“Change of any kind can feel like a death of sorts, which is why people have created ceremonies marking life’s transitions from one stage to the next, filling a basic human need. Like her parents, The Snow Princess is an immortal being, but she becomes human when she fell in love. “In the Russian version of the story, the main character ultimately dies, but since my story is for children, I decided to resolve the ending differently, adding a twist,” the artist said. Despite her parents’ warnings, she finds herself drawn to a kind and handsome shepherd named Sergei and falls in love with him, deciding her own fate in the chaos of a powerful snowstorm that threatens his life. Father Frost and Mother Spring warn her never to fall in love, lest she lose her immortality, and she journeys alone through barren deserts of ice and snow through many lands, keeping her heart cold. Recommended to Ruth Sanderson fans, and to anyone who appreciated beautifully-illustrated fairy-tales.Inspired by The Snow Maiden, a character from Russian folklore featured in nineteenth century adaptations for ballet and opera, The Snow Princess is the tale of a young woman who sets out from her home in the icy north to see the world. I think my favorite scenes were the ones in which the Snow Princess walks along with the polar bear, and the one in which she kneels over a fallen Sergei. I have a weakness for wintry scenes, so it was probably a foregone conclusion that I would enjoy this one, but Sanderson's paintings are still just lovely.

The artwork, done in oil paint, is absolutely gorgeous. Ruth Sanderson has changed the ending of the story here, making it less tragic - yes, the Snow Princess will die, but only in the fullness of time, as all mortals do.

Can she buy her life at the price of his.?īased upon The Snow Maiden, a Russian ballet composed by Rimsky-Korsakov, The Snow Princess has all of the hallmarks of a classic fairy-tale, with the forces of nature, star-crossed lovers, and fateful choices pitting survival against love all playing a role. Not wanting to die, she attempts to withdraw, only for the snowstorm she summons to endanger Sergei. Despite this warning, the princess eventually meets, is befriended by, and falls in love with a young human man named Sergei.

When she becomes a young woman, she sets out to explore the world, her father's warning about the dangers of falling in love with a human - something that will lead to her death - ringing in her ears. The daughter of Father Frost and Mother Spring, the Snow Princess grows up in wintry isolation, with only her parents for company.

The Snow Princess by Ruth Sanderson