100 Snowmen

K-Gr 2—Arena shows children how to count to 100 (and back again) in this humorous, seasonal concept book. She accomplishes this clearly and simply by cumulative addition of 1+2=3; 3+4=7 snowmen, and so on, using rhymed couplets to move the story along. Gilpin adds his adorable illustrations, showing almost every snowman with a traditional carrot nose and stick arms, yet each sports a different winter hat and/or accessories. Readers will be looking in the details for sneaky variations, such as a hot dog nose. Especially notable for eliciting smiles is the spread on which "Three more snowmen playing hide-and-seek./Two more snowmen trying not to peek. 3+2=5." The snowmen, try as they might, cannot conceal themselves among the dark green conical evergreen trees. Snowflake endpapers set up the frozen theme. Older children might even want to double-check the author's addition at the conclusion of the tale, while younger readers can simply count the snowmen on each page. This winter offering should have broad appeal.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA