Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: snow

  • Winter Frost – relaxing holiday instrumentals

    Winter Frost – relaxing holiday instrumentals

    Christmas is a time of giving and when you are a musician one of the most beautiful gifts to give is the joy and happiness of music.

    Winter Frost, a compilation of traditional and modern Seasonal music created by many of the artists whom have over the years recorded with Heartdance Records. The songs range from the heartbreaking In The Bleak Midwinter written as a poem by Christina Rossetti in 1872, titled ‘A Christmas Carol’ and put to music in 1907 by Gustav Holst, to the somewhat jaunty Sleigh Bells Sonata.

    A delicate and charming solo guitar rendition of the well-loved ‘Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas’ charms, while Mendelssohn’s beloved Hark The Herald Angels Sing has been artfully presented with a little wash of synth, the clear precise notes of the guitar sounding out the melody.

    O Little Town of Bethlehem is given a traditional polish with a rich piano interpretation, before flowing into the much loved Auld Lang Syne, once again a poem from Scottish bard Robbie Byrnes written in 1788 and put to a traditional and much older Scottish folk melody in 1789.

    Slow and sensuous I’ll Be Home For Christmas is a delightful interpretation of this well-known and often sung song, first recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943, originally written to honour soldiers serving overseas during World War II.

    There are seventeen tracks on Winter Frost, each one a very personal gift from the musicians who have selected each piece with care, interpreting the time old classics and the more modern up-tempo pieces as they choose, creating a heart-warming collection of traditional and modern Christmas music filled with the magic.

  • Beyond Climate Grief: A journey of love, snow, fire and an enchanted beer can

    Beyond Climate Grief: A journey of love, snow, fire and an enchanted beer can

    Climate Grief is a very real condition and one that we as citizens on this earth are simply not aware of, other than to accept that the state of the world’s climate and the surrounding controversy, create a sense of impending doom, depression and in many instances, an overwhelming fear leading to a sense of disconnect.

     It was the simply love of snow that saw award winning science reporter Jonica Newby plunge into  a deep sense of despair; despair so deep it was emotionally crippling. Having been a science reporter for the ABC’s Catalyst program for more than twenty years, she had become almost inured to reporting on Climate Change, but it was not until she witnessed the lack of snow falling on her beloved Snowy Mountains several years in succession, and the damage this was doing to her friends and the environment, she really began to fear for her beloved snow country.

    Eventually she saw the way forward was to use her skills and knowledge to discover how other people were coping with the same or similar issues and what she found was not just illuminating, but cathartic, then healing, creating once again a sense of hope for the future.

    Seeking input from the everyday heroes, the people who had been badly affected by bushfires earlier in the year, Climate Change Kids, Missy Higgins, Craig Reucassel , Charlie Pickering, leading scientists, psychologists, businessman Mike Cannon- Brookes and many more, Jonia Newby began to see a way forward to a future being led by many very determined young people still at school.

    Just when things were beginning to return to something like the new normal, Newby’s family and friends were swept up in the devastating fires of the summer of 2019-2020. The results of this devastation although tragic, bought about a deeper understanding of resilience, thankfulness and sense of community, underlining much Newby had already researched.

    Written with a dry wit, a deep love of country and a genuine desire to seek out and discover what it is that helps people cope with the unthinkable, the  unimaginable and gives them strength to begin again, Beyond Climate Grief reminds us all, that by our own actions we have the strength and ability to create change.

    Her words, research and the collective wisdom of everyone who has taken part in creating Beyond Climate Grief has offered hope and understanding about the emotional effects of Climate Grief; information that is invaluable as Australia moves towards a better , more comprehensive understanding and acceptance of the very real damage caused by Climate Change.

  • Shiver

    Shiver

    Shiver is a modern take on the timeless classic And Then There Were None from Agatha Christie, laced with the uncertainly of who done it and why. Invited to a reunion in the French Alps during the first snow fall of the season, a group of friends meet up after a ten year absence. The last time they were all together Milla’s beautiful friend Saskia disappeared in mysterious circumstances, eventually being declared dead.

    Milla is not too happy about the reunion as it is going to bring back the dread and fear of their last meeting, at a time when they all together, competing for the same snowboard crown; a time of love trust and destruction, a time best left behind. As the group gather it becomes apparent that something is a little off:  everyone except Saskia is there, and everyone thinks someone different invited them.

    As time passes and the snow thickens it become obvious that there is more to the reunion than many of them first expected. Told in past and present times by each of the friends the storyline is while familiar, utterly engrossing and chilling with callous regard for human life.

    The central character Milla tells the story in segments and it is not until the final stages of what has been a true set-up, that the reason for the invitation is revelled, which strikes fear and horror into their hearts. One of their former friends is out for revenge and to get even for imagined and real injustices. They are not too fussy about how they go about levelling the field.

    Once the snow melts at the end of the season, the bodies will come to the surface but until then those who remain will walk in fear.

    Allie Reynolds has crafted a true chiller of a thriller and one that must simply be read until the final, final pages to find out who really did do it! You will never guess!

  • Snow Ghost

    Snow Ghost

    Snow Ghost is a lost and lonely wraith. The illustrations in this story reflect her ethereal nature, and the pastel shades and misty outlines of the pictures heighten the feeling. The story is simple with two or three lines of text on most pages; the visuals tell the story so well.

    The lonely ghost is seeking a home and some friends, but she senses that nobody in the villages she flies over would welcome her. On and on she flies, “Searching across the dark sky, but its cold, empty, loneliness causes her to sigh.” She passes over a wood but that is dark and gloomy, then she sees a farm and a small girl and boy playing outside. Could this be a place she could call home?

    The charming rhyming text of Snow Ghost has an easy flow and combines well with the illustrations. The size of this hardback book, the gentle nature of the story and the splashes of colour at the end all serve to present an enchanting bedtime read. Snow Ghost is aimed at younger readers who will enjoy the details on the pages.

  • Princess Snowbelle and the Snow Games

    Princess Snowbelle and the Snow Games

    The sparkling cover of this book gives us an idea that the story inside will be full of glitter and princesses, and snow. The soft covered paperback Picture Book, has cartoon type illustrations and plenty of colour. Set in Frostovia, the Princess is waiting with her brothers for the Snow Games to begin. The children are very excited and quite sure they will win their events. After all, they have been practising very hard.

    The Royal families gather together for the beginning of the games and the children all line up, sure of their own strengths and success to come. Oh Dear!  Noel, who has developed a super-fast sledge is tipped off. As the games progress each family wins an event, then loses one. The children are very competitive, but also aware of the importance of friendship and fair play.

    When tragedy strikes, the game is forgotten and rescuing a friend is the most important thing on everyone’s mind. A great solution is agreed to by the children and they have a great deal of fun helping each other. The chilling games are finished off with buttered crumpets and hot chocolate.

    The children are encouraged by their parents to be competitive, but to embrace the idea of fairness and friendship. The text is quite lengthy, but suitable for reading aloud, with colourful illustrations full of wonder. An enjoyable book for the early reader.

  • The TinyWing Fairies

    The TinyWing Fairies

    Just as the tiny wing fairies, Marthy, Tiffin, Little Ess and Pip are settling down to go to bed, the lights have just been turned out and they are all just drifting off to sleep, a terrible, terrible, noise that is really, really scary wakes up Little Ess.

    Little Ess is a little bit frightened of the dark, so she wakes up Marthy who says it nothing but the trees in the forest, but the noise gets louder and louder. So much so they all decide they need to go and find out what is making such a sad and terrible noise.

    As they set out on their journey and meet other residents of Dappletree Wood they ask them if they have any ideas what is wrong, but no one seems to know what or who is making such an awful noise.

    Join the TinyWing fairies as they make their way through the snow-covered woods on the way to another lovely, adventure and make a new friend as well.

    There is a comforting and reassuring aspect about night time noises embedded in the storyline, which makes a lovely point of discussion for small ones who often find noises of the night scary and worrisome.

    Beautifully written with lavishly created illustrations, with lots of lovely woodland creatures and their families to be discovered, from the talented Suzanne Barton, the TinyWing fairies will soon become charming little additions every little girls’ very special bookcase.

  • Ring Around the Moon

    Ring Around the Moon

    In this solo piano album from Richard Dillion written in the winter months and recorded in 2014, the titles of the various tracks take your imagination through a journey into many and varied concepts, concepts which at the time gave inspiration to the quiet, almost reclusive, musician.

    What is behind the mystique that arrives when the moon has a ring surrounding it, an occurrence that is not often seen, but when it is it is usually during the winter months,  and seems to herald in that almost superstitious element within us all. Dillion has tapped into this element to create the purity which can be found on a cold frosty, snowy winter’s day.

    Groundhog Saw His Shadow simply begins the journey with wonderment, teasing the imagination into creating the scene, the amazement of this event in a humble woodchucks evening.

    December Sunset, when followed by Dying of the Light, allows the visualisation of the day coming to a glorious close, and then of the fun to be had on Midnight Sleigh Ride. Romantic, frosty and pure this beautiful segue of pieces is delightful for its singular, but not insular reverence.

    Dreaming of Hawaii is something we all do during the midst of winter when it seems that all is cold, cold, cold, and there will not be a warm day anytime soon. Somehow Dillion manages to get his piano to create that lovely tropical, warm, almost sultry feel that is Hawaii, allowing you to bask for just a moment in that beautiful, almost idyllic paradise.

    As the season moves along so too does the music, leading to the almost dainty Scattering of Stars, inspired by the viewing of the night sky on a deep, frosty winters night, which is nothing other than pure perfection.

    A Whiteout is something that is as magical as it can be terrifying, but Dillion has chosen to present this as a light, ethereal moment in time, which then leads into the final and delightfully warm piece Hot Cocoa By The Fire, making this a comfortable and comforting ending for an album that is peaceful, enjoyable and as always, original.

  • The Snow Wombat

    The Snow Wombat

     

    When you combine a great idea for a story, with excellent art work and a clever text, you have the makings of a wonderful Children’s Picture Book. The Snow Wombat is refreshingly Australian, entertaining, humorous and educational. It is an excellent read- aloud text, with predictions made on several pages to involve young readers. Many Australian animals are shown here, to be identified by pointing fingers. We usually associate animal stories in Picture Books set in Australia with the outback, but this one has been set in Alpine regions. It shows how kangaroos, birds and possums live in the snow.

     The end pages have been inspired by the journey that Winnie the Pooh made from his home. They show a trail that leads the Wombat from the trees, past the crows and the Stockman’s hut, past the sheep paddock, under the gums, over the riverbank, by the possum’s tail and finally to its burrow. During the reading, one can go back to the end pages and see the progress made by the wombat on his way home.

     The wombat now begins his journey and the double page illustrations are detailed enough for a good discussion. Why would a stockman need a hut so far away from everything? The sheep in the paddocks have wonderfully thick, woollen coats, but there isn’t a lot of grass to be seen. Road signs show us various animals that a driver may encounter, possums, wombats and kangaroos. It is unusual to see a kangaroo in the snow. Snow is everywhere, as well as tiny animals tucked away in the illustrations.

     The text is in a large font, and lends itself to being read aloud.  It leads to predicting the scenario on the following page. Repetition is used to reinforce the concept of snow everywhere, especially on the “Woolybuts” (sheep) and “My Tum”. Snow on the horses and the possums’ tails, indicates nothing is exempt from snowflakes if outside. Each page has about seven or eight words, just enough to tell a little of the story, and the rest is visually told. There are a several feature pages with one huge word, to emphasise a point, or for humorous impact.

     As every good story ends with reassurance, this one ends with a very cosy, warm burrow. It is shown to be cleverly tucked into the side of a hill. As Wombat makes its way down the burrow, we see an inside picture of the tunnel angled down to a cosy nest; finally warmth, with a tucked- up, furry animal tightly asleep.

     This would be a wonderful book for any young child, but especially those who see Australian animals as living in the desert and Outback. It would also make a splendid gift for young people overseas, who may not associate Australia with Alpine regions. The combination of story, text and illustrations is successful, and complimentary. This will be a much loved inclusion in a young Library.