Snowman Paul is back in The Amazing Snowman Duel by Yossi Lapid. The story is set in the snowy land in which Dan lives with his fun-loving and amiable snowman friend, Paul. But when Dan’s neighbor, Bill, gets Nick, a snowman of his own, things turn interesting. Nick looks ferocious; his face is grim and his stance is firm, as though he’s about to enter into a battle. When Bill and Nick challenge Paul to a duel, Paul pulls out “Rules for Duels in Snowman Land,” then sets off to prepare himself for the midnight match. All the animals come from far and wide, by land, sea, and air. When Paul finally shows up for the event without a helmet or a stick, everyone is in for a surprise, for it seems that the rules for duels in Snowman Land keep everyone from harm.

The illustrations for The Amazing Snowman Duel are themselves nothing short of amazing. They are vivid and colorful. Joanna Pasek has captured the various personalities in the faces of the children, the snowmen, and their animal friends. Indeed, on seeing Nick, one gets the impression that he is a mean spirited creature and therein lies one of the lessons in this tale. That is - things are not always as they appear, and thus you cannot judge someone’s behavior by their looks. Yossi Lapid’s tale further teaches that competition is good, but that harming someone in the process of pursuing a goal is not. If you are looking for a quick and easy read for little ones, pick up a copy of The Amazing Snowman Duel.

Good friends are sometimes difficult to deal with. Especially when one friend decides he or she wants to dominate the relationship and prove that he or she is better than everyone else. Bill is that kind of a friend. He is always trying something new to show that he’s the best. So, when he decides that his snowman, Nick, is the strongest and the toughest because Nick has a stick, a challenge is issued to Snowman Paul to meet Snowman Nick at midnight for a duel. Snowman Paul agrees to the duel, but only if they follow the rules from the very important book, “Rules for Duels in Snowman Land.” It’s quite a big deal to have a Snowman Duel, and word spreads fast. Snowman Paul isn’t worried, even when Snowman Nick arrives with a helmet, armor, and a stick. How can Snowman Paul possible defeat such an armored opponent?

Friendships are hard, but if everyone plays fair and treats the other friend with respect, than friends can have a long and beneficial relationship. Friends are meant to be together in good times and in bad times. Snowman Paul’s message is to play fair and then you’ll always have good friends. Yossi Lapid’s colorful picture book story, The Amazing Snowman Duel, is another charming addition to his snowman series. Like his other books in the series, this one tells a story with characters that are good role models for young readers. Snowman Paul certainly has a lot of lessons to teach his young friends as well as his many young readers. Play fair and life can be fun; friends can be fun.