Barbara Lavallee – illustratör

This beloved story of a child testing the limits of her independence, and a mother who reassuringly proves that a parents love is unconditional and everlasting is a perfect first book for toddlers.

A child tests the limits of independence, and is comforted to learn that their parents' love is unconditional and everlasting. With illustrations by Barbara Lavallee.

Groucho’s name is obvious to Kristie when she names her new kitten. He’s as white as a cloud everywhere except for those two black smudges above his eyes. What other name could she have given him? Kristie and Groucho become fast friends and playmates, reading together, snuggling under the quilt, and playing hide-and-seek, tracking games in the snow of a far north winter.  When Grouch wanders away one wintery day, Kristie must rely on her Alaskan outdoor skills and woodsy savvy to follow various animal tracks.  Young readers join her in a search for those precious black eyebrows in a scary, snowy world full of moose, fox, and other creatures of the wild.

Or is it? In these pages, an exuberant crew is summoned to create a snowman of heroic proportions. Starting with the very first flake, Alice Schertle's clever and energetic rhyming text details the steps these little sculptors take to create a chilly chum. Barbara Lavallee's bold and lively illustrations overflow with brisk winter energy.Snow, colourful clothes, and a dash of the miraculous combine to shape a winter experience that is both familiar and fantastic.