thoughts turning north
The Big Snuggle Up , by Brian Patten, illustrated by Nicola Bayley A rhyming story of a little boy who invites a scarecrow in from the snow, ensuing action is other animals requesting to come in too. I like the idea of the book; however, I felt that the choice of animals was a little strange: owl, fox, heron, donkey, lamb, fawn, dog, cat, rabbit, squirrel, robin, butterfly and mouse. I wanted Patten to stick with a theme: barn animals, animals that normally hibernate, whatever. I also was a little creeped out by the scarecrow--he looks a little too clownish for me; however, these are moot points; kids will enjoy the flow of the story, the rote repetition of the animals (as more are introduced), and the lovely illustrations. Age: Preschool-K/1 North: The Amazing Story of Arctic Migration , by Nick Dowson, Illustrated by Patrick Benson As its name suggests, a book which chronicles arctic migration, both its animals and what seems to be happening to the earth itself, "Across it...