Snowy Valentine

Petersen, creator of the Mouse Guard comic book series, makes his picture book debut with the story of Jasper, a rabbit who is determined to come up with the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for his wife, Lily. It’s a familiar premise, and so is the resolution, which is unnecessarily spelled out at book’s end: “Jasper’s journey showed the greatest gift he could give: his love for her.” However, the project exudes so much charm that readers aren’t likely to mind. With dapperly attired characters like Miriam the frog (who has prepared chocolate-covered flies for her beloved) and Teagan the fox (who has rabbit stew in mind for his wife, much to Jasper’s alarm), Petersen’s storytelling and artwork offer hints of Beatrix Potter and Kenneth Grahame. It’s a world that readers will be happy to lose themselves in. Ages 3–8. (Dec.)