(4) K-3 Translated by Marianne Martens. Illustrated by Friederike Groβekettler. Simon's excitement about learning how to ski evaporates after he falls and his older brother, Michael, teases him for "kissing the snow." But Simon soon learns that Michael is a newbie, too--at snowboarding. Basic skills (snowplowing, sidestepping) are reinforced by a snow elf character. The serviceable illustrations play up the having-fun-while-learning-something-new message. A few transitions in the translated text are jarring.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger