Lucille's Snowsuit

In this disappointingly plodding and predictable tale by the creators of the lively Lunch Bunnies, piglet Lucille struggles to get into her one-piece snowsuit after her older siblings, Franklin and Frances, dash outdoors in their parkas, ski pants and hats to play in the snow. As Lucille waits and waits for her mother's help, her boot becomes stuck in her pant leg, her zipper sticks halfway up and--the greatest indignity--she begins to sweat. ""Snowsuits are for babies,"" Lucille says, twice. Her grumbling ceases once Franklin and Frances cajole her into joining them outside. A rousing snowball fight ensues, during which Lucille finds their hats on the ground and fills them with snow--a move that feels inserted to demonstrate to the reader the superiority of the hooded snowsuit. Franklin and Frances grow cold and go inside to warm up, but Lucille, still cozy in her snowsuit, stays outdoors until the others return and they ""all went triple on the sled."" The story ends abruptly as readers turn the page to find the trio suddenly indoors again, with Lucille announcing that her snowsuit ""kept me snuggly warm and I didn't even sweat."" Hafner's spirited pictures of the porcine frolickers fortify the narrative, but they don't address another flaw, namely, that the target audience is past the snowsuit age and may not be especially interested in Lucille's complaints. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)