But at sunrise Kai is whisked back home, where he is lonely once more. He longs to see his new friend again, so he sets off to find the prince. But will they be able to break the curse?

This is a stunningly illustrated reinterpretation of The Snow Queen. It’s about loneliness, friendship and having the courage to find out what people are like for yourself. Kai and the prince’s relationship is left open to interpretation – either the start of a romance and/or a friendship. Davide Ortu’s beautiful artwork conveys such warmth for a wintry tale. Gorgeous.