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May 02, 2015mmcbeth29 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Arto lives in the north where it gets very cold and he must dress in thick socks, boots, coat, hat and mittens in order to go outside to play. He loves where he lives. But his family is moving to the south for a year for his mother's job. There it is very hot. Arto is not happy. He wants to be back in the north--the place he loves. He goes outside in his coat and hat even in the sun. He is miserable. But one day, a girl named Ana talks to Arto. She tells him how she moved to this new place as well. She give Arto a new hat to wear. Arto finally enjoys this new place, but then it is time to move back home. The illustrations are very colorful and fun to look at. They give a good sense of both places--hot and cold. This book did a good job showing how stubborn Arto was about not wanting to move which is a very real emotion in kids. He had every right to feel this way. He never gave up his love for his first home which was okay too. But I did not like how the parents allowed Arto to go out in 100 degree weather dressed in his winter clothes. Nor did I like that he was allowed to sulk for months on end. This was not healthy behavior. And why did it take most of the year for the boy to stop sulking? This seems extreme. If this book review was based merely on the beginning and the end of the book, I would have given it much higher ratings. Advertized for ages 4-7