LUCILLE’S SNOWSUIT

Snowsuits, the bane of every child’s snow-filled days, are the focus of this hilarious tale. Poor Lucille just wants to frolic in the snow with her older siblings, who are stylishly attired in sleek snow pants and parkas, complete with jaunty little hats. However, Lucille’s mother decrees she must wear her dreaded snowsuit, and Lasky (First Painter, see above) comically captures the epic struggle required to get one reluctant tot into it. Lucille’s tussle with her attire entails all the calamities that can befall youngsters endeavoring to dress themselves; a jammed zipper, a sock that mysteriously disappears into the abyss of a pant leg—resulting in one overheated piglet. “ ‘I’m hot. I’m sweating. My sock’s lost. My zipper’s stuck. I hate snowsuits!’ Lucille roared.” Lucille’s mother is almost saintly in her compassionate but unyielding stance, gently coaxing her frustrated child to don her suit. Eventually the steamy piglet is lured outside for some snow play and Lucille makes a miraculous discovery. Toasty in her snowsuit, she outlasts her siblings in the frosty air. While Franklin and Frances retreat indoors to defrost, Lucille is free to enjoy the splendor of a winter’s day. Hafner’s boldly colored illustrations are uproariously funny, deftly conveying Lucille’s evolving moods through her body language and facial expressions, giving readers a real sense of her personality. Mothers everywhere will send up a cheer for this wonderfully funny tale that shows mother does know best. (Picture book. 5-8)