title: Footprints in the Snow: A Picture Book
author:  Mei Matsuoka 
description: Kindergarten-Grade 5After finding only "nasty, scary, and greedy" wolves in his entire collection of books about these animals, Wolf sits down to write a story about a "NICE wolf." Mr. Nice Wolf wants nothing more than to be friends with the creature whose footprints in the snow he follows into the forest. However, the bunny, frog, and squirrel he meets along the way flee as quickly as they can. When he meets the animal he's been seeking, the story deepens and author Wolf falls into the ambivalent waters of appetite and intention, vision and artistic creation. Matsuoka's softly colored mixed-media illustrations buoy readers between Wolf and his tale throughout: at the edges of various pages, there are glimpses of Wolf's paws, pencils and pens, writing desk, and research material. Similarly, the arrangement of the text mimics the winding path of footprints Mr. Nice Wolf follows, creating a quiet visual continuity from beginning to end. Listeners will enjoy this story for its suspense and good humor, while older readers will find much to explore in the implications of Wolf's artistic adventure.<i>Bethany Isaacson, Wheaton Regional Library, Silver Spring, MD</i> <br />Copyright  Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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  ## Chapter 1: Footsteps of Midwinter
  
  
  
  
  
  Mid-December has come and passed. The changing of the seasons happened quickly
  and it’s become freezing cold. Students have naturally started wearing
  mufflers, gloves and long socks more and more. The sky today is a cloudy grey,
  almost as though it’s about to snow. Now that I think about it, I’ve never
  actually seen snow before. Of course, I’ve seen it on television and in books
  but I’ve never actually held it in my hands and felt it with my skin. I don’t
  know if it will snow here this year but I do want to experience it. After
  school, in a corner of Keyaki Mall, four students gathered in the space where
  students rest and go about their business.
  
  
  
  
  
  They are members of Class D. Sakura Airi, Hasebe Haruka, Yukimura Keisei and
  me. Keisei’s real name is Teruhiko but in accordance with his wish, we’ve
  taken to calling him Keisei.
  
  
  
  
  
  I’ve gotten used to seeing their faces these days. We meet up irregularly two
  or three times each week to c