Mine, All Mine!

Hawcook's instructive, if not particularly inspired, debut employs a rowdy family of squirrels to tackle the topic of sharing. Little Squirrel is thrilled when, “[o]ne cold winter's morning,” a giant snowflake lands on his nose. But his siblings grab the supersized snowflake, which is overlaid with silver glitter, for some enthusiastic play. Little Squirrel's initially timid response escalates to an angry “MINE!” and a dash up a tree where he savors the snowflake alone—until he misses his family. Little Squirrel pushes the snowflake out of the tree, where it rolls into a big snowball that explodes into many snowflakes for them all to share. For kids in the shadow of bossy older siblings or those in need of sharing skills, this book may fit the bill. Using tempera and acrylic on cotton paper, Pasqualotto paints friendly, rust-colored squirrels with amber eyes and sweeping tails––an even-handed mix of realism and cuddliness. While some may stumble over the implausibility of a huge, nonmelting snowflake, many will identify with the challenge of sharing with overzealous playmates. Ages 2–5. (Nov.)