When Mole encounters snow for the first time, he mistakes an icicle for a ""magic diamond."" Mole is disappointed to learn why the diamond melts, but his disappointment soon turns to joy when he and his friends experience a dazzling wintry sunset. Benign animal characters and soft winter scenes accompany this gentle but wordy story. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 2-Waking up and seeing his first snow, Mole goes off to explore and slips and slides down a hill, crashing into a tree. He mistakes an icicle for a diamond but as he carries it home, it melts. His sadness disappears when his friends explain what it was and he gazes at the awe-inspiring beauty of the icicles on a tree at sunset. The story's action surrounds the text like a part of the landscape, while the cartoonlike animals portray the playfulness and rambunctiousness of children. Comic-book panels show the comical movement of Mole's adventure up and down the hill. However, although the watercolors of the woodland change for the upcoming sunset, the icicle-covered tree is fairly drab and unlikely to attract children's attention. Regardless, this is a creative addition to the winter-themed books because it does capture the magic and curiosity of children experiencing their first snowfall.-Jessica Lamarre, Medford Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.