"Polar Bear and the Rainbow" by Moira Butterfield, illustrated by Sanja Rescek

I saw snow today!  That means that winter is finally here.  Winter is the perfect time of year to snuggle up with your little Bookworm, a cup of cocoa, and this week's book: Polar Bear and the Rainbow, written by Moira Butterfield and illustrated by Sanja Rescek.

This sparkly book follows Ben the polar bear, who is tired of being the same color as his mom, his sister, and the snowy world around him.  In his quest to be anything but white, he finds himself pink like the sunset, but only until the sun goes down.  He turns blue in the ocean, but is white again when he hops out on shore.  Despite his rainbow dreams, Ben has little hope of being anything but white.  Then the discovery of a happy white snowman, his natural skill at hide-and-seek, and the beauty of snowflakes makes Ben realize he likes himself just the way he is!  

While Moira Butterfield's story is simple and heartwarming, it is Sanja Rescek's illustrations that make this book snuggle-worthy.  The lovely watercolor illustrations are whimsical with a soft cartoon feel, and to top it off, they're embellished with glitter on every page!  I know your little one will enjoy rubbing his or her fingers on each page to see where the bumpy glitter is.  Worry not, this special sealed glitter stays on the page, not on your hands.  My favorite page features the animal friends staring at the beautiful falling snow.  At first glance, the page appears plain, but if you run your finger along the tiny flakes, you'll feel the bumpy glitter.  A simple tilt of the book makes each snowflake shine- a magical book for a magical time of year!

Warm up at Open Play Story Time when Miss Becca reads Polar Bear and the Rainbow this Thursday at 4:00pm!