Cow Lovers Should Get a Kick Out of Millie in the Snow

There are many animals that are frequently the subjects of Christmas books. Reindeer. Bears. Mice. Less common are stories that focus on cows. While there are several farm-themed books in which cows appear, there are relatively few in which they play a significant part. One of these is Mille in the Snow, a cute book written and illustrated by Alexander Steffensmeier.

Millie, he tells us, is “not an ordinary cow”. As if to confirm this notion, the first two-page spread, in which the woman who owns Millie milks her, shows us that in the barn there hangs a picture of a cow wearing a Superman costume. No, Millie is not moonlighting as a superhero. But she does have a very important job. She is a mail cow.

The mail carrier she works with is a cheerful fellow with glasses, a bit of stubble and a slightly pudgy build. He’s no ordinary mailman either, as he spends all of his free time carefully crafting gifts for the farmer and her many animal friends. We see how much work he’s gone to in a funny two-page spread that shows him at work on a series of presents. On the bottom of the pages, we’re treated to the imagined reactions of the recipients. The farmer’s is especially amusing.

Steffensmeier doesn’t tell us where this book, a sequel to Millie Waits for the Mail, is set. He hails from Germany, so that seems a likely candidate, though I tend to imagine it being someplace in the northernmost reaches of Minnesota. There’s something very midwestern about these endearing characters, and the thick blanket of snow, along with the mailman’s handiness with a pair of skis, suggests an especially cold winter season.

The writing style is enjoyable, with a few sentences per page in a variety of sizes. While there are some two-page spreads, some pages are broken up comic book-style, adding to a sense of panic when crisis hits and helping to move the story along very quickly. The pictures are full of details both funny and sweet. On the tender side, the mailman has a framed picture of him and Millie on the wall, while he daydreams about the impact a sprig of mistletoe might have upon the farmer.

Much of the humor comes from the antics of the many birds throughout the book. There are chickens in scarves and on skis, three-toed stockings hanging on the line in anticipation of Santa and a pile-up of crows on the telephone wire. Then, of course, there is the conclusion, during which the mailman’s gifts are distributed to the wrong recipients, owing to Millie’s ordeal on her way home from her mail rounds, which jumbled up the packages.

With appealing illustrations and a sweet tone, Millie in the Snow is a funny and charming story that is sure to appeal to cow lovers of all ages at Christmastime.