'S NO Trick! How to Catch A Snowman by Adam Wallace

I don't thumpity thump or give warm hugs,
That's for my friends to do.
These clever kids will try to trap me,
But who will catch me.... YOU?

Of course the kids will give the chase their very best effort!

They try to coax Snowman onto the ice for a fun hockey game and trap him in the goalie cage, but he's too fast for them to score!

The kids strap on the skis for a downhill run, but Snowman's slalom outruns them, and on the ice his spins are twice as nice as theirs. And when they try to trick him into picking up some of their snowman snacks, ...he just makes tracks!

I'm glad I'm free, it's true.

But I can leave a gift for you!

That just how Snowman rolls, and the kids have to settle for Snowman's super SNOWMAN SCULPTURE conciliation prize in Adam Wallace's latest How to Catch book, How to Catch a Snowman, (Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky, 2018). Andy Elkerton's icy, snowy illustrations are lively and wintry, and as always, Snowman is up to the chase. The kids may not catch their quarry once more, but by now in this catchy series, they probably are not surprised. Other books in this series include How to Catch a Monster and Wallace's hit Christmasy chase story, How to Catch an Elf.

This Book Brought to You by the Letter Y! No Yeti Yet! by Mary Ann Fraser

"IT'S A PERFECT DAY FOR A YETI HUNT!

Forget going on a bear hunt! Big brother is looking for really big game. Little brother is not so sure. He asks the salient question:

"WHY WOULD WE WANT TO FIND A YETI?"

Big Brother says he wants to take a photo, and suited up for snow, with his camera in his pocket, he forges on ahead through the drifts, little brother trailing in his footsteps.

"HOW WILL WE KNOW WHEN WE SEE ONE?

Big brother has done his research, and he says yetis are big and very strong, shaggy and white, like the pine trees in the woods, and  smells like wet wool. They have huge feet and run fast through snow. Big brother leads them through the snowy woods, but little brother is still not fully on board with the quest.  He looks around a bit fearfully. Every snowy tree looks like a yeti to him.

"DO YOU SEE A YETI?"

"NO YETI YET."

The brothers trudge up a hill and have a glorious slide down the other side. Little brother inquires where yetis live and gets a reply that doesn't reassure him at all.

"IN A DEEP, DARK CAVE."

And after many laconic answers of "Yup," "Nope," and "No Yeti yet," they find a cave. Big brother leads the way inside, following some humongous tracks.

YOWL!

"YIKES"

It's a yeti sighting for sure, right behind them. Big brother's camera flashes and drops to the floor of the cave and the brothers run for home without a backward look.

Safe behind their locked door, the two boys see a surprisingly friendly face at their window--their yeti, smiling and holding up their dropped camera.

Do yetis like hot cocoa? Yup, this one does, and it's an occasion for a yeti selfie, in Mary Ann Fraser's No Yeti Yet (Peter Pauper Press, 2015).

Among the plethora of yeti tales this winter, this one stands out for its sly use of suspense and spare dialog between the two brothers as they stalk the wily yeti through the wintry scene. Fraser's illustrations provide the comic counterpoint to the deadpan serious hunters, with her jolly yeti, planted, semi-concealed in every page, to the delight of story circle kids. Readers will be chiming in on the refrain, "No Yeti Yet!" while spotting the not-a-bit-scary yeti who wryly stalks his stalkers, even building his own not-so-abominable snowman in the background. "Light, wintry fun for the cryptozoologically inclined," says Publishers Weekly.

Enough Is Enough! The Thing about Yetis by Vin Vogel

THE THING ABOUT YETIS IS THAT YETIS LOVE WINTER.

Well, of course. Any creature known alternatively as "the Abominable Snowman" should love winter. Snow is their reality, right?

Little Yeti is all about winter wonderlands. In his red knitted cap with pompoms and his cuddly plush Yeti doll in blue earmuffs, he's ready to chill out in the wintry blast.

He loves waking up to hushed snowbound mornings. He knows how to build a mean snow fort, and he's keen on belly-flopping across the ice.

YETIS MAKE THE BEST SNOWBALLS ON THE PLANET!

He also loves slurping hot chocolate with marshmallows like snowballs on top.

But... Just think what it's like to have wet fur whenever you come inside for that cocoa. You haven't seen frizz until you see Yeti fur frizz! POOFY!

And being cold can just get OLD!

YETIS CAN GET DOWNRIGHT CRABBY!

Yep. Yetis get seasonal affective disorder, too.

Who wouldn't when there's nothing in the landscape but snow? Yetis get really, really cold, and even they dream of warm days, too. They get nostalgic about crickets chirping through long summer nights. They remember bird songs, and the sound of waves breaking on the warm sand. Little Yeti yearns to do his belly-flopping on the summer Slip-'n'-Slide.

So what's the cure for Yeti S.A.D.-ness?

Go south Young Yeti, and that's just what Vin Vogel's little character does in his The Thing About Yetis (Dial Press, 2015).  Vogel's lovably plump little guy takes a break from the snow for a bit of time in a sunny clime in a jolly wintry story that admits the downside of the snowtime blues. As Publishers Weekly puts it, "Vogel narrates with gentle humor as his yetis—and the human kids they play with—remind readers that there’s plenty of fun to be had in every season."

I Think I Can! I Think I Can! The Little Snowplow by Lora Koehler

The gang at the maintenance garage of the Mighty Mountain Road Crew have powerful motors. They boast big blades and righteous rumbles and roars.

THEY COME IN ONE SIZE--BIG.

When a new and shiny little snowplow joins the crew, there are a lot of sidelong looks from their headlights, and grimaces from their grills. The new little guy doesn't look like he's got what it takes to move much of anything!

"YOU'RE SUCH A LITTLE SNOWPLOW," THE BIG TRUCKS SAID. "LEAVE THE HEAVY LIFTING TO US."

But the Little Snowplow is not dispirited. He sees their sneers and headlamp eye rolls, but he only becomes more determined to show he can do the job. In the spring he scrapes the silt from the streams so that they run clear, with no flooding. After the July 4 parade, he humbly scoops up the trash, and in the fall he pushes up the fallen leaves so that they can be composted. No job is too small for Little Snowplow.

But he has a plan. He knows he needs to show some muscle when the winter storms begin, so he uses gravel piles and concrete blocks as his gym equipment to bulk up his lifting ability. His workout includes multiple sets of plow lifts before bedtime. He keeps his tank full of diesel and his oil clean and clear. He's ready for whatever winter's snow and ice bring.

When the first snows come, he's up before the sun and on the job. He cleans the streets as the snow falls, while the big boys idle in the garage, waiting for the snow to become too much for him. Un-dissed, he soldiers on dutifully, clearing the same city streets over and over to keep traffic moving. He's nimble and quick, and he never stops working.

But then the Big Snow comes, one that challenges the Mighty Mountain Road Crew's mettle.

THIS SNOW IS TOO BIG FOR ANYONE TO HANDLE ON HIS OWN!" DUMP TRUCK GRUMBLED AS HE DROVE OUT.

The big boys hit the streets, engines roaring, proud to show off their might. But then, there's a frightening sound.

WHOOOOSH!

An avalanche of snow and rocks crashes down the mountain, burying Dump Truck in a cul de sac, And there's a big boulder blocking the big boys from digging him out. Only Little Snowplow is nimble enough to squeeze past the big rock and doughty enough to dig him out.

"WAY TO GO, HALF-PINT!" THE BEHEMOTHS BELLOW.

Chug over, Otis the tractor. Take a break, Katy the plow! Throttle back, Little Toot! Take the sidetrack, Little Engine That Could! There's a new mighty mite on the job in Lora Koehler's first book, The Little Snowplow (Candlewick Press, 2015), a classic tale of the little newbie with the can-do work ethic who shows the big guys that it takes all kinds to get the job done right.

Despite its oft-used premise, Koehler's tale is as fresh as last night's snowfall, and Jake Parker's pencil and digital color illustrations, with their anthropomorphic big vehicles' smirks and winks, are just as cutely charming as any of those stories of small but sturdy heroes on the shelf. Youngsters will relish seeing the little guy teach the grown-ups a lesson in determination. Says School Library Journal, "... this story is a modern take on a timeless message."

But don't mothball the other mighty mites. Pair or quadruple the fun of this new one with Loren Long's Otis, Virginia Lee Burton's Katy and the Big Snow, Hardie Gramatky's Little Toot, and the evergreen Christmas story, Watty Piper's The Little Engine That Could (Little Letters Edition).

When The Snow Goes: Bear and Mimi in the Snow by Janee Trasler

WHEN MIMI TRIED ON HATS TO HAVE TEA WITH THE QUEEN, BEAR WAS THERE.

Mimi actually does almost nothing without her little blue Bear. So when she ventures out into the new snowfall, she pretends to ice skate in the Olympics, tips a teacup with royalty, and finally creates a scary snow monster, all with Bear at hand. But when she notices that it's getting dark and turns to go inside...

BEAR WAS NOT THERE.

She looks everywhere she has been in the snow, but there's no Bear anywhere! At last when Mimi has to go inside and go to bed, sadly there's no Bear there with her either.

The next morning Mimi bundles up to go search for Bear some more. But outside her door, everything is not as it was before.

Her championship ice rink is gone, with nothing but a muddy pond where it had been. Where she had worn her fancy hat for the Queen's high tea, there was just a muddy spot. Her hat was not there either. Mimi is sad. Where the hairy snow beast had stood tall in the snow, there was no snow at all.

BUT BEAR WAS THERE.

When the snow goes, what's below shows, in Janee Trasler's Mimi and Bear in the Snow (Feiwel and Friends, 2014), and like the sensible little rabbit girl she is, Mimi makes sure that in the future Bear travels inside her backpack--so that wherever she goes, Bear goes, too.

Janee Trasler's little snow story is told in simple, straightforward text, with only a few lines in Mimi's face revealing her feelings. But young readers, who likely know what it's like to lose a favorite toy, will spot when and where Bear makes his disappearance and love being ahead of the story all along. Trasler's rounded figures and simplified snowscape fit perfectly within the matter-of-fact narration, making this one a sweet and satisfying snowy day tale for preschoolers, a story for youngsters not quite ready for the step into fantasy in Raymond Briggs'classic story of The Snowman.

Downhill! Peppa Pig and the Day at Snowy Mountain

PEPPA AND GEORGE WAKE ONE DAY.

"IT'S SNOWING!"

"WE'LL GO UP SNOWY MOUNTAIN," SAID MUMMY PIG.

Mummy sees that the kids bundle up, and Daddy Pig loads up and warms up the car. They're all set, right?

But when they get to Snowy Mountain, they realize they are missing something important.

"WE DON'T HAVE A SLED!

Daddy Pig makes a noble gesture: he lies down headfirst and invites Peppa and George to climb on his back. He kicks off and they begin to slide down the mountain. Peppa and George whoop with joy as they speed past the other little sledders. Daddy Pig winds up with a snoot full of snow, but it's worth it.

Now it's time for some skiing. But first they have to take the ski lift UP the hill. From their chairs they marvel at the view. But Daddy Pig gets a little too enthusiastic about ogling the landscape and falls out of his chair and... splat!

"HE'S A WALKING SNOW DADDY!" GEORGE AND PEPPA SHOUT."

But Daddy Pig is a good sport, and after he shakes off his snowman disguise, the family take a few skiing lessons from Madame Gazelle, who leads them to the beginner's slope for their first run. Mummy Pig says she remembers how to ski, and pushes off for a run all the way down the mountain. There's just one problem!

"SHE FORGETS HOW TO STOP!"

It's Mummy Pig's turn to wind up with her face in the snow, in Peppa Pig and the Day at Snowy Mountain (Candlewick Press, 2014). The popular Peppa Pig television series shows the various snow sports that winter offers, including a spot of ice skating as well. Preschoolers get a taste of winter sports, learn a little about planning ahead, and generally enjoy a chilly but silly day of family fun in the snow.

Pair this wintry one with Peppa Pig: Peppa's Christmas Wish, Peppa Pig and the Lost Christmas List,or Peppa's Christmas. (Peppa Pig), for a seasonal storytime for Peppa fans.

Snow Job! Skippyjon Jones, Snow What? by Judy Schachner

"WE NEED TO PICK A BOOK!" SAYS MAMA.

"SNOW WHITE!" GUSHED THE GIRLS.

When Mama Cat calls her kitties to come in out of the snow for some catnip cocoa, her kitty BOY, Skippyjon Jones, can't take the girly stories his sisters Jezebel and JuJuBee choose. He cuts out and flees to his room.

HE HOPS OVER TO HIS MIRROR, AND USING HIS VERY BEST SPANISH ACCENT, HE SAID:
"MIRROR, MIRROR, ON THE WALL,
WHO IS THE HANDSOMEST CHIHUAHUA OF ALL?

OH, MY NAME IS SKIPPITO FRISKITO... (CLAP! CLAP!)
AND I KNOW AN OLD FUZZY TALE-ITO.
IT'S GOT PLENTY OF FIGHTS,
AND NO ONE WEARS TIGHTS!
AND THAT'S THE BEST PART, MIS AMIGOS!" (CLAP! CLAP!)

And it's through the looking glass (actually through his closet) for Skippyjon, who morphs into his adventurous alter ego, Skippito Friskito, and joins his Chihuahua poochito pals, rescue dog-searching for a certain famous, well-cooled princess. But when it comes to the cure for the hyper-chilled heroine, this pooch is smooch averse!

"I'M NOT KISSING SNOW-BODY!" HE DECLARES.

Skippyjon leads the poochitos in a really cool winter romp, in which Skippito Friskito has to go back on his boast, ironically coming up with his own best beso, a kiss to release the icy princess from her spell.

"DUDE, JUST KISS THE CUBE!!" URGE THE CHIHUAHUAS.

Judy Schachner's Skippyjon is always good for a South of the Border-flavored fantasy adventure in Chihuahua land, this time in el heilo (the snow). There's a blizzard-ito of bilingual puns and kid-pleasing rhymes and the usual Skippyjon limerick song to keep the tail-itos wagging in this latest kitty boy tale, Skippyjon Jones Snow What (Dial Press, 2014), all done up in a chilly blue and white palette to set the wintry scene. More chuckles for fans of that Jones boy! "Both feline hero and story are full of beans (more Mexican-jumping than pinto) but ay caramba, mucho fun," quips Kirkus Reviews.

Snow Magic: Outside by Deirdre Gill

OUTSIDE, THE SNOW FALLS SILENTLY ON THE HOUSE.

INSIDE, A BOY HAS NOTHING TO DO.

His toy dragon mounts an attack on his brother, who sits immobile in front of a screen, oblivious to red plush fantasies.

So the boy suits up in coat, tall boots, and scarf and leaves him behind.

He steps outside... into a different world, and on the bottom step turns around and falls backward...

PLOOF!

HE SINKS INTO THE SOFT SNOW.

Looking up at the sky, with just a few wispy clouds, he sees in them the shape of an angel, and makes his own angel in the snow. He knocks on the window and writes on the frosty glass, "Come outside," but his brother is lost in a game on another screen.

SO THE BOY BEGINS TO ROLL A LITTLE CLUMP OF SNOW.

And when the snowball is taller than he is, he sculpts a snow creature.

The snow creature and the boy regard each other seriously and then they begin to build...

UNTIL,

THE CASTLE IS PERFECT.

A castle calls for a dragon, and waving goodbye to the snow creature on the ground, the boy mounts the dragon's back and soars, over the trees, over his house, and beyond the village, which grows tiny below him as the sun begins to set.

Then it is time to leave his snow dragon and head back inside, except... there is his brother, finally in his parka and boots and ready to go out, and together by starlight the boys

PLAY OUTSIDE.

Not even the most jaded adult commuter can miss the magic of a new-snow morning, all angles softened and all the drab colors of winter vanquished beneath sparkling white. Deirdre Gill's debut book, Outside (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014). forthcoming today, takes the reader outside, outside the house, yes, but also outside the usual world to a place where trees and snowmen become magical beings and even a sunset dragon offers a flight above the everyday world. Gill's narration is simple, set against her illustrations, done in retro style and soft pastels, the grays, blues, and whites of the snow, the soft green of the gingerbread-trimmed farmhouse, and the dragon's-breath red and orange glow of the dragon that evoke everychild's dream of a snowy day. Possibly the best snow book of the year, this one is perfect for reading alone or pairing with the classics, Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day or Raymond Briggs' The Snowman.

Funderstudy: The Very Fairy Princess Sparkles in the Snow by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

I HAVE SOMETHING INSIDE, SOMETHING SPARKLY THAT IS HARD TO EXPLAIN.

LIKE ALL FAIRY PRINCESSES, I SPEND A LOT OF TIME CARING FOR MY SUBJECTS AND MAKING THEM FEEL HAPPY.

FAIRY PRINCESSES TRY TO SPREAD JOY AND WONDER WHENEVER AND WHEREVER THEY CAN!

It's a hard job, but somebody has to do it, and Jerry is on the job. When she learns that her chorus is performing in the annual school Winter Wonderland Festival, she's sure that they need her to be their soloist.

Jerry goes into instant audition mode. At rehearsals she steps out just a little in front of her row, singing very loudly, showing that she has the most enthusiasm for the number. A bit grumpily, her teacher reminds her that all the voices in a chorus are supposed to blend into one. On her way to lunch, she stops to pretend to tie her shoe which singing right in front of his office. At recess she belts out the melody under his window.

Poor Mr. Higginbotham, ambushed at every turn by Gerry's obvious hints that she's available! But it's all for naught, as Mr. Higginbotham soon announces that a professional singer has been engaged to sing the solo with the chorus. Gerry is terribly disappointed, and when a big snow covers the roads, she's almost glad. Ever the optimist, Gerry warms up before she leaves. After all, a very fairy princess is always well prepared!"

And as if her unspoken wish is magically granted, when they arrive at the school for the performance, Mr. Higginbotham announces that the soloist is stuck somewhere in the snow. But the show must go on, and her teacher turns to Gerry. Can she step in to sing the solo part?

Fairy princesses are ever plucky, with a platitude for every turn of fortune, and Gerry's got one for this occasion as well:

FAIRY PRINCESSES ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO LEND A HAND IN A CRISIS!

But when Gerry heads to the art room to get ready for her big chance, she finds she has a wardrobe malfunction. She's left her dress-up shoes at home! Snow boots are not at all appropriate for this occasion. Looking around the room, however, Gerry spots some paints and several brushes soaking in a jar, and has an idea born of desperation.  She paints her socks, one with a hole in the toe, a lovely shade of lavender, adding purple ballet shoes to her feet, and to the giggles of the other singers, leaves a disconcerting trail of purple footprints across the stage. Gerry steps in front of the other singers and looks out over the festively decorated auditorium, hoping that the paint still covers her big toe. Suddenly, her sparkle sinks. Can she really do this? she wonders, as the orchestra begins the introduction.

But not even a snow storm can dim a very fairy princess's sparkle for long, and in the best show business tradition, Gerry doesn't miss a note and even manages to have fun, in Julie Andrews' and Emma Hamilton's latest in this series, The Very Fairy Princess Sparkles in the Snow (Little, Brown, 2013).  Done up with sparkly snowflake cover and Christine Davenier's bright ink and pastel pencil palette, this latest in the series makes use of some well-used story elements in a story that nevertheless celebrates the power of preparation and good old-fashioned pluck. Kirkus Reviews even gives this title a starred review (for show-biz *sparkle*, no doubt), saying "Kids are sure to applaud this encore performance."

For the rest of the picture books in this popular series, see my reviews here.

First Snow: Cub's Big World by Sarah L. Thompson

CUB KNEW ALL ABOUT THE WORLD.
IT WAS SMOOTH
AND WHITE
AND COOL.

INSIDE THE WORLD WERE MOM
AND CUB
AND THAT WAS ALL.

For a newborn cub, just opening her eyes, her den, dug deep in the snow and snug and warm with Mom's big furry body surrounding her, is a fine world, but a very small one.

But when Mom amazingly pokes a hole in that world and leads Cub outside, her concept of the world is transformed.  There is so much light, yellow and bright, that Cub has to blink and blink until her eyes grow used to it.  The sky is a color that is totally new.  Mom says it's called "blue."

Cub climbs a small hill. It's hard, but when she gets to the top, she suddenly slips and slides down the other side!

FAST! FAST! FAST!

THE WORLD IS FUN!

Now Cub can't wait to see what the whole world is like. But where is Mom in all this whiteness? Then she remembers Mom has a black nose. Cub sets out toward something black.

She meets big, black ravens who squawk at her, ermine with black tips on their tails who swish away, and then, looking down into a hole in the ice, into the deep green water, she sees the flash of a black seal who dives deep under the sea. It's all very exciting, but when Cub looks up again, she can't see anything but snow and more snow. Where is Mom?

THE WORLD WAS TOO BIG!

Sarah Thompson's Cub's Big World (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013) makes creative use of her polar snowcap setting in this lovely exploration of the familiar "little runaway" theme.  Thompson's full-bleed pages portray the many colors of the arctic world--blinding white in the sun, cool icy blue in the shadows, and multicolored under the colors of the Northern Lights. Cub is small but central in this snowscape as she bravely sets out to explore her environment. Being alone in that big world is truly scary, but young readers will spot Mom keeping watch at a distance until she senses that her cub is ready for her mom to reappear and restore her perspective on the world.

This is an old story, (much older even than Peter Rabbit) told in spare but lyrical language, depicted in distinctive and exquisite illustrations which show Cub's enlarging world from a variety of perspectives. It is also one that is a metaphor for the young child, whose world grows with each exploration, especially with a parental presence to make sure each experience is good for the youngster's growing understanding. Horn Book's reviewer says, "The suspense is toddler-perfect, with Mom appearing the moment it all becomes too much. . . Lap-sit ready, with a built-in hug at the end."

Through the Woods: I Am NOT Red Riding Hood by Alessandro Lecis

A little girl sets forth with her basket through the forest. A gentle snow begins and she seems to know where she's going, until she meets a shaggy beast along the way.

No, she is NOT Red Riding Hood! That's a red scarf she wearing, not a hood, and that shaggy beast is clearly a big white bear. When he follows form, inquiring what she is carrying so carefully in her little basket, she replies, "Nothing."

Her basket has a different calling: it is for collecting snow, and now just any snow, mind you. The girl with the red scarf has high expectations. The snow she seeks is very soft, paler than milk, more downy than a summer cloud, and scented like vanilla ice cream.

The bear, however, is not intimidated by her her request, and taking her hand they fly above the wood to find that special snow beneath a full white moon. The two play and dance in the snow and the little anti-Red Riding Hood fills her basket as planned. As she grows sleepy, the big white bear escorts her home, where she drowsily gives her new friend the red scarf and observes that, as the bear had warned, the snow has melted and is gone.

"I COULD ... DANCE IN THE SNOW, BUT I COULD NOT KEEP THE SNOW."

Some things, like snow and dancing with a white bear in the moonlight, are ephemeral, says Alessandro Lecis' new tale for a snowy night, I Am Not Little Red Riding Hood (Sky Pony Press, 2013). There is an understated fairy tale mood here, with a definite European feel to this quaint story. With a pale blue and white palette, accented only the red scarf, Linda Wolfsgruber's illustrations contribute to the dream-sequence feel of this story for a snowy evening.

Conflict Resolution: Pip and Posy: the Snowy Day by Axel Scheffler

IT WAS A VERY SNOWY DAY.  PIP AND POSY WANTED TO GO OUT AND PLAY.

WHEREVER THEY WALKED, THEY LEFT BIG FOOTPRINTS. THEY CAUGHT SNOWFLAKES ON THEIR TONGUES. THEY EVEN MADE SNOW ANGELS.  

The two friends, bundled up warmly in woolly mittens and scarves and waterproof boots, are having  all kinds of snowy day fun. They admire the distinctive snow angels they have made, and that makes them want to make something else--a snowman.

Working together happily, they roll up and stack the three snow spheres and add a smiling face.  But their warm feelings quickly cool when they try determine which kind of snow critter it is. Pip wants to make a snow rabbit with long ears like his.  Posy prefers a snow mouse with round ears like hers.

"SNOW RABBIT!"

"SNOW MOUSE!"

A compromise--one short round ear and one long pointy ear--looks simply silly. Tempers get hot and their friendship quickly chills.

POSY WAS SO MAD AT PIP THAT SHE THREW THE SNOW CREATURE'S HEAD AT HIM.

Push comes to shove, and the former friends are soon having a full-fledged snow fight!  Even the watching crow in each illustration seems to be croaking, "nevermore."

Their mittens soaked and their scarves soggy,  their friendship seemingly turned frosty, Pip and Posy are at a snow day impasse, in Axel Scheffler's latest tale of two friends, Pip and Posy: The Snowy Day (Nosy Crow Books, 2013).  It's time to leave the cold behind and warm up inside, where the two old friends chill out over cups of hot chocolate, in the fifth book in Scheffler's delightful Pip and Posy series. Scheffler's text is spare but sparkling, and his artwork and page design are admirable, with their heavy blackline drawings and font and strong watercolored drawings showing two old friends working out their differences on their own. Kirkus Reviews says, "Just the ticket for children who are developing social skills and learning what it is to be a friend."

'S No Time to Shiver! If It's Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws! by Kim Norman

IF IT'S SNOWY AND YOU KNOW IT, CLAP YOUR PAWS.

YOU CAN TUMBLE ON THE TUNDRA JUST BECAUSE....

IF IT'S SNOWY AND YOU KNOW IT,

ROLL A SNOWBALL AND THROW IT!

IF IT'S SNOWY AND YOU KNOW IT, CLAP YOUR PAWS!

In rollicking rhythm and rhyme, an unlikely group of diverse animals gather together on a snowy shore to enjoy a sunny snow day. Their fur gets full of flurries, they outline snow angels in their own shapes, ski in tandem down the slopes, and sculpt awesome snow animals all around.

IF IT'S FROSTY AND YOU'RE FREEZING, BUILD A FORT!

LEAVE ROOM FOR ALL YOUR BUDDIES, TALL AND SHORT!

In her newest, If It's Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws! (Sterling, 2013), author Kim Norman adapts the familiar five-line-stanza urban folk song to wintry weather, using all the good stuff of versification--wordplay, alliteration, and a merry meter. Her story in rhyme carries the snow-loving pals through a day of snow play--building snowmen and snow forts, skiing, floating on ice floes (and getting a bump back to shore from a passing beluga whale), singing around their bonfire, and sharing tasty treats--until they slowly grow sleepy and drift inside for some quiet time before bedtime:

IF IT'S SLEETING AND YOU'RE SLEEPY, CLIMB IN BED.

TUCK YOU TAILS AND PAWS AND FINS UNDER THE SPREAD....

Liza Woodruff's colored pencil and watercolored illustrations are picture perfect, with her hyperactive animal actors playing and socializing all over the snowscape, giving this story plenty of page appeal, but the bouncy meter of the verse provides the ear candy which will encourage kids to clap and sing along as well, lending itself to many venues--car rides, field trip bus rides, class programs, circle games indoors or out, and simple storytime readalouds. Clap your hands to welcome to a rousing new classic for the winter snow bookshelf!

For a snow day duo, pair Norman and Woodruff's latest with their sister snow story, Ten on the Sled.

Careful What You Wish For! Rabbit's Snow Dance by Joseph and James Bruchac

Rabbits didn't always have short tails, you know.

LONG AGO RABBIT HAD A VERY LONG, BEAUTIFUL TAIL.

BUT EVEN THOUGH HIS TAIL WAS LONG, HIS PATIENCE WAS SHORT.

You see, Rabbit was gifted with great big, showshoe feet, and in winter when the snow was very deep, he could jump up to  the  spring buds sleeping on all the branches and make a fine meal of them. Rabbit prefers the buds above all other foods. But in summer, when there was no deep snow, he can't quite leap high enough to get all he wants.

All the other animals are quite pleased with summer, but Rabbit is too impatient to wait for the changing of the seasons.

"I WANT IT. I WANT IT. I WANT IT... RIGHT NOW!" HE WOULD SAY.

AS EVERYONE KNOWS, IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO SNOW IN THE SUMMER.

RABBIT, THOUGH, WAS IMPATIENT.

"I WANT SNOW. I WANT SNOW. I WANT SNOW!"

Now, in addition to his long tail, Rabbit is gifted with a special drum and some magical words, and he is not afraid to use them to get what he wants when he wants it.

I WILL MAKE IT SNOW!

AZIKANAPO! AZIKANAPO! AZIKANAPO!

YO YO YO!"

Although Rabbit knows that what he is doing is wrong for the season, he continues to beat his drum and chant, and sure enough, snow begins to fall on the summer woods. Rabbit keeps it up despite the warnings from Otter, Chipmunk, and Squirrel that bringing snow too soon is going to end badly.

As the snow piles deeper and deeper over the grass, Rabbit is soon gorging himself on the tender leaves and buds, and when the snow reaches the upper branches, he is too full and too tired to keep up his chanting, so he falls asleep in the treetops.

But Rabbit doesn't control the sun, and when the summer day breaks the next day and the sun's heat reaches the snowfall, it begins to melt quickly, so fast that when Rabbit wakes up, he finds the deep snow gone and himself high and dry in the tiny branches at the top of a tree. Now, Rabbit is a great jumper, but he is not a great climber like Squirrel and Chipmunk, and when he tries to get down, his big feet trip him up, and he falls down, down, down, through the branches he has stripped, leaving tufts of his glorious tail behind him. By the time he hits the ground, his tail is tiny and his proud willfulness has shrunk as well.

TO THIS DAY, RABBIT HAS A SHORT TAIL.

In his latest, Rabbit's Snow Dance (Dial Books, 2012), Joseph Bruchac shares his considerable skills in translating Native American folklore into the modern idiom, assisted here by son James and by artist Jeff Newman, whose angular, modernistic cartoon illustrations bring the point of this porquoi (why) story home to roost. As many another cautionary tale from many cultures teaches, "be careful what you wish for" (because you might get it!). Bruchac is the master of the "It's not nice to mess with Mother Nature" tale, as many of his popular folklore stories show.

Modern kids will love chanting Rabbit's toddler tantrum lines along with the book, but will also get the theme behind this seasonal snow story. As the Rolling Stones told us, "You can't always get what you want!"

There's No Business Like Snow Business: Snowmen At Work by Caralyn and Mark Buehner

ONE NIGHT I MADE A SNOWMAN,
THEN WENT INSIDE TO SLEEP.
AND WHEN I WOKE, I SAW MORE SNOW
HAD FALLEN SOFT AND DEEP.

I WENT OUTSIDE TO SHOVEL
BUT I SAW THE WALK WAS CLEAR.
NO ONE ELSE WAS OUTSIDE
BUT MY SNOWMAN STANDING NEAR.

Following that thought, the boy drifts into a snowflake flight of fancy: If his snowman shovels snow at night, what other night-shift jobs might snowmen have?

Well, snow removal is a natural, so to speak, shoveling and sweeping snow, operating snow blowers and snowplows. And what kinds of groceries would a snow-grocer sell? Frosted Flakes, frozen peas, and ice cream for sure. And the snowman and snowwoman bakery would specialize in fancy icing and frosted cupcakes. A snow pizza delivery man would bring--frozen pizzas, of course, and a snow dentist drills and fills the patient's smile with new lumps of coal And a snow teacher would be way cool, specializing in polar geography and spelling of Antarctica.

Author Caralyn Buehner and artist Mark Buehner have a lot of fun fantasizing about their snow people's snow business, with Caralyn's simple rhythmic quatrains and Mark's rotund snow workers at their jolly vocations, all with a big lumps of coals showing off their snowy grins. Mark Buehner dresses his frozen folks in bright plaid and striped woolly scarves and hats and even provides hidden figures in his illustrations--a cat, dinosaur, mouse, and even snowshoe rabbit, who appears on one page with two carrots for ears--to add extra panache to his pictures.

Their latest cool tale, Snowmen at Work (Dial Books, 2012), joins the Buehner's earlier snowpeople sagas, Snowmen at Christmas, Snowmen at Night, and Snowmen All Year.

'S No Joke! Fancy Nancy: There's No Day Like a Snow Day by Jane O'Connor

OOO LA LA! IT'S A BLIZZARD!

THE RADIO SAYS THAT IT'S THE STORM OF THE CENTURY (CENTURY IS A FANCY WAY OF SAYING 100 YEARS)!

It is 6:30 A.M., and as soon as she finds out that it is definitely a snow day, Nancy is on the phone calling her best friend Bree.

"COME OVER TOUTE DE SUITE!" (THAT'S FRENCH FOR "RIGHT AWAY!")

Nancy already has visions of the whole family zooming down Mt. Everest, the local sledding hill with her and Bree on the lead sled! But then reality intrudes.

"GROWN-UPS DON'T GET SNOW DAYS," DAD SAYS. "THAT'S A SAD BUT TRUE FACT OF LIFE."

Mrs. DeVine is summoned to babysit Nancy, Jojo, and Bree and little brother Freddy, and Mrs. D. laments that her sledding days are over! Alors, the kids have to enjoy their snow day in the front yard where she can supervise.

'S NO joke!

But, of course, the effervescent Nancy has a alternate plan for fancy snow doings. They make snow angels and decorate their wings with pine cones. They build a bunch of royal snow people, raiding Nancy's seemingly limitless collection of accessories to make them the fanciest snow queen, king, and crown prince and princesses, complete with tiaras ever, while Mrs. DeVine rustles up a batch of snowflake cookies in the kitchen. It's not been too shabby a snow day after all. And then...

"IT'S TWILIGHT, WHICH IS A LOVELY WORD FOR WHEN IT'S ALMOST DARK OUT. WE ALL CATCH SNOWFLAKES ON OUR TONGUES."

But the best is yet to come. Mom and Dad return from work, and seeing the sleds still leaning hopefully against the porch, they decide that this is the perfect time for a moonlight trip to Mt. Everest, and soon all the kids are on board for an epic run down the moonlit hill.

"SOON WE ARE ZOOMING DOWN THE HILL AT SONIC SPEED (THAT MEANS REALLY, REALLY FAST!)"

It's a snow day to remember in Jane O'Connor's timely Fancy Nancy: There's No Day Like a Snow Day (Harper, 2012), which comes with (yes!) STICKERS with which to fancy-up an extra page of snow people just ready for accessorizing. There's no day like a snow day with Fancy Nancy on board the sleigh.