Chirri & Chirra, The Snowy Day

In this, their third adventure (Chirri & Chirra, rev. 1/17; Chirri & Chirra: In the Tall Grass, rev. 11/17), the pair of rosy-cheeked cyclists heads out into a winter landscape. Cozy in mittens, boots, and fuzzy hats, they soon enter a magical realm, an ice world in which a monkey bartender greets them with warm fruit punch infused with cinnamon. They are welcomed to the great hall of ice, and the scene is like the world's best daycare center. Foxes read picture books, rabbits play cards, cats knit, deer skate, and a mouse plays the tambourine. A long-necked bird issues an invitation ("It's ready!") and everyone parades to the hot spring. Afterwards--warm, pink, and tired--Chirri and Chirra join the bear family in a lamplit igloo. With its benign animals, dreamy structure, serene mood, pastel colors, and soft-edged line, this could easily be twee. What gives it energy are the specific details in both text and pictures, from the unexpected bedtime snack (a molasses-flavored steamed bun) to frozen flower buds that function as marbles. In a haiku-like pair of sentences we are treated to a surprise: "They dip their marbles into the hot water. The ice on the buds melts and the flowers bloom." These are pictures for poring over and creating your own narrative. Do the girls live all by themselves? Does Chirri always go first? This Japanese import is a reminder of the classic interactive nature of picture books. sarah ellis