ReadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2025

Where Snow Angels Go

A magical Christmas book and a new modern classic for children aged 5, 6, 7, 8 from the award-winning author of HAMNET, about a brave girl and the miracle of a snowy day

Maggie O'Farrell author Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini illustrator

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Walker Books Ltd

Published:5th Nov '20

Should be back in stock very soon

Where Snow Angels Go cover

Have you ever woken up suddenly, in the middle of the night, without knowing why?

FromMaggie O'Farrell, the best-selling and award-winning author of Hamnet, comes an extraordinary, magical modern fairy tale, and a brand new classic, about the bravery of a little girl and the miracle of a snowy day.

With breathtakingly imaginative storytelling, and exquisite illustrations from Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini, this is an ideal Christmas gift and stocking filler, perfect for any book advent calendar, and an enchanting wintry read for children aged 5-8, that will help make them feel safe and protected.

Sylvie wakes one night, suddenly, without knowing why... Then she sees the most spectacular sight – a pair of wings, enormous in size, made of the softest snow-white feathers imaginable. An angel in her bedroom … a snow angel. He tells her that he is here to look after her, for Sylvie is not as well as she seems...

Many months later, as Sylvie recovers from her illness, she longs to see her snow angel again. He saved her life, after all. There is so much she wants to tell him, so much she wants to know. Will he ever come back to her? And how can Sylvie make sure that everyone she loves has their own snow angel, to keep them safe, too?

- The first book in a trilogy of modern fairy tales by Maggie O'Farrell and Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini featuring children with real life problems and the mythical creatures that attend to them.

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- Look out for The Boy Who Lost His Spark and When the Stammer Came to Stay.


“A perfect Christmas book for 5+ with touches of A Wonderful Life.” – Amanda Craig for New Statesman

“The perfect embodiment of a Christmas story with soul.” – Stylist

“As perfect as a snowflake. As magical as snow. Maggie O’Farrell has written an instant classic that will live on in the hearts and imaginations of readers.” – M. G. Leonard

“A perfect, magical Christmas story.” – Sarah Crossan

“An assured classic.” – TheIrish Times

“A beautifully illustrated modern day fairy tale boasting magic, mystery and miracles that is as delightful to hold...

Maggie O’Farrell’s first children’s venture, a long-read picture book, is a meditation on risk and resilience with beautiful, timeless illustrations from Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini […] The perfect winter story. * The Times & The Irish Times *
This tale addresses children’s fears for themselves, but also their impulse to make others safe. Tender and reassuring, in the images and the text, it feels timely for 2020, but has the magic of such classic Christmas tales as The Snow Queen, The Snowman and It’s a Wonderful Life. * The Sunday Times & The Sunday Times Ireland *
[…] a gorgeous, modern-day fairytale picture book. * The Irish Independent *

A longer length picture book for older children, it has a feel of a contemporary fairytale and a real sprinkle of Christmas magic, enhanced by Terrazzini’s gorgeously detailed art and lavish production values.

Fiona Noble also featured Where Snow Angels Go in her introduction calling it one of her two ‘winter treats’ in 2020.

-- Fiona Noble * The Bookseller *
‘As perfect as a snowflake. As magical as snow. Maggie O’Farrell has written an instant classic that will live on in the hearts and imaginations of readers.’ * M. G. Leonard *

  • Nominated for Kate Greenaway Medal (CILIP) 2022 (UK)

ISBN: 9781406391992

Dimensions: 252mm x 220mm x 18mm

Weight: 580g

72 pages