How to find a yeti

A little boy is certain a yeti lives in the forest behind his house. The self-avowed yeti expert proudly outlines his credentials: "I have borrowed all 27 yeti books from the library," "and I also have a 1:16 scale cardboard cutout of a yeti in my bedroom." Determined to prove the elusive creature exists, the child and his dog, Milo, set off on an exploratory adventure on an optimally snowy day. First-person chatter charts their course of investigation: "We look left . . . and right. It must be somewhere. But no yeti yet." Readers will get a kick out of spotting many pertinent details in Hunt's textured-collage digital illustrations that elude the imperceptive young hunter, like huge, hairy purple feet. Considering his mission a flop, the boy is bummed he's not going to be famous "or interviewed on morning TV or anything." Paths cross humorously in unexpected ways, and the child discovers something he was looking for. A crowd-pleasing comedy of missed encounters for storytime.

A self-described young "yeti expert" and his dog Milo embark on an expedition in search of the mystical forest-dweller in this visually playful story. Crisp first-person narration credibly establishes the child speaker's readiness for the quest: "I have borrowed all 27 yeti books from the library. I have a pair of yeti slippers (not made from real yeti)." When the child and pup arrive at the forest, the youth continually concludes "no yeti yet," but Milo has a much different experience. Hunt's modernistic artwork uses geometric cut-paper-like effects for the forest and soft edging for the creature, hiding in plain sight, which dramatically reveals itself to the reader via an orientation change even as the human protagonist despairs about the outing's failure. Wintry scenes get pops of color from the child's bright red hat and lime green scarf, the latter of which eventually plays a critical role in conveying the idea that everything can be found "somewhere." Ages 4--8. (Nov.)