Lifestyles - Country Life, Language Arts - English Language, Weather, Climate & Seasons, Fiction - General & Miscellaneous, Alphabet, Natural History
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Overview
In this companion to Gathering: A Northwoods Counting Book Betsy Bowen again captures the vibrant magic in each northwoods day through effortless prose and colorful woodcuts. While the canoe waits beneath the heavy snow and the river freezes over, bears turn in for long winter naps and people spend time reading by the fire or bundled up in layers. But when spring comes, it's time for kayaking, fishing, and listening to the quiet pond sounds of the new season. All of this and more is celebrated in Bowen's warm and unusual alphabet book that introduces children to the cyclical rhythms of life in our country's northern states.Introduces the letters of the alphabet in woodcut illustrations and brief text depicting the changing seasons in the northern woods.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
From its memorable, unusually fine woodcuts, to the telling glimpse it offers of a life that is close to the rhythms of nature, this debut is no garden variety ABC book. Bowen, a Minnesota native whose artwork is both vigorous and fresh, combines her alphabet with an almanac of seasons. The words she chooses to illustrate each letter are somewhat unexpected for the intended audience: ``rendezvous,'' ``upstairs,'' ``junk''; but the brief, sometimes surprisingly lyrical text that accompanies them links everything in a sharply observant chronicle of northwoods life. There is an abundance of fun tidbits tucked into the pages as well--the fact that canoe paddles have to be kept tied high in a tree, for example, so they aren't mistaken for bear snacks, or information on the equal-opportunity parenting style of loons--both male and female sit on the eggs. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)Publishers Weekly
From Antler to Zero (degrees, that is), the seasons of the Minnesota woods come to life in Antler, Bear, Canoe: A Northwoods Alphabet Year by Betsy Bowen. When it was first published in 1991, PW praised the memorable, unusually fine woodcuts and lyrical text. (Aug.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.Children's Literature -
With this book as inspiration, suggest boys and girls create a similar my-town-through-the-year block-printed alphabet. If wood or linoleum isn't available for printing, Styrofoam trays will do.School Library Journal
K-Gr 4-- An alphabet book that is novel in overall concept, ABC words, and illustrations. Bowen has taken as her theme ordinary life in the Minnesota northwoods from January (``Aa'' for ``Antler'') to December (``Zz'' for ``Zero'' temperature). Each letter-word pair is accompanied by a brief, explanatory anecdote. Above it is a -page full-color woodblock illustration that contains true-to-life details that increase effectiveness. There are good find-it-in-the-picture text clues for pre-readers, while older children--especially those familiar with northwoods life--will reread and enjoy the book for Bowen's bold accuracy of concept and presentation. --George Gleason, Department of English, Southwest Missouri State University, SpringfieldBook Details
Published
September 1, 1995
Publisher
Boston : Little, Brown, [1995?], c1991.
Pages
32
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780316103152