Ralph's Frozen Tale

An icy trip to the North Pole is the latest challenge for brave (``HA HA! I laugh at danger'') explorer Ralph. The arctic antics begin when, armed with mukluks, woolly mittens and a team of huskies, Ralph heads north to scale mountain after frosty mountain. Following a series of slippery mishaps, he is rescued by an igloo building polar bear with ``an extraordinary sense of direction,'' and they continue the expedition together. Primavera's tongue-in-cheek romp perfectly matches her sweeping, snowy scenes. Cool blues and shimmering whites at first provide a quiet backdrop for humorous touches of life at the top of the world, then dramatically swirl together in a series of dazzling winter storms. Young readers will laugh out loud at this shivery story and warm up to Ralph's realization that any adventure is better when shared with a friend. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)