Four great poetic winter picture books to inspire young readers and writers!
REVIEW
In a poetic ode to the importance of light during wintertime, Becker uses cut outs with jewellike backgrounds to to highlight the soft light that can offer comfort during a season that seems so dark and cold (depending on where you live). The book needs to be read with available natural sunlight to be fully appreciated. This is a book that adults especially can appreciate the beauty of and would be fun to discuss one on one with a child. It's especially fascinating the way the colors blend, lightening and darkening as the pages get turned. A book full of wonder and comfort perfect for sharing during a season where natural light can be greatly missed.
REVIEW
Cold uses beautiful metaphors and similes to highlight the variety of places and circumstances that cold can appear. "Under an ocean swirling and deep, a host of inhabitants hover and creep." Creatures found in many habitats such as mountains or oceans or forests experience cold is different ways whether through "a whisper, a howl, or a hum". The lovely digital art combined with the poetic text creates a book of great beauty. A book that could easily inspire young writers to write their own comparisons and remind readers that life finds a way to exist in even the coldest of places. Additional information about snow, weather, and climate is provided in the backmatter. Sources of information would have been a nice addition.
REVIEW
Any family who has enjoyed the delights of playing in a fresh snowfall will be reminded of those experiences when reading this book. Using the power of simile, the author highlights all the things that snow can be to a child and his family. Phrases such as "Snow is your heart pounding hard in your chest" or "Snow is a dance and a twirl and a glide" create beautiful pictures in the reader's mind. A patient parent participates in the activities fully, even though he may wish to be inside enjoying his breakfast. A simple, yet powerful reminder of the wonder to be found in the world around us if we take the time to enjoy it. Don't be surprised if the child reader immediately wishes for snow! Teachers will find much here to inspire young writers.
REVIEW
Combining gorgeous scratchboard and watercolor art with creative poems, Counting Winter presents readers with a lovely, informative look at how some animals live during the winter. Enjoyable as both a poetry or counting book, the book is also perfect for inspiring young writers to use poetry to describe some of their own natural encounters. The author's note at the end of the book provides interesting background information about the author's experiences with wildlife in Alaska. The illustrator's note shares details about the research done to get the animals and habitats right as well as how the illustrations were created. A beautiful and enjoyable book, especially useful for teachers who need mentor texts for their students.
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