YETI BABY!

Yeti Baby is another cryptid, a creature that may or may not exist beyond folklore. The yeti is also known as the Abominable Snowman, and while Yeti Baby is cute and not at all abominable, the hairy hominid is definitely at home in a snowy, wintry landscape. As in the previous books, a question is posed on the verso of each double-page spread and then answered by opening a thick, durable, and easily operated flap on the facing page. “Who’s tromping through a chilly snowstorm?” When the flap with the image of a snowman is folded down, readers see: “It’s Yeti Baby, bundled up warm.” With snowy scenes, “gumdrop elves on candy cane skis,” a toymaker with a white beard and an elf assistant, and mistletoe, among other cues, this book is both a great winter read and a cute Christmas book. Similarly, companion title Pumpkin Baby! is ideal autumn reading, an only slightly spooky romp through a mildly creepy Halloween night. The artwork in both is eye-catching, with Pumpkin Baby!’s chilly fall colors, skeletons, bats, and jack-o-lanterns especially effective and surreal. Each baby encounters engaging supporting characters—elves and Arctic animals, or friendly witches and black cats, for example—and each book ends with its protagonist tucked safely and snugly in bed.

Mythic and magically charming.