EVEN YETIS GET COLDS

Helping a sick pal feel better can be tough.

A youngster describes a friendship with a yeti. The unusual bond has advantages: Yeti can reach the highest branches to pick the tastiest fruit, and, when sitting on Yeti’s shoulders while watching an outdoor movie, the child has “the best seat in the house.” Having a yeti BFF can be challenging, however. Every year Yeti gets a bad cold, characterized by frightful chills, coughs, and sneezes. This year, the young narrator is determined to cure him and stocks up on supplies. The child’s preparations—sweaters, blankets, even a hot tub—don’t work. The youngster persists, proffering hot cocoa, a seat before the fireplace, and “cross-continental trips to tropical islands!” (Since our protagonist is a kid, this doesn’t work out; an imaginary journey suffices.) Eventually, the narrator abandons hope for a cure, but then inspiration hits: giving Yeti his own “best seat in the house”—sitting with him in a makeshift tent and watching TV together, surrounded by some of the child’s “cures.” This thin story is somewhat light on plot, and the conclusion falls a bit flat. Still, it emphasizes friendship, which many readers will appreciate. The concept of a relationship between human and cryptid may spark interest in some children, but it’s not well developed. The cartoonish illustrations are lively, and this blue yeti is endearing and non-menacing. The girl is light-skinned.

Sweet but less than memorable.