COZY IN LOVE

A lovelorn musk ox uses his strength to save a friend.

Cozy longs to win the heart of the enchanting Lofti, but as he and the rest of the bulls charge one another and bash heads in shows of strength, he is overshadowed by the others. Just as Cozy resigns himself to wallowing in snowy self-pity, he’s called to rescue his friend Bella, a young beluga whose joyful splashing creates rainbows across Teardrop Inlet. If Bella stays too long in the inlet, the surface will freeze over, trapping her under with no air to breathe. Can Cozy use his head (literally and figuratively) to save Bella? Could his bighearted actions also win him the heart of his beloved Lofti? Realistically drawn animals are set against a snowy Alaskan background in this pedestrian and predictable sequel to Cozy (2020). Brett’s signature decorative borders and teardrop-shaped vignettes frame each double-page spread. Heart-shaped rocks, colorful sea stars, and textured seaweed complete the tableaux. The brief third-person narration is linear and descriptive but feels flat in the absence of true character development. Character motivation is explained rather than shown. For instance, Cozy’s devotion to Lofti might be more compelling if she were a three-dimensional character rather than a plot device. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Serviceable but disappointing in comparison to the author’s timeless titles of years past.