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Cozy
A group of animals find an unusual but warm and furry home during Alaska's long winter.
Cozy is the softest musk ox in Alaska, with the warmest fur you ever did feel. When a storm hits while he's separated from his family, he starts to feel lonely--but not for long. As the snow piles up, animals start to notice just how warm and cozy Cozy really is! One mama lemming has a bright idea . . . maybe the best place to spend the winter is under Cozy's fur!
Cozy is the softest musk ox in Alaska, with the warmest fur you ever did feel. When a storm hits while he's separated from his family, he starts to feel lonely--but not for long. As the snow piles up, animals start to notice just how warm and cozy Cozy really is! One mama lemming has a bright idea . . . maybe the best place to spend the winter is under Cozy's fur!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 20, 2020
13 people are currently reading
384 people want to read
About the author
Jan Brett
113 books1,028 followersWith over thirty three million books in print, Jan Brett is one of the nation's foremost author illustrators of children's books. Jan lives in a seacoast town in Massachusetts, close to where she grew up. During the summer her family moves to a home in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.
As a child, Jan Brett decided to be an illustrator and spent many hours reading and drawing. She says, "I remember the special quiet of rainy days when I felt that I could enter the pages of my beautiful picture books. Now I try to recreate that feeling of believing that the imaginary place I'm drawing really exists. The detail in my work helps to convince me, and I hope others as well, that such places might be real."
As a student at the Boston Museum School, she spent hours in the Museum of Fine Arts. "It was overwhelming to see the room-size landscapes and towering stone sculptures, and then moments later to refocus on delicately embroidered kimonos and ancient porcelain," she says. "I'm delighted and surprised when fragments of these beautiful images come back to me in my painting."
Travel is also a constant inspiration. Together with her husband, Joe Hearne, who is a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Jan visits many different countries where she researches the architecture and costumes that appear in her work. "From cave paintings to Norwegian sleighs, to Japanese gardens, I study the traditions of the many countries I visit and use them as a starting point for my children's books."
--from www.janbrett.com
As a child, Jan Brett decided to be an illustrator and spent many hours reading and drawing. She says, "I remember the special quiet of rainy days when I felt that I could enter the pages of my beautiful picture books. Now I try to recreate that feeling of believing that the imaginary place I'm drawing really exists. The detail in my work helps to convince me, and I hope others as well, that such places might be real."
As a student at the Boston Museum School, she spent hours in the Museum of Fine Arts. "It was overwhelming to see the room-size landscapes and towering stone sculptures, and then moments later to refocus on delicately embroidered kimonos and ancient porcelain," she says. "I'm delighted and surprised when fragments of these beautiful images come back to me in my painting."
Travel is also a constant inspiration. Together with her husband, Joe Hearne, who is a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Jan visits many different countries where she researches the architecture and costumes that appear in her work. "From cave paintings to Norwegian sleighs, to Japanese gardens, I study the traditions of the many countries I visit and use them as a starting point for my children's books."
--from www.janbrett.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
January 15, 2021
Jan Brett’s lovely illustrations paired with a cute story about a musk ox used for warmth, turned out to be one of our favorites for 2020. We went on to learn about the musk ox farm Jan visited, which inspired her to write this story. This book became an educational experience as well. Love!
5*****
5*****
November 4, 2020
There's nothing really wrong with Cozy... as long as you haven't read
The Mitten
. Sadly, Cozy is just a retelling of The Mitten... but with musk oxen. The formats are exactly the same. Each is a sort of cumulative story. Here, instead of animal after animal taking shelter in a dropped mitten, they take shelter in a musk ox's coat. Each page features one main spread with text and a large illustration, along with side panels that show which animal will be the next to join.
The illustrations are nice, and the writing is strong. If you really love The Mitten and want more books like it, you'll probably really enjoy Cozy. But if once was enough for this format, you might be a little underwhelmed like I was.
The illustrations are nice, and the writing is strong. If you really love The Mitten and want more books like it, you'll probably really enjoy Cozy. But if once was enough for this format, you might be a little underwhelmed like I was.
October 13, 2024
Penguin kids on Instagram read this. Who says we're ever too old to be read to is clueless of its joy at any age. Especially for an aspiring children’s series writer 😊
What I like most about Jan Brett’s Cozy besides being read to (giggles) are a few things. The well thought out illustrations. The introduction of an animal I had never heard of.
Showing the science behind animal interaction without being preachy. Like, you need to memorize this for class. But, encourages interest within the social constructs of being a wild animal in a fun way.
Overall, this or other books by Jan are well worth a borrow from the library or purchase for a holiday gift or winter read. Then, share cocoa and discuss open-ended questions about animal science, habitats, and sky's the limit on where these answers can lead your children.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💯❤️
What I like most about Jan Brett’s Cozy besides being read to (giggles) are a few things. The well thought out illustrations. The introduction of an animal I had never heard of.
Showing the science behind animal interaction without being preachy. Like, you need to memorize this for class. But, encourages interest within the social constructs of being a wild animal in a fun way.
Overall, this or other books by Jan are well worth a borrow from the library or purchase for a holiday gift or winter read. Then, share cocoa and discuss open-ended questions about animal science, habitats, and sky's the limit on where these answers can lead your children.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💯❤️
February 9, 2022
From the cover I became enchanted. The endpapers are gorgeous, though my old eyes can only make out the most obvious 'hidden pictures' in the lichen. I love the theme of the house rules to enforce a 'peaceable kingdom.' I love the vocabulary words like gamboled and oomingmak. I love the science.
If you want to bring coziness into your home, and support Native craftpersons, you could shop here: https://www.qiviut.com/.
If you want to bring coziness into your home, and support Native craftpersons, you could shop here: https://www.qiviut.com/.
November 16, 2020
Cozy is the name of a large musk ox in Alaska. As the harsh cold sets in, his soft fur provides shelter for many wild animals he considers to be friends. His rules provide safety for creatures who otherwise might be enemies. But guess what happens when the snows melt and the sun warms the lands? Awww. TOO CUTE! I checked this book out through Overdrive, but the artwork looks so lovely that I’ll need to hold a print copy in my hands! In Jan Brett style, each page provides a glimpse into what will happen next. Such a treat! The artwork for this book was done in watercolor and gouache with airbrushed backgrounds.
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
April 23, 2021
3.5 STARS. It's cute, I love the Alaskan setting, and (like Brett) I've always been fascinated with musk ox and was thrilled to see some in person when we went to Alaska some years ago (the babies are just the cutest things!) For me, Brett's illustrations are always stronger than her text, and, as another reviewer noted, this story is pretty much The Mitten all over again -- and it was definitely odd that animals suited to an Arctic climate would need to take shelter in the fur of a musk ox (and also odd that huskies are still domesticated and being driven by an otter!)! But, for Brett fans, or fans of Alaskan wildlife, I don't think it will disappoint.
December 4, 2023
So cute.
January 3, 2021
Just like the other Jan Brett books, but I am such a sucker for cold Arctic scenery and northern lights. I thought it was really sweet too, that all the creatures abided by the musk ox’s house rules. I actually liked it a lot more than The Mitten. So pretty.
February 20, 2021
Such a beautiful book. It is such a privilege to be able to look upon those illustrations and read it.
December 27, 2022
Okay Jan Brett, we get it… you’re a national treasure. Just when I think I’m going to be underwhelmed by one of her stories (they can’t ALL be arrestingly meaningful, right?) - she goes on and hits me right in the feels.
January 4, 2022
Another fun wintry read from Jan Brett. I love the illustrations in all her books, this one included!
September 15, 2020
I envy today's children who will be able to grow up with the opportunity to see a new Jan Brett book every so often, just as my generation (and the generations before me and after my childhood) got see new Dr. Seuss books.
Cozy is Jan Brett's latest and follows what has become her signature style - a sort of Russian nesting doll in luscious art.
Cozy is a musk ox with a thick, soft coat. He finds himself alone in the middle of a snow field when a terrible storm whips up. One by one, a cadre of animals approaches Cozy and asks to take refuge from the storm under his fur. Many of these animals might normally be prey to the next animal, a predator, but in this children's book we know that everything will work out just fine.
If you are at all familiar with Jan Brett's work, you can expect that in the side panels of art are glimpses of the next animal that we will meet once the page is turned.
It's a very cute story and young children will definitely want to have this one read to them over and over. The beautiful art will keep parents enjoying the multiple readings.
If you have young children or grandchildren this is definitely a book you will want to have in your library.
Looking for a good book? Jan Brett's Cozy is about as good as it get for pre-schooler's picture book.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
Cozy is Jan Brett's latest and follows what has become her signature style - a sort of Russian nesting doll in luscious art.
Cozy is a musk ox with a thick, soft coat. He finds himself alone in the middle of a snow field when a terrible storm whips up. One by one, a cadre of animals approaches Cozy and asks to take refuge from the storm under his fur. Many of these animals might normally be prey to the next animal, a predator, but in this children's book we know that everything will work out just fine.
If you are at all familiar with Jan Brett's work, you can expect that in the side panels of art are glimpses of the next animal that we will meet once the page is turned.
It's a very cute story and young children will definitely want to have this one read to them over and over. The beautiful art will keep parents enjoying the multiple readings.
If you have young children or grandchildren this is definitely a book you will want to have in your library.
Looking for a good book? Jan Brett's Cozy is about as good as it get for pre-schooler's picture book.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
January 11, 2021
Jan Brett’s familiar patterns are here in her story and art but the main character, the musk ox, is a wonderful surprise. To find musk ox you must travel to the tundra lands of Greenland, Canada, or Alaska unless you are lucky enough to live there. This book is a beautiful blend of fanciful story woven with realistic description of these Arctic creatures. The lichen on the rocks throughout and, especially, the lichen end pages are terrific! Would like to have seen some brief nonfiction information on the animals at the end of the book.
May 8, 2020
Anything Jan Brett is an instant classic. In the same vein as The Hat and The Mitten, this winter we have Cozy, a big, kind, fluffy musk ox. It's a blizzard out there, and Cozy lets all the chilly winter critters gather under his warm, thick fur. Please be mindful of the other visitors when you join! Indeed, I felt cozy just reading this book, and a renewed nostalgia for the tight-knit snuggly books of Brett's that I read as a child myself. Wonderful is an understatement.
November 6, 2020
The storyline isn't the most compelling, but this author's illustrations are always an absolute delight. Not many picture books star musk oxen, and seeing these unusual animals along with a host of other Alaska wildlife in the gorgeous, snowy landscapes is a real treat.
February 24, 2021
Another excellent Jan Brett book! She just can't write a bad book. :) This one features Cozy the musk ox. He's relatively young, and spending his first winter apart from his family. But this isn't a sad story! For very soon many other Arctic animals come to join him and shelter in his warm, cozy fur. There's some repeating and building on of phrases and Brett's trademark extra marginal illustrations. All gorgeous. You'll love Cozy and his winter adventure.
January 5, 2022
This story was delightful. The illustrations are amazing. I especially love the lichen on the rocks, but there is so much detail I could ponder the illustrations for hours. Wonderful book. I recommend it.
November 18, 2020
Really enjoyed this latest work by Brett. :) :)
December 24, 2020
A very cute follow up to The Mitten. :)
January 7, 2021
Cozy has his own place in the world, and he fills it well.
Jan Brett is perfection.
Jan Brett is perfection.
May 30, 2024
Cozy musk ox spends an Alaskan winter with some freeloading friends. Beautifully detailed illustrations of arctic wildlife.
April 2, 2021
cute
December 21, 2020
Such a sweet winter tale.
October 20, 2020
Beautiful illustrations and a cute story!
May 14, 2024
You will not go wrong with Jan Brett.
December 14, 2025
Five stars for musk ox, but my favorite will always be The Mitten❣️
July 24, 2021
Not much I can add to the summary for this one, so straight to the review.
I thought this was a cute story, but not quite up to some of Bretts’ other works.
Inspired by a trip to visit her daughter in Alaska, Brett decided to write a story starring some musk ox she met on a farm visit there. The story is very similar to one of her other books, “The Mitten”, only instead of animals sharing a mitten to stay warm, here they huddle together under Cozys’ fur. This causes issues in the long run as the more they settle in, and the more time passes, the more their manners wane - a bit problematic when predators and prey are sharing space. It’s honestly close enough to the plot of “The Mitten” that I could consider it a re-telling.
The language used in the story is fairly charming, using a sort of repetitive language that is popular with children - the story reminds the animals with each page to behave, “add quote”.
The illustrations are well done, which isn’t a surprise - Bretts’ illustration work is beautiful. If you’ve read her other books, you already know the set-up of the pages as it’s one she’s quite fond of. The illustrations of Cozy and his friends are quite cute, with the side brackets giving readers a preview of who will be showing up next. Many of these previews are fairly humorous, such as Fox taking a tumble in the snow. Each illustration, again in-line with past works, is framed within a border that carries through each page of the book, tying them together. It looks like she took inspiration from beadwork for this storys’ borders.
I thought this was a cute story, but not quite up to some of Bretts’ other works.
Inspired by a trip to visit her daughter in Alaska, Brett decided to write a story starring some musk ox she met on a farm visit there. The story is very similar to one of her other books, “The Mitten”, only instead of animals sharing a mitten to stay warm, here they huddle together under Cozys’ fur. This causes issues in the long run as the more they settle in, and the more time passes, the more their manners wane - a bit problematic when predators and prey are sharing space. It’s honestly close enough to the plot of “The Mitten” that I could consider it a re-telling.
The language used in the story is fairly charming, using a sort of repetitive language that is popular with children - the story reminds the animals with each page to behave, “add quote”.
The illustrations are well done, which isn’t a surprise - Bretts’ illustration work is beautiful. If you’ve read her other books, you already know the set-up of the pages as it’s one she’s quite fond of. The illustrations of Cozy and his friends are quite cute, with the side brackets giving readers a preview of who will be showing up next. Many of these previews are fairly humorous, such as Fox taking a tumble in the snow. Each illustration, again in-line with past works, is framed within a border that carries through each page of the book, tying them together. It looks like she took inspiration from beadwork for this storys’ borders.
April 19, 2021
Reviewed for School Library Journal 9/2020.
K-Gr 2-Cozy is a young musk ox in Alaska who gets separated from his herd during the harsh winter. Luckily, his silky coat is soft and thick and he is well protected from the biting Arctic wind. Soon a family of lemmings comes upon Cozy and quietly shelter next to his hoof without saying a word. When a snowshoe hare shows up asking if he can wait out the storm under Cozy's coat, Cozy agrees, but asks the hare to use a quiet voice so as not to disturb the lemmings. Then an owl happens upon them and requests shelter as well. Now a new rule must be added which is "claws to yourself." As the story progresses, more and more animals take shelter with Cozy and each new addition requires another house rule. By the time spring rolls around, this motley crew is getting a little less compliant, and Cozy is relieved when all his visitors begin to return to their spring homes. Cozy is joyfully reunited with his herd, but is happy to know that he will see his new friends again when winter returns. VERDICT Children will love the cumulative growth of an unusual home, and, as usual, the illustrations alone make this a safe bet for Brett-friendly collections.
K-Gr 2-Cozy is a young musk ox in Alaska who gets separated from his herd during the harsh winter. Luckily, his silky coat is soft and thick and he is well protected from the biting Arctic wind. Soon a family of lemmings comes upon Cozy and quietly shelter next to his hoof without saying a word. When a snowshoe hare shows up asking if he can wait out the storm under Cozy's coat, Cozy agrees, but asks the hare to use a quiet voice so as not to disturb the lemmings. Then an owl happens upon them and requests shelter as well. Now a new rule must be added which is "claws to yourself." As the story progresses, more and more animals take shelter with Cozy and each new addition requires another house rule. By the time spring rolls around, this motley crew is getting a little less compliant, and Cozy is relieved when all his visitors begin to return to their spring homes. Cozy is joyfully reunited with his herd, but is happy to know that he will see his new friends again when winter returns. VERDICT Children will love the cumulative growth of an unusual home, and, as usual, the illustrations alone make this a safe bet for Brett-friendly collections.
March 9, 2021
This is a sweet and heartwarming wintery story about a young, furry musk ox named Cozy who lives in Alaska and is separated from his family in a blizzard and shelters many of the critters he comes across.
This is very reminiscent of other Jan Brett picture books we've read such as 'The Mitten' and 'The Hat,' where many creatures search out warmth in the same small, cramped space, but 'Cozy' has it's own heartwarming creature to save the day instead of a discarded piece of clothing.
As usual, Jan Brett does a fantastic job of illustrating winter scenes and Arctic creatures. We love her unique style of extraordinarily detailed artwork but also her uncanny way of weaving both words and illustrations into both an audio and visual story.
This picture book review was originally shared at Lazy Day Literature.
This is very reminiscent of other Jan Brett picture books we've read such as 'The Mitten' and 'The Hat,' where many creatures search out warmth in the same small, cramped space, but 'Cozy' has it's own heartwarming creature to save the day instead of a discarded piece of clothing.
As usual, Jan Brett does a fantastic job of illustrating winter scenes and Arctic creatures. We love her unique style of extraordinarily detailed artwork but also her uncanny way of weaving both words and illustrations into both an audio and visual story.
This picture book review was originally shared at Lazy Day Literature.
November 19, 2020
It's another form of the Mitten, but instead of a mitten giving shelter and Ox by the name of Cozy does. I was not loving the story (been there, done that) but the art is pure Jan Brett and you cannot go wrong there. The "side panels" have action, the main images have a story to tell. It is a lovely story. There is nothing wrong with it; fans of Brett and animals will enjoy. A must have for any fan of Jan Brett. It's not a five simply because the story did not "grab me" as I had hoped it would.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews