A Québecois import offers a cautionary wintertime tale. In this pretty book, Mama Fox invites Little Fox out for a walk in the inviting snowy woods, warning him to stay close so that he won't get lost. Little Fox, however, enchanted with his own game of making "pictures in the snow" with his paw prints, soon becomes discombobulated and lost. The rosy-cheeked Old Owl offers to guide him to Mama, but Little Fox remembers his mother's admonishing rhyme: "If ever you are lost my child / Don't let a stranger guide you. / Be still, and I will search the wild / Until I am beside you." Various cute animals of the forest join in with Little Fox (including Old Owl after a grumble or two), and they sing this rhyme together, until the happy ending when Mama arrives, proud that Little Fox "had done exactly what he should." Padrón's cute animals and soft scenes of winter woods, done in muted grays, blues, and earth tones, pair well with the gentle words of this story to reach a satisfying conclusion and a gentle lesson for the very young for whom this story is intended. While the puffy cover seems to signal "gift shop book" and the rather bland story does not stand out from the crowd, young ones will surely be comforted by the reuniting of Mama and Little Fox. (Picture book. 1-5)

PreS In this pleasing story from France, Mama Fox stops to chat with Mrs. Gray Fox and Little Fox strays to create a maze of his own paw prints in the fresh snow. He soon discovers he's lost deep in the forest. An old owl offers to help, but Little Fox recalls his mother's rhyme: "If ever you are lost, my child,/don't let a stranger guide you./Be still, and I will search the wild/Until I am beside you." Patience pays off, and the mother and kit are reunited and cozy up in their den to observe a starry night. Padr&3;n uses elegant and simple shapes and earth tones. She creates lost scenes that are just scary enough, and as the tale lightens, the addition of other young animals to the backgrounds brightens the mood. VERDICT A sweet and simple cautionary tale perfect for lapsits and one-on-one sharing. Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA