Feder’s newest children’s story follows five-year-old Kokomo through his play day as he wakes up to see snow. Kokomo is excited to build a snowman and, after having his breakfast, asks his mother if he can go outside and play. She agrees as long as he is properly dressed to stay warm. As Kokomo stacks the three snowballs together to form his snowman, he realizes something is missing. Each time he feels something isn’t quite right, he goes to his mother for help. He needs a nose, eyes, mouth, buttons, and a hat. His mother provides what is required, and Kokomo is finally pleased with his snowman. Then he charges the snowman, tackles him, and declares that this has been the most fun he has ever had.
The story is brightly illustrated. Kokomo, his mother, and the snowman are all well-drawn and expressive. The author’s sentences are clear and simple to read. The story follows a standard pattern of recognizing a missing part of the snowman, asking Mom for that part, applying it, and then noticing another missing piece to the snowman. Each time Kokomo goes to his mother for a new article for the snowman, he repeats the process of dressing for the cold. The story becomes a bit repetitive at this point. Not only are the same sentences of Kokomo’s dressing used over and over, but the illustrations are identical each time he comes to the back door and gets dressed for the cold. However, repetition is a commonly used device in children’s books, and little ones who enjoy anticipating what comes next will undoubtedly find the repetition adds value. The realism of the final tackle after so much work should also bring a smile to faces young and old.