LITTLE MIST

Under his mother’s tutelage, a snow leopard cub’s possibilities expand with wonder as he explores the pristine mountain world he inhabits. After spending his days in the warmth of the cave where he was born, a bewildered Little Mist follows his mother outside where everything’s “bright, singing blue and crisp, sparkling white.” As Little Mist romps in the snow, his mother tells him, “This is your world,” and shows him how incredibly “far and wide” it stretches. When Little Mist gazes at his reflection in the water and realizes how small he is, his mother assures him one day he will be bigger than the panda, stronger than the wolf, faster than the bear, sleeker than the yak, bolder than the deer, more secretive than the sheep and free as the wind. At day’s end, mother and cub return to their den, from which Little Mist surveys his new world with wide-eyed expectation. Gentle, realistic watercolor-and-pencil illustrations in whites, browns, greens and blues mirror the palette of the snow-covered mountains, rocky riverbeds and green meadows. Vignettes of mother and cub snuggling, playing and exploring emphasize the close bond between parent and child, while panoramic vistas of mountains, lakes, rivers and waterfalls convey the grandeur of Little Mist’s world. Appealing reading for mothers and their little cubs. (Picture book. 2-6)