Shivery and lonely, little Snowy Bear looks for shelter as he makes his way across the winter landscape. A promising burrow in the ground turns out to be a den crowded with Fox and her cubs. A hole in a tree is taken by Owl and her chicks. Finally, he trudges toward a small farmhouse. Quietly opening the door, Snowy Bear sees a solitary child. She welcomes him, reads to him by the fire, and falls asleep that night beside her new friend. There's a dreamlike quality to the narrative, but, despite the nighttime setting, it's more of a daydream, a cozy fantasy in which loneliness ends with a warm bear hug. Written in rhymed couplets, the verse rolls along nicely, relieving the chilly isolation of the early story with the warmth and comfort of the ending. The appealing illustrations, created with acrylics and colored pencils, make the most of the change when the farmhouse door opens and the palette shifts from cool tones to rich, warm colors. An inviting choice for winter storytimes.

PreS-Gr 1 A furry little white bear, reminiscent of Peter in Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day is outside on a cold winter day. "Here is a bear who has nowhere to go, so he's plodding along through the cold winter snow. Behind him his prints trace a long, weary line, but ahead the snow's waiting, unbroken and fine." He searches high and low for a warm, cozy place to sleep, but has no luck. At last he comes upon a small farmhouse, and finds a roaring fire and a lonely little girl who is happy to have the company. They play games, read stories and "snuggle down for a midwinter nap." The artwork, created with acrylic paint and colored pencil, is charming but the story is ever so slight. VERDICT There are far better books about winter, snowy days, and bears. Gwen Collier, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, NY