The itsy bitsy snowman

A young, rosy-cheeked snowman stars in this wintertime riff on "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." In an echo of the original spider's waterspout travails, the snowman has trouble keeping its limbs and body in one piece as it sleds through a cozy winter landscape of animals dressed in hats and scarves, who race around on skies and ice skates themselves. After the snowman crash lands in a small village, "Out came his friends to lend a happy hand./ And everything was perfect in his winter wonderland." Both the rhymes and artwork are unapologetically sugary, but the book's nursery rhyme underpinnings should result in some fun readalouds. Ages 2-4. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

A wintertime story that can be sung to the tune of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." The itsy bitsy snowman and his friends are playing in the snow. They climb up a snowy hill, jump on a sled, slide fast, and zip past children skating on ice. Then, though the text tells readers that he "dodged a snowball fight," his head becomes separated from his body. Not to worry, "out came his friends / to lend a happy hand." In the last spread the itsy bitsy snowman stands with his mom, dad, and friends, "And everything was perfect / in his winter wonderland." The story, intended to be read to the tune of the beloved nursery rhyme, doesn't always quite fit the template, as in: "The itsy bitsy snowman / climbed up the snowy hill. // He jumped on a sled / and slid fastwhat a thrill!" For no obvious reason, on every page one word is printed in a different color from the rest of the text. Rescek's illustrations are bright, cheery, and cartoonlike, with an appropriate wintry pale blue as the dominant color. Though sweet and cute, there is nothing particularly fresh or new here. Take it, or leave it. (Board book. 1-2) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.