The Snow Image

Synopsis

Some of Nathaniel Hawthorne's early stories for children which appeared initially in juvenile magazines ended up in collections of stories for adults. Such was the case with "Little Annie's Ramble," which appeared first in Youth's Keepsake and then, a few years later, in the first edition of Twice-Told Tales. Other stories took the reverse journey. They were written and published for adults, but were reprinted individually with illustrations for the juvenile market.

One such story was "The Snow Image: A Childish Miracle," written for adults and published in 1851 in The Snow Image and Other Twice Told Tales. By the early 1860s, it had been published separately as an illustrated children's book and continued in print as such for many years, aimed at the 6 to 8 year old reader. A snow girl made by a brother and sister magically comes to life, but melts and disappears when their no-nonsense father insists she is a real girl and brings her inside to the stove to warm up. 

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