Annie And Snowball and the Wintry Freeze By: Cynthia Rylant Illustrated by: Sucie Stevenson

I can't say enough about the author of this book Cynthia Rylant.  She does many series books that are easy to read, funny, and the characters are very lovable!  Some of her series books are Brownie & Pearl, Mr. Putter & Tabby, Henry and Mudge and of course Annie and Snowball.  We love each of them.  Henry is Annie's cousin and Mudge his Henry's dog.  Henry and Mudge live beside Annie and Snowball and they are usually having an adventure together. 

 

In this book Annie gets to put on all her pink snow gear and head out into a wintry wonderland that has been frozen over by an ice storm. Annie's dad told her "she looked like a big pink marshmallow."  She goes outside with Henry and Mudge to enjoy the icy adventure while Snowball stayed inside watching from the window.  Henry ice skates and Annie gets slid around by Mudge.  When they come in they are greeted by warm apple cider and cinnamon buns.  "They peeled off their icy mittens and icy hats and icy boots."  Annie ends up sleeping all warmed up with Mudge and Snowball by her side.

I can remember the blizzard we had in the 1990's and walking over fields covered with the slick ice.  How much fun it was to try to walk gingerly to not crack the ice and slide onward.  I can vividly picture my mittens being taken off after coming in from a long day out in the snow.  The ice clinging to the mittens making them almost useless outside but the thought of coming in was not an option until you were frozen solid!  Isabela in her first real snow was all done up in her pink snow suit armed with a wooden spoon and an Elmo cup.  Both of us playing outside together almost disappearing in the snow that was so deep.  She loved it so much and her frozen pink kissed cheeks looked so sweet warming up inside our house waiting for her "warm" cocoa with marshmallows!  Emma for her first snow would get stuck standing in one position or fall and not be able to get up!  She was so little and I would have to swoop her up and take her to another spot so she could eat the snow.  =)