The Abominable Snow Dancer

Otto, a hairy white yeti with gangly limbs, can only dream of dancing like nobody’s watching. Ostensibly “the perfect abominable snowman,” debut creator Lau writes, he must keep his passion under wraps or risk a straight-up ROFL from his tough yeti pals. When Otto stumbles upon a dance rehearsal led by unicorns (the troupe also includes a mermaid, a bear, and a Medusa-like figure), it seems he’s at last discovered his outlet—until the imperious unicorn teacher takes one look at his anxious, clunky moves and declares, “That. Was. Abominable.” But Otto’s natural athleticism proves a saving grace when he catches a tumbling unicorn member of the tech crew, preventing a potentially career-ending fall. The crowd goes wild, the two become headliners of the “Sparkle Friends” troupe, and Otto’s yeti pals clamor to join the act. Digital cartooning with scribble and spatter textures has an appropriately balletic line that honors both the comedy of the premise and Otto’s heartfelt pursuit—suggesting that finding one’s troupe and having the courage to be authentically oneself is snow joke. Ages 4–8. Agent: Alexandra Levick, Writers House. (Nov.)