Snowy Bear

A tiny white bear searches for a home in a snowy woodland. An owl and a fox turn him away, but a girl in a farmhouse illuminated by firelight happily welcomes him: “The girl takes the bear in her cuddly lap,/ and they both snuggle down for a midwinter nap.” In addition to Clement Clarke Moore, there’s also an echo of Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” in some of Mitton’s rhymes (“Behind him his prints trace a long, weary line,/ but ahead the snow’s waiting, unbroken and fine”). Brown contrasts warm and cold tones in her colored pencil and acrylic art; the cozy conclusion should hit the sweet spot for a snowy evening read. Ages 3–6. (Sept.)