clever!! ( )

This is a light and fun new take on the classic “animals finding something in the snow and getting confused” trope, i.e. The Mitten. These animals, a squirrel and a chipmunk to be precise (Yes, chipmunks hibernate in the winter and it’s the same size as the squirrel. Let’s call it a ground squirrel and then they can both be up and about) find a bunch of weird things stuck in the snow.

Of course, kids will instantly realize they’re looking at a snowman, complete with classic top hat, mitten hands, scarf, buttons, coal eyes, and a carrot nose. After they play around with the bits and pieces for a while, attracting the interest of other woodland friends like a mole, bird, owl, and rabbit, they come up with a plan. Using the coal and sticks as fuel, the hat, scarf, and buttons as a table and settings, they make “dragon tooth soup” out of the carrot nose. However, the next morning they feel a little guilty at taking all the things so they put them back, in almost the same spots! The story ends with a fox and cardinal toting off the remaining hat, mittens, and other pieces for their own celebration.

The endpages at the beginning show the building of the snowman, adding each piece to its proper place, while the final endpapers show the wacky recreations of the snowman’s accessories, with the scarf as giant bunny ears, multiple button eyes, or the hat and a stick as a goofy tail. Wulfekotte’s simple, sweet illustrations have just enough detail to attract kids who like to see little animal houses and a gentle humor that goes well with the classic storyline.

Verdict: The simple text and predictable elements of humor make this that rare item, a good toddler storytime book and it’s sure to be a hit whether or not you live somewhere with snow. Recommended for storytime collections

ISBN: 9780735230415; Published November 2019 by Dial Books; Purchased for the library