Product Description

From the beginning of time, high above the hidden valley, Snow Leopard has sung the stars to life, the sun to rise and the moon to wax and wane. She has woven words of protection to keep the hidden valley safe from the world and as she sings, a child lies dreaming the song down in the valley beneath. But time is passing, and Snow Leopard needs to find a singer who will follow her. But while she is searching, soldiers come looking for gold and slaves… Jackie Morris's poetic text weaves the spirit of nature into a universal myth for our time, drawing threads of transformation into a children's story glistening with wonder. Set against the stunning landscapes of the Himalayas, her superlative illustrations of the nearly-extinct Snow Leopard offer a message of hope at a time when many of the world's wildest places are being worn away by human beings.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #85145 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

Review
The Snow Leopard combin[es] her own story with vivid and beautiful full page paintings. Commitment to the protection of the natural world is implicit in the story, and the lyrical tone perfectly suits the creation of a new and appealing ecomyth. (Books for Keeps )

The sumptuous watercolour illustrations carry this tale into the realm of the sublime, communicating the power of guardian beings and altruism in a remote world where spirit and nature merge. Although this is a children's book, it will primarily resonate with adults as it weaves its themes of shamanism, compassion and the beauty and power of the natural world. (Light of Consciousness )

The story is told in a few poetic paragraphs set against visionary scenes in saturated colours. Commitment to the protection of the natural world is implicit in the story and the lyrical tone perfectly suits the creation of a new and appealing ecomyth. (Books for Keeps )

About the Author
Jackie Morris lives in Wales with her two children, two dogs and five cats and makes a living by drawing, colouring in and dreaming. She enjoys walking, swimming in the sea and reading, especially children's books. Jackie is well known for her illustrations on Ted Hughes's How the Whale Became. She regularly exhibits her paintings in galleries nationwide.

To visit Jackie's website click here

Customer Reviews

Cover to cover, a beautiful thing to own.
What an amazing illustrator Jackie Morris is. This book is worth owning for the pictures alone, but her words complement the atmospheric artwork perfectly. A book to be enjoyed by adults and children. Why should picturebooks be only for the kids?

Shortlisted for the English Association English 4-11 Best Books Awards
This is a beautifully illustrated book to share with children in key stage 1 and Year 3. The illustrations of the Snow Leopard herself are vibrant and moving. Set high in the Himalayan mountains the Snow Leopard "sang the stars to life, the sun to rise and the moon to wax and wane...High above the hidden valley her song clothed the world in white..." Words of protection are woven as down in the valley the Child sleeps. It is a time when the Snow Leopard knows she has to find the next singer. But it is also a time of great change. In the Valley soldiers come searching for gold and slaves. The villagers flee, but the Child sleeps on "hearing only the song of the great ghost cat." The double page spread of the Snow Leopard carrying the sleeping child is at the same time dramatic and awesome as "the sleeping child woke feeling the warm breath of the spirit cat close on her skin, wrapped in the fur of the Snow Leopard, the singing cat of her dreams." This is indeed a story which will inspire and remind us of the need to protect the wild places where the Snow Leopard lives.

snow leopard
this book has a simple story that children can understand together with fabulous illustrations which no doubt will delight and activate any readers imagination.a blend of the mystical, of friendship, of protecting this story can teach and conjure up many thoughts to whoever reads it. a wonderful book