Tag Archives: Winter

Elem. – Wonder & Awe

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Herzig, Annie. Wonder & Awe. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2024. 978-1-665-94753-4. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-3.

One winter morning a young girl builds a snowman. Because everything is so new and exciting to the snowman, the young girl names her Wonder and then wonders, “How did I miss this before? I’m in awe.” Beautiful illustrations show winder days full of magic. Though they know their magical time is coming to an end, spring comes early and the young girl is not prepared to say goodbye to her friend. After many days, she is able to “open [her] eyes again…to the wonder all around [her].” Beautiful warm days follow until a crisp, cool breeze reminds her winter isn’t far away. When she awakens to a snowy morning once again, the two friends reunite and share all they missed during their time apart.

THOUGHTS: This is a beautiful friendship story that truly shines with incredible illustrations. Readers will enjoy paging through to look at all of the wonderful things and then reflect on the things they see in their own lives. Highly recommended.

Picture Book

Elem. – Snow Is…

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Gehl, Laura. Snow Is… Illustrated by Sonia Sanchez. Simon & Schuster, 2024. 978-1-368-07795-8. $18.99. 32p. Grades K-2.

“Snow is a feeling the moment you wake.” 

When a little boy wakes up to find that it is snowing, he races outside, pulling his boots and mittens on in a hurry. When he gets into the freshly fallen snow, he enjoys every possible moment of the day: catching snowflakes on his tongue, building a snowman, throwing snowballs, sledding, and making snow angels. As the day comes to an end, the little boy reluctantly goes back inside to warm up and later falls asleep dreaming about his perfect day.

THOUGHTS: I’ve always loved snow days, and this book is able to capture every magical moment of the first snow. This charming, yet simple, picture book will evoke memories of snow days past in both younger and older readers, and the rhyming words make it the perfect choice for a read aloud. 

Picture Book    

Elem. – In the Winter

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Kukla, Lauren. In the Winter. Jolly Fish Press, 2024. 978-1-963-80200-9. 32 p. $19.99. Grades PreK-3.

This picture book is both charming and informative as it demonstrates to readers how both animals and people prepare for the winter months. The first pages highlight weather changes then subsequent pages move to show how some animals hibernate and some are still quite active during the cold months. Kukla also shows people celebrating different cultures with various traditions.

THOUGHTS: The clear and concise text combined with the gorgeous illustrations makes this a beautiful book to share with children through the course of the winter months. This would be a great addition especially for younger readers just learning about the seasons.

Picture Book

Elem. – Frostfire

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MacKay, Elly. Frostfire. Tundra, 2024. 978-0-735-26698-8. $18.99. 28 p. Grades K-3.

Follow Miriam and Celeste on their magical winter adventure in Frostfire. The two sisters journey through the snowy forest looking for signs of the elusive snow dragon. Along their mystical quest through the diamond dust, they spot frostfire and build a snow fort. Miriam teaches Celeste all about snow dragons, where they like to hide, how they travel, and what they like to eat. When Celeste finally comes across a snow dragon, is it truly real or just her imagination? Celeste and Miriam watch together as the snow dragon flies away in the clouds and then make their way home through their snow kingdom. 

THOUGHTS: This is a really sweet story of a beautiful winter adventure between sisters. The illustrations match the magic in the story creating a winter wonderland. This story captures a child’s imagination and sense of wonder, perfect for ages 4-8. 

Picture Book

Elem. – Just One Flake

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Jonker, Travis. Just One Flake. Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2023. 978-1-419-76011-2. 32 p. $18.99. Grades K-2.

Liam is determined to catch one snowflake…on his tongue! He bundles up and heads outside. Can he do it? Can he catch just one flake on his tongue before it’s time to go inside?

THOUGHTS: I love this book. It is a perfect way to introduce a lesson on snowflakes, and it’s so adorable. The simple illustrations perfectly capture the feeling of this story. 

Picture Book 

Elem. – Emile and the Field

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Young, Kevin. Emile and the Field. Illustrated by Chioma Ebinama. Make Me a World, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, 2022. 978-1-984-85042-3. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades K-2.

Emile, a young black boy, falls in love with a field. He loves everything about it–the bees, the flowers, the trees. The only thing he doesn’t like is having to share the field with other children in the winter, children who build snowmen and ride down the face of the field without his permission. Emile’s father explains that the other children love the field, too, and while no one owns the field, they will be able to enjoy it for many years to come if they all share it and take care of it. Impressionistic illustrations, rendered in watercolor and ink, are absolutely stunning and depict the field in various seasons and at various times of the day.

THOUGHTS: Nature and art lovers will absolutely adore this book. Its subtle message about appreciating nature and coming together to take care of it is an important one, and the gorgeous illustrations will not soon be forgotten.

Picture Book Julie Ritter, PSLA Member

Elem. – Hiders Seekers Finders Keepers: How Animals Adapt in Winter

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Kulekjian, Jessica. Hiders Seekers Finders Keepers: How Animals Adapt in Winter. Kids Can Press. 978-1-525-30485-9. 32 p. $19.99. Grades K-3. 

As the seasons change, it’s also necessary for animals to adapt. This sparse, but lyrical, text divides animals into three categories: hiders, seekers, and finders. The hiders search out cozy places and spend the winter huddled together. The seekers journey to milder locations where food is easier to locate. And, the finders keep warm in their thick coats and by relying on food they’ve stowed away. The digitally created illustrations burst with life and color and feature a father and daughter hiking through each season and noting the changes in scenery and animal life. Each page also features text bubbles that share additional detailed facts about the pictured animals and the ways they cope with the cold weather. Backmatter includes an animal tracking guide. 

THOUGHTS: This title transports readers through the changing seasons and highlights the many unique ways animals adapt to cold weather conditions. The succinct text is perfect for young readers, and they’ll also pore over the illustrations, searching for each animal in its burrow, den, cave, log, and nest. This will be a good fit for units about hibernation, migration, and animal adaptations. 

578.4 Animal Adaptation          Anne Bozievich, Southern York County SD

Elem. – Cornbread & Poppy

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Cordell, Matthew. Cornbread & Poppy. Little, Brown and Company, 2022. 978-0-759-55486-3. 80 p. $6.99. Grades K-2.

Two mice who are the very best of friends have a real adventure in this charming chapter book! Cornbread is a planner. He is ready for the first snowfall, and his well-stocked larder is full of delicious fruit preserves, grains, and cheeses. Poppy is more carefree. She loves to hike, ride bikes, and go on adventures. Despite Cornbread’s reminders, she has put off foraging until it is all but too late. Cornbread can’t let his best friend go hungry, so he agrees to accompany Poppy up Holler Mountain in search of food for the long winter. But Holler Mountain is a scary place, with steep hills, snow, and predatory owls! Matthew Cordell’s irresistible illustrations, in pen and ink with cool watercolors, bring humor and gentle thrills to the little friends’ big excursion.

THOUGHTS: Both a friendship tale and a mild adventure story, Cornbread & Poppy is a book to read over and over again for the sweet scenes and special details. 

Chapter Book          Amy V. Pickett, Ridley SD

Elem. – Where Snow Angels Go

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O’Farrell, Maggie. Where Snow Angels Go. Candlewick, 2021. 978-1-536-21937-1. 72 p. $18.99. Grades 3-6.

A magical holiday story that doesn’t focus on a particular celebration, but instead focuses on the winter season. Slyvie makes a snow angel one night and much to her surprise the angel comes to life as her protector. In a fairy tale or mythical way, the angel says that he will always watch over her because water has a memory and despite being in different forms and places, she will have her angel watching over her. The angel despises the thought of being magic, or simply scientific.

THOUGHTS: A great update to the winter collection in any elementary library. The potential tie-ins to lessons related to the water system, winter solstice, and fairy tales make this title universally appealing for the upper grades at the elementary level.

Picture Book          Samantha Hull, Ephrata Area SD

Elem. – Seaside Stroll

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Trevino, Charles. Seaside Stroll. Charlesbridge, 2021. 978-1-580-89932-1. 32 p. $16.99. Grades K-3. 

Bundle up, and prepare for a seaside walk…in the winter! This beachy tale is even more unique because it uses only words beginning with the letter “s.” A little girl, her doll, and her mother layer on their warmest clothes for a wintery walk to the seashore. From snow on the sand to flocks of seagulls, there’s lots to look at on a wintery afternoon. But, when the little girl slips on the rocky side of a tidepool and the doll splashes in, will the day be salvaged? Trevino, the author, was inspired by American Sign Language (ASL) poetry when he created the structure for this text. In his author’s note, he describes how the story reads like a poem, and its rhythm and pace are designed to capture the wonder of exploration and discovery. Additional backmatter includes a list of things to look for if you visit a beach in the winter, including birds, wintery cloud formations, animals in tidepools, and snow and sand sculptures.

THOUGHTS: This gentle text shares a unique perspective of the beach during the off-season. It’s full of sensory words, so teachers could task students with listening carefully for them as the story unfolds. This will be an unexpected addition to wintery storytimes.

Picture Book          Anne Bozievich, Southern York County SD