I have enjoyed Jan Brett books for years, both ones she has illustrated and ones she has written. In "Jan Brett's Snowy Treasury", readers are given four of her winter classics, including "Gingerbread Baby", "The Hat", "The Mitten", and "The Three Snow Bears."

In "Gingerbread Baby", a little boy is anxiously awaiting his gingerbread cookies to finish baking and when he opens the oven door too early, out jumps Gingerbread Baby who teases "I am the Gingerbread Baby, Fresh from the pan, If you want me, Catch me if you can." The boys parents and several animals along the way chase the Gingerbread Baby throughout the Swiss country side, while the little boy stays home and bakes a gingerbread house. When the Gingerbread Baby sees the beautiful structure, he hops inside to seek refuge from his captures. The end of the book lets readers lift a gingerbread house flap to discover the Gingerbread Baby safely inside.

In "The Mitten", a Ukranian boy asks his grandmother to knit him mittens from snow-white wool. Just as the grandmother warns, the boy loses the mitten in the snow. The mitten soon becomes a cozy home for a rabbit, a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, a fox, and even a bear. When a tiny mouse crawls in, its whiskers make the bear sneeze...and out shoot all of the animals from their warm wooly home. As the mitten floats through the air, the young boys notices it and takes it home to show his grandmother.

The other two stories in this collection are equally as charming and all are beautifully illustrated. These are all very sweet stories, with a quaint folk tale characteristic to them. They are enjoyable for young and old readers, and are extremely well-suited for reading aloud. Many of Jan Brett's books are frequently read in kindergarten classrooms, and this particular collection is a great way to add some of her works to your own library.