FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW

When Wolf decides to rehabilitate all the “nasty, scary, and greedy” storybook wolves with one of his own, he begins the tale of Mr. Nice Wolf, who follows a set of footprints in the snow in the hopes of finding a new friend. Overtures to a squirrel, a rabbit and a frog are met with suspicion, but Mr. Nice Wolf persists until he sees a big brown duck on a pond—but “the duck looked so fat, juicy...and mouthwateringly tasty” that Wolf’s literary ambitions are dashed when, overcome, he jumps into the bathtub in the hopes of eating his own secondary character. Matsuoka’s stylized illustrations and tongue-in-cheek tale make for a positive tonic in a season distinguished by sweetness. (Picture book. 5-9)