The mother and father in La Reau's (Rocko and Spanky Go to a Party
) story may be made of snow (yes, they both have carrots for noses), but they face a quandary familiar to any pair of flesh-and-blood parents: their baby "could not, would not sleep." Nothing—not Snowmama putting "an extra blanket of snow on his bed," not even Snowpapa singing "Winter Wonderland" or "Frosty the Snowman"—does the trick for Snowbaby. Then parental ingenuity really kicks in, and soon Snowbaby is cuddling up to his very own adorable Snowdoggie—and proving that he's every bit as adept as his parents in nudging along "sleet dreams." Ishikawa's (Waggers
) naïf, mixed-media illustrations exude sweetness and good humor. Using a wide range of blue hues, he evokes both the crisp chill of the outdoors and presumably low thermostat setting of Snow family's cozy home in a snowmound; he conveys a domesticity that is at once familiar and whimsical. Very young children should find this one ideal for before-bedtime snuggles under the comforter—particularly after a hard day's work building snow families in the yard. Ages 3-6. (Oct.)
