When Brownie Groundhog leaves for her long winter’s nap, she tells her friends not to bother her until spring. What is a fox and a bunny to do in the meantime? “Wintry things,” says Brownie. Although they try to do wintry things, it’s cold outside, and Fox and Bunny soon get bored. When Fox gets the bright idea to borrow his friend’s warm scarf, a hesitant Bunny follows along. Soon Fox “borrows” lots of things. With all the racket, it’s only a matter of time before Brownie wakes up to find a BIG surprise waiting for her. Will Brownie be angry with her friends? It looks like Brownie won’t get the sleep she needs, but the ending just might surprise YOU!

The Bottom Line: Friendship is the key to this tale, because although Brownie’s friends borrow her things without permission and wake her up, Brownie keeps her cool. Segovia’s whimsical, wintry illustrations in acrylic and ink are a real treat and add humor to the story. Plus, this picture book manages to be a holiday book without specifically mentioning a particular religion or culture. An enjoyable read for celebrating Groundhog’s Day, Christmas, or the season of winter. Highly recommended for little ones in Preschool – Grade 2 or for classroom storytimes.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. ( )

Lovely, cozy illustrations. The story was interesting - the fox enters Brownie's home without permission and uses her things without asking in order to surprise her (he decorated her tree with lights). But Brownie isn't angry, and instead graciously enjoys her surprise. The three friends (including bunny) have a winter feast to celebrate. I chose not to puzzle too much over the moral here because every other aspect of this book is so charming. After all, the description on the dust jacket mentions "good intentions" and "high-spirited mischief." The fox is a fox, after all.