Cozy

by Jan Brett (Author) Jan Brett (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

A group of clever animals find an unusual but warm and furry home during Alaska's long winter in Jan Brett's newest snowy adventure. Cozy is the softest musk ox in Alaska, with the warmest fur you ever did feel. When a storm hits while he's separated from his family, he starts to feel lonely--but not for long. As the snow piles up, animals start to notice just how warm and cozy Cozy really is! One mama lemming has a bright idea . . . maybe the best place to spend the winter is under Cozy's fur! As more and more animals burrow in, Cozy adds to the house rules: quiet voices, gentle thumping, claws to yourself, no biting, and no pouncing. That seems easy enough . . . until the lemmings, snowshoe hare, snowy owl, arctic fox, and wolverine begin to bicker. Luckily, signs of spring soon appear, and that means Cozy can find his herd and his new friends can head to their summer homes. But not before promising to get cozy with Cozy next year! Jan Brett brings a new lovable character to life through this gorgeous tale of sharing, friendship, and living in harmony.

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Kirkus Reviews

For readers who haven’t a musk ox of their own to snuggle up with, this tale proves just as cozy.

School Library Journal

Cozy is a young musk ox in Alaska who gets separated from his herd during the harsh winter. Luckily, his silky coat is soft and thick and he is well protected from the biting Arctic wind. Soon a family of lemmings comes upon Cozy and quietly shelter next to his hoof without saying a word. When a snowshoe hare shows up asking if he can wait out the storm under Cozy's coat, Cozy agrees, but asks the hare to use a quiet voice so as not to disturb the lemmings. Then an owl happens upon them and requests shelter as well. Now a new rule must be added which is "claws to yourself." As the story progresses, more and more animals take shelter with Cozy and each new addition requires another house rule. By the time spring rolls around, this motley crew is getting a little less compliant, and Cozy is relieved when all his visitors begin to return to their spring homes. Cozy is joyfully reunited with his herd, but is happy to know that he will see his new friends again when winter returns. VERDICT Children will love the cumulative growth of an unusual home, and, as usual, the illustrations alone make this a safe bet for Brett-friendly collections.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph P.L., MI

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publisher's Weekly

As in Brett’s classic The Mitten, a group of animals seeks refuge from the winter cold in a cramped hideout. This time, though, the refuge is a living being-a young musk ox named Cozy whom a storm has separated from his herd. First, a family of lemmings takes shelter under Cozy’s warm bulk, hoping the ox won’t notice. A snowshoe hare, a snowy owl, and more, all inhabitants of the Alaskan tundra, crowd together underneath the patient ox. The proximity of predators and prey forces Cozy to institute rules: "For the harmony of all, quiet voices, gentle thumping, claws to yourself, and no biting." The idyll continues until springtime sends the creatures on their way. While the story is fanciful, it takes into account the real-life temperaments and habits of tundra creatures. As in earlier Brett tales, detailed artwork suggests the finesse of scientific illustration as side-panel vignettes hint at what’s to come. During a period in which some families are spending more time together in tight spaces, the comforting live-and-let-live message is timely. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2020 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Jan Brett
Jan Brett lives in a Seacoast town in Massachusetts close to where she grew up. She has over 40 million books in print and takes extensive research trips all over the world to craft the intricate details in her books. Her life-like illustrations of animals, landscapes, and cultural flourishes are adored for their classic beauty. Other fascinating areas of her life include being: an award-winning breeder of ornamental fowl (fancy chickens!), a 12-time Boston Marathon runner; and a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Board of Trustees.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593109793
Lexile Measure
760
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication date
October 20, 2020
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV029000 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | General
JUV012030 - Juvenile Fiction | Fairy Tales & Folklore | General
JUV002000 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | General
Library of Congress categories
Animals
Winter
Alaska
Muskox

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