Boom! Snot… Twitty? Three unlikely friends, and three different ways of being in the world. This simplest of stories is a fable for life . PreS-Gr 1—Liwska's illustrations are immediately enticing. Fine pencil work depicts characters and scenery that have an appealing fuzzy and fluffy quality, while the computer-added colors are mellow and nicely varied. Cronin introduces three friends: a bear, a robin, and a snail. Boom, the bear, is the active one, always the first to move, climb, jump. Twitty, the robin, likes to relax in her nest and crochet. Snot, a pigtailed snail, is an enlightened creature, willing to wait and adapt to circumstances as necessary. When a thunderstorm threatens, Boom jumps from the treetop and runs away while Twitty hides miserably on a branch, using her nest as a raincoat. Snot, however, welcomes both rain and wind, making a leaf raft to ride on, basking in the ensuing hot sun as the others recuperate from their struggles with the weather. When night approaches, it is Snot who asks what to do while her two friends come up with excellent answers. Though the underlying message seems a bit unclear, the illustrations and characters will attract a fair number of fans.—Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY True natures are revealed when three dissimilar friends spend a tumultuous summer day together. Boom, a bear cub, likes to move. Twitty, a robin, prefers to stay close to home and create with yarn, while Snot, a small snail, enjoys anticipating what’s going to happen. Cloudy skies and a strong wind suddenly shatter their peaceful morning. As Boom leaps out of a tree to escape the wind, Twitty secures her nest filled with yarn and buttons and Snot “surfs” off on a leaf with a wide-eyed “WHEE!” Boom and Twitty attempt to run or hide from the elements, but tiny, quiet Snot embraces each change and thoroughly enjoys the day. Endearing detailed illustrations show individual stitches in Twitty’s yarn creations, Boom’s fuzzy coat, Snot’s red-bowed antennae and freckles, as well as a few ever-present books. This charming episode affirms that friends with different personalities can enjoy being together while still doing their own things. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Maryann Owen PRAISE FOR BOOM, SNOT, TWITTY : "Serene, quietly joyous and utterly life-affirming." — Kirkus   starred review "...the illustrations and characters will attract a fair number of fans." — School Library Journal "This charming episode affirms that friends with different personalities can enjoy being together while still doing their own things." — Booklist "[For a] rainy-day snuggle session with a thoughtful child or two." — BCCB PRAISE FOR DOREEN CRONIN: “Each turn of the page will bring fresh waves of giggles.” — Kirkus starred review of Diary of a Worm “[A] hilarious debut picture book…Kids and underdogs everywhere will cheer for the clever critters that calmly and politely stand up for their rights.” — Publishers Weekly starred review of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type PRAISE FOR RENATA LIWSKA: “The soft, matte feel of the illustrations…are priceless. The animals' facial expressions and body language are endearing.” — School Library Journal starred review of The Quiet Book “The creator of The Quiet Book (2010), a New York Times best-seller, offers a winning story of imaginative play that makes a worthy partner to Crockett Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955) and Antoinette Portis’ Not a Box (2007).” — Booklist starred review of Red Wagon Doreen Cronin worked as a attorney before writing her first book, Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type which won a Caldecott Honor. Since then she has written over 20 books for children. Born in Queens and raised in Long Island, Doreen now lives in Brooklyn with her two children. Renata Liwska is the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller, The Quiet Book , written by Deborah Underwood. She is also the author and illustrator of Red Wagon and Little Panda . Born in Warsaw, Poland, Renata now lives in Calgary, Canada with her husband.