PETER LOVES PENGUIN

A little boy and his stuffed penguin enjoy an early-morning romp in the snow.

This companion title to Ben Loves Bear and Bella Loves Bunny (both 2013) is equally warm and playful. In full-page and double-page scenes set against white backgrounds, Peter and Penguin bundle themselves up, engage in a snowball fight and construct a snowman. The two journey inside for hot cocoa and toast with jam when Penguin, surprisingly, gets chilly and Peter gets hungry. One or two sentences per page narrate the action. McPhail is able to capture emotion and affection in a few deft pen-and-ink lines, and his muted watercolors are perfect for the wintertime setting. Since Ben, Bella and now Peter are all Caucasian, here’s hoping future offerings will include more diverse representations.

A sweet addition to a winning series.