Snowmen at Work (Snowmen)

The Buehners continue their snowmen-come-to-life shtick with this look at occupations.

A boy who made a snowman the night before awakens to find new snow on the ground but already-cleared walkways—by his snowman? “Was he the one who shoveled, with a snowman shoveling crew? / Could it be I just don’t see that snowmen have jobs too?” Caralyn Buehner’s rhyming verses then lead readers in an imaginative tour of other jobs snowmen might have: mechanic (for sleds), grocer, baker, magician, firefighter, “pizza man,” factory worker and truck driver. Each work scene is filled with familiar occupational details, like the clip that attaches the dentist’s cloth around patients’ necks and the decorations that adorn the classroom—it’s just the characters that seem out of place to 98.6-degree readers. Especially fun is the pet store, where all the animals are made of snow: a snow rabbit with carrot ears, a snow monkey swinging from the lights and “coldfish” in a tank. Hat, mitten and scarf styles add personality to the characters—don’t miss the librarian’s and teacher’s. A seek-and-find element adds to the fun of poring over the pages—a cat, rabbit, T-rex and mouse are hidden in each painting.

Copyright 2012 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission

In the Buehners' fourth snowmen book, a boy contemplates what jobs snowmen might perform. A snowman dentist "might drill bits of coal/ To fix a snowman's smile"; others work as sled mechanics, librarians, and frozen pizza delivery men. Mark Buehner's inviting paintings contrast the icy characters with cozy indoor scenes. Though the story ends on a flat note, the abundantly silly details should spur readers' imaginations, and images hidden in each spread invite close study. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)