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The Snowman Code
Not yet published
Expected 16 Dec 25In this cozy winter story, a six-hundred-year-old snowman and a ten-and-a-half-year-old girl strike up an unlikely friendship as they try to bring an end to the longest winter ever.
Article II of the Snowman A snowman always helps a child in need.
It’s March, but the ground is still covered in snow, the lake in the park is still frozen over, and ten-and-a-half-year-old Blessing has three
Problem #1: Blessing hasn’t gone to school in months. She just can’t stand those bullies, the Driplet Triplets, so her only solution to avoiding them is to pretend she and her mom moved to Australia.
Problem #2: Blessing’s mom gets sad in the winter. So sad she doesn’t go to work and sometimes doesn’t get out of bed.
Problem #3: The city is experiencing its longest ever winter, with no end in sight. And the longer it goes on, the longer her mom’s sadness does too. If spring doesn’t come soon and other grown-ups find out her mom is too sad, they’ll be separated again.
Just as Blessing starts to lose hope, she meets an unexpected new Albert Framlington, a six-hundred-year-old snowman who just might hold the key to solving all three of her problems. But Albert has a problem of his own he may need a human’s help to solve.
Can this unlikely duo find a way to defeat Blessing’s bullies, win back Albert’s long-lost love, and overcome the never-ending winter before it’s too late? They have to try—that’s the Snowman Code after all.
Article II of the Snowman A snowman always helps a child in need.
It’s March, but the ground is still covered in snow, the lake in the park is still frozen over, and ten-and-a-half-year-old Blessing has three
Problem #1: Blessing hasn’t gone to school in months. She just can’t stand those bullies, the Driplet Triplets, so her only solution to avoiding them is to pretend she and her mom moved to Australia.
Problem #2: Blessing’s mom gets sad in the winter. So sad she doesn’t go to work and sometimes doesn’t get out of bed.
Problem #3: The city is experiencing its longest ever winter, with no end in sight. And the longer it goes on, the longer her mom’s sadness does too. If spring doesn’t come soon and other grown-ups find out her mom is too sad, they’ll be separated again.
Just as Blessing starts to lose hope, she meets an unexpected new Albert Framlington, a six-hundred-year-old snowman who just might hold the key to solving all three of her problems. But Albert has a problem of his own he may need a human’s help to solve.
Can this unlikely duo find a way to defeat Blessing’s bullies, win back Albert’s long-lost love, and overcome the never-ending winter before it’s too late? They have to try—that’s the Snowman Code after all.
256 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication December 16, 2025
1 person is currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Simon Stephenson
9 books212 followersHello, good readers!
I am from Edinburgh in Scotland, but now reside in Los Angeles, California. I have had stopovers along the way in London and San Francisco. I’m a writer and screenwriter, and before I became a full-time writer I was a physician.
My new novel, ‘Sometimes People Die’ will be published in September 2022. It's a literary thriller set in a hospital in east London around the turn of the millenium.
I have written two other books. ‘Set My Heart To Five’ came out in 2020. The Washington Post review said that I might be ‘Vonnegut’s first true protege’. You’d better believe I have been dining out on that ever since, and will be for the rest of my days.
‘Let Not the Waves Of the Sea’, my memoir about losing my brother came out in 2012. It won Best First Book at the Scottish Book Awards, and was serialized on BBC Radio 4.
I’ve worked as a writer on various films including Pixar’s LUCA, PADDINGTON 2, and my own THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN. Like every other screenwriter in Hollywood, I have a bottom drawer full of unproduced scripts.
Away from work I mostly like to ride my bike in nearby Griffith Park. in hope of encountering my neighbor the mountain lion. I'm also a fan of animals (petting them not eating them,) cakes (eating them not petting them), and soccer/football.
I am from Edinburgh in Scotland, but now reside in Los Angeles, California. I have had stopovers along the way in London and San Francisco. I’m a writer and screenwriter, and before I became a full-time writer I was a physician.
My new novel, ‘Sometimes People Die’ will be published in September 2022. It's a literary thriller set in a hospital in east London around the turn of the millenium.
I have written two other books. ‘Set My Heart To Five’ came out in 2020. The Washington Post review said that I might be ‘Vonnegut’s first true protege’. You’d better believe I have been dining out on that ever since, and will be for the rest of my days.
‘Let Not the Waves Of the Sea’, my memoir about losing my brother came out in 2012. It won Best First Book at the Scottish Book Awards, and was serialized on BBC Radio 4.
I’ve worked as a writer on various films including Pixar’s LUCA, PADDINGTON 2, and my own THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN. Like every other screenwriter in Hollywood, I have a bottom drawer full of unproduced scripts.
Away from work I mostly like to ride my bike in nearby Griffith Park. in hope of encountering my neighbor the mountain lion. I'm also a fan of animals (petting them not eating them,) cakes (eating them not petting them), and soccer/football.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 2, 2025
A beautiful, heart warming story. Great one for Primary teachers (P4-7)
August 28, 2025
What worked:
The book tells a charming story about a sad, young girl named Blessing. The root of her problem concerns the longest winter on record and the effects it’s having on the citizens. Her mother, Margaret, is suffering from seasonal depression, as winter always makes her depressed. Her issues are so severe that children’s services place Blessing in foster care every time winter rolls around. Readers can see how a record-setting long winter will create a massive problem for Blessing and her mom. Blessing is hassled by three bullies (she thinks of them as the Driplet Triplets), which makes her decision to become truant even easier.
The Snowman Code consists of rules snowmen must follow, and they cannot be broken. The first rule readers will encounter states that a snowman must ignore humans, but they must respond if a human speaks to them six times. Albert Framlington is a shoddy-looking snowman (Blessing would rate him as 3 out of 10) in the park, and he reluctantly befriends Blessing. The code guides Albert’s behavior, especially the second rule that says snowmen must help children in need. However, a conflict arises due to a secret Albert is keeping from Blessing.
Albert Framlington adds much humor to the story because of his superior-sounding attitude. He insists people born in the summer (like Blessing) are less intelligent than those born in winter, like him. He spouts off “facts” and can’t believe Blessing doesn’t know the information. Readers may agree with Blessing when Albert says Sherlock Holmes was a famous zookeeper, not a detective. He insists Africa is covered in snow even after Blessing tells him he’s talking about the Arctic. Readers should know Albert’s cheeks turn red when he’s fibbing, although he insists that he never tells a lie.
What didn’t work as well:
Snowmen are always supposed to follow the Snowman Code, but Albert Framlington seems to be less than serious about this concept. His cavalier attitude defines his character, but it may also be confusing. If rule number two says he’s supposed to help Blessing, then why isn’t he more honest with her?
The final verdict:
This magical story will appeal to young readers, as the author creates a very creative tale. The idea of living snowmen and their recurring births presents a story readers have never seen before. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot.
The book tells a charming story about a sad, young girl named Blessing. The root of her problem concerns the longest winter on record and the effects it’s having on the citizens. Her mother, Margaret, is suffering from seasonal depression, as winter always makes her depressed. Her issues are so severe that children’s services place Blessing in foster care every time winter rolls around. Readers can see how a record-setting long winter will create a massive problem for Blessing and her mom. Blessing is hassled by three bullies (she thinks of them as the Driplet Triplets), which makes her decision to become truant even easier.
The Snowman Code consists of rules snowmen must follow, and they cannot be broken. The first rule readers will encounter states that a snowman must ignore humans, but they must respond if a human speaks to them six times. Albert Framlington is a shoddy-looking snowman (Blessing would rate him as 3 out of 10) in the park, and he reluctantly befriends Blessing. The code guides Albert’s behavior, especially the second rule that says snowmen must help children in need. However, a conflict arises due to a secret Albert is keeping from Blessing.
Albert Framlington adds much humor to the story because of his superior-sounding attitude. He insists people born in the summer (like Blessing) are less intelligent than those born in winter, like him. He spouts off “facts” and can’t believe Blessing doesn’t know the information. Readers may agree with Blessing when Albert says Sherlock Holmes was a famous zookeeper, not a detective. He insists Africa is covered in snow even after Blessing tells him he’s talking about the Arctic. Readers should know Albert’s cheeks turn red when he’s fibbing, although he insists that he never tells a lie.
What didn’t work as well:
Snowmen are always supposed to follow the Snowman Code, but Albert Framlington seems to be less than serious about this concept. His cavalier attitude defines his character, but it may also be confusing. If rule number two says he’s supposed to help Blessing, then why isn’t he more honest with her?
The final verdict:
This magical story will appeal to young readers, as the author creates a very creative tale. The idea of living snowmen and their recurring births presents a story readers have never seen before. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot.
February 10, 2025
“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.”
The Snowman Code is a truly lovely story of friendship and facing your fears, perfect for the young and young at heart.
Upon seeing Simon Stephenson was a screenwriter for Paddington 2 and Luca (one of my favourite recent Pixar films), I knew that this book would be perfect to read to my class and have them help me review it. The story of a girl who feels alone in the world and the snowman she meets in London’s Victoria Park leads to an unlikely pairing, teaching each other the value of friendship. One of my students said that they could visualize the story easily in their heads (partly due to Stephenson’s screenwriting experience), and I couldn’t agree more. This adventure could be adapted quickly into a full-length feature or, as another student said, “the short snippets of different types of action could mean many different tv episodes.” Albert Framlington reminded me of the classic television special Frosty the Snowman with his funny quips and kind nature. My students chuckled at the humour and tone that Stephenson uses, and liked learning some British vocabulary words (they had no idea what ‘pitches’ meant!). This humour juxtaposes with more serious topics too, touching on seasonal depression and bullying, that were sensitively handled for this age group. When we finished the novel, my students said that they wanted more adventures between Blessing and Albert Framlington (always a good sign!).
This sweet winter adventure of love and finding your way is a wonderful story for readers of all ages. Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for the physical ARC!
The Snowman Code is a truly lovely story of friendship and facing your fears, perfect for the young and young at heart.
Upon seeing Simon Stephenson was a screenwriter for Paddington 2 and Luca (one of my favourite recent Pixar films), I knew that this book would be perfect to read to my class and have them help me review it. The story of a girl who feels alone in the world and the snowman she meets in London’s Victoria Park leads to an unlikely pairing, teaching each other the value of friendship. One of my students said that they could visualize the story easily in their heads (partly due to Stephenson’s screenwriting experience), and I couldn’t agree more. This adventure could be adapted quickly into a full-length feature or, as another student said, “the short snippets of different types of action could mean many different tv episodes.” Albert Framlington reminded me of the classic television special Frosty the Snowman with his funny quips and kind nature. My students chuckled at the humour and tone that Stephenson uses, and liked learning some British vocabulary words (they had no idea what ‘pitches’ meant!). This humour juxtaposes with more serious topics too, touching on seasonal depression and bullying, that were sensitively handled for this age group. When we finished the novel, my students said that they wanted more adventures between Blessing and Albert Framlington (always a good sign!).
This sweet winter adventure of love and finding your way is a wonderful story for readers of all ages. Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for the physical ARC!
August 27, 2025
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus
A charming Christmas story. I liked the idea of a 600 year old snowman, and modern readers will find the mother's Seasonal Affective Disorder interesting, but this seemed a bit young for my middle school students.
A charming Christmas story. I liked the idea of a 600 year old snowman, and modern readers will find the mother's Seasonal Affective Disorder interesting, but this seemed a bit young for my middle school students.
November 10, 2024
Simply beautiful. A perfect Christmas story for young and old
January 4, 2025
2.5 stars
July 23, 2025
ARC Copy...That was a super sweet and cozy read!
December 22, 2024
A fabulous story about love, about feeling lost, and about friendship. Ideally loved the way this story dealt with Seasonal Affective / Depression in a parent and the difficulties faced by children when in and out of care, being a young carer as well as bullying and school. Whilst also being a fun, and often silly, winter adventure.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews