The Snowy Nap

In this fetching companion to The Hat, autumn gives way to winter on young Lisa’s Danish island farm, where her woodland friend Hedgie decides he’ll “just take a last ramble” before hibernating. Hedgie’s eyelids droop as his barnyard pals bid him adieu—pointedly mentioning what he will miss (“We’ll think of you as we play slip and slide across the pond ice,” the geese honk). Enchanted by predictions of icicles, snowmen, and sleigh bells, Hedgie futilely tries to stave off sleep outside, and Lisa rescues the frozen animal and brings him indoors. Nestled in a tea cozy, Hedgie watches the seasonal frolics from a window until, satisfied that he has “truly seen winter,” he falls into a deep sleep, and the compassionate girl returns him to his burrow, whispering, “You belong in the wild.” Brett’s trademark patterned borders both supplement and forecast the action playing out in meticulously detailed scenarios. The author brings her winsome tale to a wry close as Hedgie’s not-at-all-sleepy friends pay Lisa a surprise visit. Ages 4–8. [em](Oct.) [/em]