Pablo in the Snow

When Pablo the lamb ventures out into his first snowfall, he meets a slew of animals and has fun in ways he never imagined. As the snowfall becomes heavier and the sky turns menacing—a transition that Bonnet (Poppy’s Best Paper), working in ink and watercolor, orchestrates beautifully—Pablo’s more experienced friends know to head home. Poor Pablo is lost, but just when things look their worst, his parents appear to guide him to safety. Sloat (Berry Magic) creates several lovely moments as she describes the world through the eyes of a snow newbie: for example, Pablo is amazed that a snowball can be made small enough to throw and big enough to build a snowman from. This endearing naiveté turns a bit twee, however, when Pablo makes obvious announcements about what snow is “for”: “Snow is for fun!” he says as he sleds downhill. But Bonnet’s naïve drawings, rendered in simple ovoid shapes and clean ink lines, propel the story forward, and her animal cast is cute as a collective button. Ages 2–5. [em]Agent: Abigail Samoun, Red Fox Literary. (Jan.) [/em]