Kuskin delivers a witty ode to a child bundled up for wintry weather, using the text of a poem from her 1964 collection The Rose on My Cake
. Kosaka (If You'll Be My Valentine
, reviewed Dec. 6) introduces a dog into the proceedings, pictured prancing indoors with a girl on the title page. The young narrator proceeds to cheerfully describe her multitudinous layers of outwear as she flings them off. After removing her hood and hat, she states, "Under my coat/ my sweater's blue./ My sweater's red./ I'm wearing two." A silent spread breaks up the action as girl and puppy sit side-by-side at the table enjoying warm milk and piles of treats (both the human and canine kind). Kosaka gives the girl a pageboy haircut, and defines her face with delicate, black crescents to form her eyebrows, a thin, wide smile and the slightest suggestion of a nose—the heroine is a near ringer for the title character in her Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed
. Following the brief snack, the duo is ready to head back outdoors: "My gloves were knitted by my aunts./ I've mittens too/ and pants/ and pants/ and boots/ and shoes/ with socks inside./ The boots are rubber, red and wide." A funny cautionary note at the tale's close should bring smiles to readers' faces. Kuskin's simple, timeless subject matter finds an expert accompaniment in Kosaka's cheerful illustrations. Ages 3-7. (Oct.)
