THE SNOWY NAP. Written and illustrated by Jan Brett. G. P. Putnam’s Sons. Ages 4-8. $18.99

Brett uses her classic, highly-detailed style, to illustrate this delightful prequel to THE HAT. The story again features Hedgie, the hedgehog, and is set in the Danish island of Funen, the birthplace of Hans Christian Anderson. The featured farm has charming thatch-roofed buildings, ancient moss-covered trees, and a variety of domesticated and wild animals. Lisa is back, dressed in a Danish embroidered red coat. The story opens with chill winds beginning to blow. Hedgie knows his winter nap is coming quickly. The animals tell him of all the wonders of winter he will miss if he goes to sleep: the chicken coop bedazzled with icicles, slipping and sliding on the frozen pond, the snowmen Lisa makes, the winter twilight when everything looks blue, the uniqueness of snowflakes, and the chiming bells of the sleigh. Hedgie is determined to stay awake to see all of that, but falls asleep out in the cold. Lisa finds him and brings him into the warm house. From there, he is able to see everything the animals described. While he is gazing out, the borders show the animals looking in. Finally, Hedgie is unable to stay awake. Lisa takes him out to his burrow under the mossy tree, leaving the door ajar. She returns to find a big surprise—the outside animals have come in!

THE SNOWY NAP will be released in October, 2018. Jan Brett is embarking on another bus tour to celebrate. She will be stopping at the Mazza Museum on Thursday, November 29th at 10:00 a.m. Her tour bus has been redesigned to reflect the newest addition to what is now a trilogy of companion books: THE HAT, THE MITTEN, and THE SNOWY NAP.