Story Time Success Story: So Cozy

So Cozy, written and illustrated by Lerryn Korda.  Korda's charming gouache illustrations turn this cumulative tale of a bunch of animals thwarting a dog's desire to nap into something extremely fun for young story time crowds.  In the tradition of stories like The Mitten or One Dog Canoe, things go awry when too many creatures want to take part (and it's often the littlest of those creatures you have to watch out for).  A sleepy pooch heads to his warm, comfy bed (I love how we see his paw prints inside the front cover).  However, just as he's about ready to nod off, a goose waddles in and, struck by how cozy the dog looks, asks if she can join him (the animals' expressions delight).  She doesn't even really wait for an answer before she starts nuzzling the dog.  In strolls a cat who longs to be cozy, too, and thus the drama begins:  more and more animals arrive, begging to hop into bed, and soon the exasperated dog finds himself increasingly uncomfortable as the pile grows.  The littlest of critters causes the largest snoozer to sneeze, leading to a rather explosive climax (kids love yelling AAAAACHOOOO!!!).  It all leads to a sweet, cozy ending, and a fantastic image on the final spread of ALL the animals' tracks.  A sweet but rambunctious addition to pajama story times.