  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 09/01/2016 As a heavy snowstorm descends, a sweet and gentle woolly mammoth named Samson is very concerned about a small red bird he recently befriended over a mutual love of dandelions. Like the author’s Caldecott-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee (2010), this picture book features a quiet type of thoughtfulness that makes for a pleasurable, low-key read. Children will be riveted, though, by Samson’s journey to locate the feathered fellow. Will he find the bird before the snow becomes too dangerous? A mouse he meets on his journey into an increasingly bluish-gray world is eager to help. Stead has tackled the illustrations without his partner and wife, Erin, this time around, and the pictures have a sturdy feel, grounded by the mastodon’s large, reddish-brown figure. The bird is omnipresent in Samson’s thoughts, and his beakful of yellow flowers provides bright bursts of color. As Samson continues his journey, readers will perceive that he’s also moving toward a happy chance for friendship. A lovely tale for a peaceful storytime. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. School Library Journal - 10/01/2016 K-Gr 2—Samson the woolly mammoth is content with the company of his flowers. When a little red bird flies by, asking for some flowers for a friend whose favorite color is yellow, Samson wonders what having a pal would be like. As summer turns to winter, Samson, concerned about the bird's fate, decides that "it is better to walk than to worry" and sets out to find her. In the meantime he meets a mouse who is also in search of a friend, and together they rescue the bird, who has become trapped in the ice. The storm finally passes as the three newly united creatures trade stories of their adventures. Simple language is suitable for either read-alouds or independent reading. Although some text blocks are within illustrations, most are placed on light backgrounds, making all but one easy to read. As in the best picture books, the narrative is told in words and pictures. Two wordless spreads show the bird's predicament, while a third contrasts these starry white and blue winter scenes with a bright yellow summer one. Pencil-line animals stand out against highly textured backgrounds, and color is essential to the plot, as readers realize that the mouse—whose favorite color is yellow—is the friend for whom the bird originally sought flowers. VERDICT This sweet tale of friendship deserves a place in every collection.—Jill Ratzan, Congregation Kol Emet, Yardley, PA - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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