Chaucer's First Winter

by Stephen Krensky, Henry Cole (Illustrator)

Overview

Stephen Krensky has always had a soft spot for underdogs — even when they happen to be bunnies. He is the author of more than eighty books for children, including How Santa Got His Job (an ALA Notable Book) and Big Bad Wolves at School. He and his wife, Joan, live in Lexington, Massachusetts. You can visit him on the Internet at www.stephenkrensky.com

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442416581
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	08/31/2010
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD530L (what's this?)
Age Range:	2 - 6 Years

About the Author

Stephen Krensky is the author of more than a hundred books for children, including How Santa Got His Job (an ALA Notable Book) and Big Bad Wolves at School. He and his wife, Joan, live in Lexington, Massachusetts. You can visit him at StephenKrensky.com.

Henry Cole has written and illustrated more than 150 books for children, including Spot, the Cat; And Tango Makes Three; Oink?; and Little Bo in France. He is also the illustrator of With a Little Help from My Friends by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. A former elementary school teacher, he now writes and paints full time.

Editorial Reviews

Chaucer, a little bear cub, decides not to hibernate so he can keep playing with his friends, a fox and a squirrel, all winter. They teach him about snowball fights, ice "skating" and sledding, but when a blizzard threatens, Chaucer intuitively builds a snow den to keep them all safe. The story is so full of holes it's practically mesh: What does Chaucer eat all winter? How is it he doesn't even get sleepy? What about his parents? Cole's illustrations depict a teddy-bear-like Chaucer disporting himself while his benignly smiling parents keep an eye on him in the background. Krensky's text shines in its use of dialogue, if not in its observance of natural history, and kids who can overlook its logical gaps will probably get a chuckle or two out of it. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews

"Cole's acrylic, pencil and ink illustrations contract winter's cool pallette with the warm hues of CHaucer and his friends, whose youthful exuberance bounds across the pages...Young readers will enjoy witnessing Chaucer's delight in the wonders of winter as well as his welcome return home."—Booklist

"Krensky's text shines in its use of dialogue."—Kirkus Reviews

"The standoued element of this clever book is Chaucer's naiveté and wonder as he experiences winter's offerings, and Krensky's descriptive writing neatly conveys his joy in exploration; young readers will readily identify with Chaucer's preference for ice skating over napping. Cole's acrylic, colored pencil, and ink illustrations...efectively showcase the wonders of the season."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher