Winter Dance

With winter fast approaching, geese know to fly away and bears know to hibernate, but a red fox is at a loss. One by one, animals offer the fox advice, and one by one the fox rejects their suggestions. “Gather, gather, gather./ Then quick,/ quick,/ hide everything away,” says a squirrel. “That won’t do for me,” the fox muses. “I don’t even like acorns.” Eventually, another red fox shows up with an idea that works: “When a million snowflakes/ fill the air,/ twirling,/ tumbling,/ spinning,/ waltzing,/ you and I/ join them.” Bauer’s verselike text pairs gracefully with smudgy and similarly understated scenes from British illustrator Jones: the text and artwork work in tandem to suggest the hushed onset of winter while carrying readers forward with the swiftness of a snow flurry. Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. Illustrator’s agent: Arabella Stein, Bright Group. (Oct.)