Overview
When snow falls, we love to sled and skate and have snowball fights. But at the end of the day, we go home where it is warm and safe. What about all those animals out there in the forests and fields? What do they do when snow blankets the ground? Journey from your neighborhood to the woods, where ladybugs crowd together in a gap in the stone wall and a chipmunk snoozes in his burrow. Take a side trip to the pond, where a carp rests quietly on the bottom and a green frog nestles in the mud, scarcely breathing. And then as winter passes and the sun's rays grow stronger, join all the animals as they get ready for spring. Award-winning science writer Melissa Stewart offers a lyrical tour of a variety of habitats, providing young readers with vivid glimpses of animals as they live out the winter beneath the snow and ice. Constance R. Bergum's glowing watercolors perfectly capture the wonder and magic that can happen under the snow.
Synopsis
When snow falls, we love to sled and skate and have snowball fights. But at the end of the day, we go home where it is warm and safe. What about all those animals out there in the forests and fields? What do they do when snow blankets the ground? Journey from your neighborhood to the woods, where ladybugs crowd together in a gap in the stone wall and a chipmunk snoozes in his burrow. Take a side trip to the pond, where a carp rests quietly on the bottom and a green frog nestles in the mud, scarcely breathing. And then as winter passes and the sun's rays grow stronger, join all the animals as they get ready for spring. Award-winning science writer Melissa Stewart offers a lyrical tour of a variety of habitats, providing young readers with vivid glimpses of animals as they live out the winter beneath the snow and ice. Constance R. Bergum's glowing watercolors perfectly capture the wonder and magic that can happen under the snow.
Children's Literature
"You spend your days sledding and skating and having snowball fights. But under the snow lies a hidden world." So begins an exciting exploration of life beneath the fields, forests, ponds, and wetlands when snow and ice blanket the world. Readers will be amazed at the fascinating things that go on under the snow. Ladybugs pack themselves tightly in a gap in a stone wall, chipmunk naps and snacks on stored nuts and seeds, salamander sleeps soundly through the coldest months, a carp rests quietly on the mud at the bottom of the pond and, just under the ice red-spotted newts dart about. It will surprise readers to learn that a wood frog buried under forest leaves can freeze solid and still survive. As the year moves slowly toward spring and the days grow longer, the animals emerge from their winter dwellings to face another season. Breathtaking watercolors are the highlight of the handsomely conceived and executed book. Some pages feature panels depicting different animals in the same habitat, while the juxtaposition of above and below ground illustrations allow readers to view both worlds simultaneously. The soft palette of grays and blues of the winter world above contrast with the browns, oranges, and greens of the world below. Snowflakes on the endpapers and the twilight view of a quiet pastoral village on the title page build anticipation for beauty and simplicity to follow. For a classroom study of animal survival in winter or just as a family share, this is an excellent introduction. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey