Snowy Sunday

PreS--A silly winter tale, this is the story of how Bonnie Bumble keeps her farm animals warm by knitting them clothing. During a snowfall, Bonnie sees and listens to her animals and can tell they are very cold. So she gets to work solving the problem with her knitting needles. From the large farm animals like the cow to the small ones like the duck, Bonnie takes care of them all by knitting them special creations. Soon the duck is donning a bright and cheerful cozy beak warmer, coat, scarf, and boots. The others animals are outfitted in warm knitwear, too. Even the sheep has a shawl and hat. But it is still cold. So Bonnie knits a big orange hat for the sun. The hat makes the sun so happy he radiates warmth. The problem is solved, and even the little snowflakes have colorful knitted hats. It is nice and toasty. In fact, all the animals and Bonnie now wear sunglasses. The story line invites dialogic reading opportunities, while the artwork is colorful and friendly. The text includes some alliteration and is easy to read in a storytime. VERDICT A cute seasonal story that involves farm animals, a perennial favorite for the preschool crowd.--Robin Sofge, Alexandria Library, VA

In the final book in the series that began with One Windy Wednesday, Bonnie Bumble is concerned that her farm animals may be cold outside. Rather than let the animals indoors, her solution is to knit them cold-weather gear: "Horn-warmers. Beak-warmers. Tail-warmers. Hats all around." Cozied up in their colorful knit outfits, the animals look entirely ridiculous, and Root and Craig take the conceit even further: when the sun comes by "to see what was up," Bonnie makes him a hat, too, and "whenever a snowflake floated by, Bonnie knitted it a hat of its own." A quirky cap, no pun intended, to a gently goofy series. Ages 2-5. (Oct.)