The Big Snuggle-up

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

It all started with a scarecrow coming into the house out of the snow, bringing with him the mouse that lived up his sleeve. But it wasn't only these two who were looking for a warm place to snuggle up!

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 2-A child invites a scarecrow to come in from the snow, and the scarecrow asks if he can bring a mouse with him. A butterfly, a robin, and other woodland creatures soon join the group until the house is full of friends all snuggled and warm around the fireplace. Patten tells this simple story of generosity and kindness with delightful rhyme, meter, and alliteration. The poem begs to be read aloud, lilting and dancing on the tongue: "A squirrel scampered down from a sycamore tree,/'I'll bring you some nuts, if you'll shelter me.'" Children will enjoy joining in at the end of each stanza when the growing list of visitors is repeated. The text is printed in a large, easy-to-read font on a cream-colored background and surrounded by Bayley's colored pencil and crayon illustrations. The art is meticulously crafted, with attention given to every hair and whisker. The style of the pictures is similar to Bayley's illustrations for Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (Candlewick, 2005), but they are done on a larger scale and in slightly softer hues. The scarecrow is a little cartoonish, but the animals look realistic and soft enough to pet. A lovely book about sharing and compassion.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

(Picture book. 3-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.