Waiting for Snow

Badger wants it to snow: it’s winter, so it should be snowing. Hedgehog is a creature of faith. “It will snow in snow’s time,” he tells Badger. “All we have to do is wait.” Badger can’t wait and, with the help of friends who are ready and willing to support their pal, tries to get it to snow. They throw pebbles at the sky, dance, and put their pajamas on backward, all to no avail. Liwska’s (The Quiet Book) gentle, fuzzy drawings, done in the softest browns and the palest blues, offer the comfort of a beloved stuffed toy. Her creatures are free to play and experiment as they wish, and, after they’ve exhausted every possibility, a collection of vignettes shows the animals learning patience as they find other things to do until, at last, flakes begin to drift down. Using Hedgehog as the even-keeled voice of reason, Arnold (Lost. Found.) suggests that there is something to be said for accepting a situation rather than fighting it. Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Nov.)