WALLY MAMMOTH

A sled race spirals out of control.

It’s race day for a trio of Ice Age sledders, and while competition between Wolf and Otto the great auk heats up an otherwise-frigid morning, Wally Mammoth is just happy to have been invited. Clad in a fuzzy pink turtleneck and giddy with gladness to slalom with pals, the contented Wally truly believes it’s not about who wins or loses. The threesome take off as the referee waves a green flag. But competitive ambitions soon prove ruinous as unwieldy speed sends Wolf and Otto swerving. In the crash’s slapstick fallout, the two are swallowed by a steadily speeding, ever-growing snowball. Wally’s now in the lead, and as Otto and Wolf tumble down the hill, they pepper their friend with requests to share the victory spoils (“If you win, can I hold the trophy?” “If you win, can I have a cupcake?”). The snowball gains momentum, closing in until the pachyderm, too, is enveloped with a “SHOOOP.” All three friends roll over the finish line together, tying for gold and learning a valuable lesson about pride along the way. Tabor’s text is accessible for new readers—deftly balancing narrative tension with requisite simplicity—and Wally proves a root-for-able foil to the other two competitive compatriots. Webb’s art appealingly complements the silliness of the trio’s plight, rendering characters with a delightful cartoonish expressiveness.

Frothy fun.