Mouse's First Snow by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Buket Erdogan ages 4-8 32 pages Simon & Schuster November 2005 Hardcover     The allure of piles of new snow for young children is undeniable. Author Lauren Thompson and illustrator Buket Erdogan capture all the magic and fun of a winter's day spent playing outside with a parent in Mouse's First Snow, an addition to the team's New York Times "Mouse's First" series. Mouse and Poppa go out to play, and everything Poppa suggests - sledding, skating, making snow angels, building a snow fort - Mouse tries, too. He may not be an expert at all these snow games like his father, but with Poppa's encouragement Mouse discovers all the fun to be had in the cold outdoors. So when Poppa says "Let's make a surprise!" Mouse joins right in with rolling big round snowballs until, with a few picks and pokes, Poppa reveals "A frosty little snow mouse just like you!" The easy words and rhythmic cadence of the story, along with fun sound words like whoosh, swoosh, zip, pliff, ploof and swish, make this a good choice for sharing with beginning readers. Erdogan's soft-edged, canvas-textured illustrations under a rose and mauve pastel sky will have even moms and dads longing for a romp in the peaceful muffled solitude of a snowy winter day. What makes Mouse's First Snow extra-special on an emotional level is the always apparent loving encouragement of Poppa and the trusting confidence it helps build in his son. This is, in the end, a quietly delightful example of parent and child sharing new experiences with laughter and love.       web reviews   Sharon Schulz-Elsing/2005 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)