Pamela Paul
Calm, lovely and richly informative.
—The New York Times
From the Publisher
"Beautifully rendered" - The Horn Book Magazine, starred review
"This book depicting beauty in nature is a gem... Anyone looking for a picture book that also teaches science will love this title" - Library Media Connecton, Starred Review
"Kate Messier... weaves a nature lesson" - USA Today
Marion Vannett Ridgway Book Award Winner: Illustration 2012
"Utterly charming, and informative, to boot." - Kirkus Reviews
"[A] lovely study of the ways animals spend the winter." - Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Throughout the book, Neal’s crisp, clean mixed-media illustrations cleverly provide above- and belowground views, and Messner’s back material will educate children about the subnivean zone and animal adaptations" - School Library Journal
"Messner packs much information into the serene wintry landscape, beautifully captured in Neal’s stunning retro-style illustrations." - The New York Times
Kirkus Reviews
A young child enjoying a full day of cross-country skiing narrates this gentle tale, explaining both her own activities and what the animals are doing. "Over the snow I glide, past beech trees rattling leftover leaves and strong, silent pines that stretch to the sky. On a high branch, a great horned owl keeps watch. Under the snow, a tiny shrew dodges columns of ice; it follows a cool tunnel along the moss, out of sight." A deer, bullfrogs, beavers, a fox, mice, chipmunks, a bear and a bumblebee are among the other animal inhabitants of the "secret kingdom" under the snow; some are snoozing, some foraging and some hunting for the others. Backmatter includes an author's note, a paragraph of information about each featured animal and a list for further reading. Neal's two-dimensional mixed-media illustrations are minimal in both detail and color. Simple outlines give shape to the trees, animals and leaves, while white is the predominant color. The lyrical descriptions of the text and the gray/brown/ice-blue palette of the illustrations leave readers with a retro feel that harkens back to earlier days of children's books and bygone times when life seemed simpler. Utterly charming, and informative, to boot; readers brought up on a diet of rhymes, bright colors and adorable fluffy animals will find its simple beauty a balm. (Informational picture book. 4-8)
