Common Sense Media Review
By Mandie Caroll
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Snow kid discovers what growing up means in endearing tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Twig the SNOW KID faces an identity crisis shortly after being made by a bunch of kids when a blustery wind knocks their hat off and it disappears. Can Twig be Twig without that "very fine hat"? As they journey after the hat, they tumble down hills, growing—literally adding snow to their body—and changing (they lose parts of themselves to hungry animals). Ultimately, they find that changing can be...confusing. Each new thing prompts the snow kid to think, "It seemed like the only way to go back to being Twig was to keep moving forward." So they keep going and going until they realize that becoming Twig is a good thing to grow into.
Is It Any Good?
This endearingly sweet picture book has lots of positive messages for kids of all ages. On the surface, Snow Kid is a playful winter story about a "kid" who's figuring out who they are and what they like. But for young readers who've experienced feeling different and maybe a little lost, the underlying reassurance in this story is that, although growing and changing can be confusing and sometimes hard, there's a lot of joy in discovering that your uniqueness makes you a very lovable you. Creator Jessie Sima's illustrations are soft and dreamy in blues and pinks that match the gentle tone of the tale perfectly. Twig's relatable cautious-but-curious personality has lots of kid appeal, while Sima's decision to leave Twig genderless invites any reader to see themselves in the snow kid and will especially delight little readers who use "they" as a pronoun themselves.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it means to grow and change, like Twig does in Snow Kid. How have you "grown up" over the last year? Have any changes been hard for you? Why?
Twig faces some doubts and isn't always sure about things, but they persevere on their journey, and they're open and curious about what they'll find along the way. When have you kept going through something new or challenging? What did you learn about yourself? What are you most curious about in terms of growing up?
Why do you think the author chose to use "they/them" pronouns for Twig?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jessie Sima
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Adventures
- Character Strengths : Curiosity , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : September 16, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 56
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : January 23, 2026
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate