BLUE BURT AND WIGGLES

Two best friends fail to keep summer from ending, but won’t let winter end their friendship. Blue Burt the bird doesn’t want to fly south and leave his friend Wiggles the worm behind. A forgotten stash of art supplies suggests a solution. They tape the leaves back on the trees; paint the grass a summer green; glue paper flowers around the woods; and string up a paper sun and fluffy clouds. But when the other forest animals use this summer décor to get themselves ready for winter, the pair realizes that the forest cannot be fooled. Letters and phone calls keep them close until their joyous spring reunion. Anderson’s pleasingly busy illustrations give readers a perspective that is only five inches high. He ingeniously fits more detail on each page by painting the wide-angle view over the spread, then layering a framed close-up. Half-hidden humorous details will keep youngsters’ attention long after the first reading, while the expressive and adorable main characters will have them clamoring for more. A pure pleasure. (Picture book. 3-8)