I'm finally back on my feet after a two-week long cold, and I've jumped into the winter wilderness with three books focusing on the chills and thrills of wintertime.
Pablo in the Snow
Teri Sloat, illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet
ISBN: 9781627794121
Winter is Here
Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek
ISBN: 9780062747198
Winter is the Warmest Season
Lauren Stringer
ISBN: 0152049673
Showing posts with label Winter is the Warmest Season. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Winter is the Warmest Season. Show all posts
Friday, January 25, 2019
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Tuesday Storytime: First Snow (Happy 2016!)
Can you believe it's freaking 2016 already? It's just unreal. I'm still not certain when I'm actually going to feel like a grown-up, let alone this weird middle-age development.
Anyway, over the weekend it finally realized that in winter it is supposed to be cold, so we're into proper winter weather, for a proper winter storytime.
First Snow
Kim Lewis
ISBN: 1564021947
Atmospheric colored pencils of windswept wintry landscapes and expressive faces.
Sara, Sara's teddy, and Mommy are up early and out into the fields to feed the sheep before the first winter snow. This is a slow-moving atmospheric story, focusing on the feel of the land and the air as a snowfall approaches, and on the earthy rhythms of farm life, close to animals and nature. The astute or experienced storytimer will recognize that Sara's teddy is brought along to provide a bit of narrative drama, but it is gentle and quickly solved, even by picture book standards. Sweet and gentle, just like a first snow.
Dream Snow
Eric Carle
ISBN: 9780399235795 (with battery-operated sounds and lights on the final page/endpaper)
Carle's signature collage pastiche and bright colors in a dreamlike not-quite Santa Claus story.
I had pulled this book a while ago, and was tempted to use it for my Christmas storytime, but the farmer in the story is never actually identified as Santa, even though just about every child will make that connection based on the illustrations. Our farmer has a simple life; animals named One through Five, a single tree (named Tree) and simple tastes. He dreams of snow covering the animals (achieved in the book by a series of clear overleafs with white "blankets" turned to reveal what animals One through Five actually are) and when he wakes, the snow has truly fallen. He realizes that he's forgotten something, and dons coat and hat and gloves and boots (and here is where the Santa reference materializes) grabs boxes and a sack and rushes outside to put presents under Tree. At this point, if you like, you can press the battery-button and the stars "twinkle" and a short chiming mysterious melody plays.
Winter is the Warmest Season
Lauren Stringer (Red Rubber Boot Day)
ISBN: 0152049673
Exuberant acrylic paints vibrantly reveal the warm heart of winter.
You may think that Summer is the warmest season, but Ms Stringer will have you convinced by the end of this lovely book that you were quite wrong. Her lyrical and evocative text (in large letters, and not much of it per page) draws attention to all the warm delights that winter brings: grilled-cheese sandwiches, roaring radiators and fires, warm cats and glowing candles, cozy blankets and cozier snuggles. This is one of my favorite reads, and the language just flows beautifully along with the bright and cheerful page-spreads, just busy enough to reward close attention without losing focus or attractive composition. I think I read this at least once a year, and I'm happy to do so.
Anyway, over the weekend it finally realized that in winter it is supposed to be cold, so we're into proper winter weather, for a proper winter storytime.
First Snow
Kim Lewis
ISBN: 1564021947
Atmospheric colored pencils of windswept wintry landscapes and expressive faces.
Sara, Sara's teddy, and Mommy are up early and out into the fields to feed the sheep before the first winter snow. This is a slow-moving atmospheric story, focusing on the feel of the land and the air as a snowfall approaches, and on the earthy rhythms of farm life, close to animals and nature. The astute or experienced storytimer will recognize that Sara's teddy is brought along to provide a bit of narrative drama, but it is gentle and quickly solved, even by picture book standards. Sweet and gentle, just like a first snow.
Dream Snow
Eric Carle
ISBN: 9780399235795 (with battery-operated sounds and lights on the final page/endpaper)
Carle's signature collage pastiche and bright colors in a dreamlike not-quite Santa Claus story.
I had pulled this book a while ago, and was tempted to use it for my Christmas storytime, but the farmer in the story is never actually identified as Santa, even though just about every child will make that connection based on the illustrations. Our farmer has a simple life; animals named One through Five, a single tree (named Tree) and simple tastes. He dreams of snow covering the animals (achieved in the book by a series of clear overleafs with white "blankets" turned to reveal what animals One through Five actually are) and when he wakes, the snow has truly fallen. He realizes that he's forgotten something, and dons coat and hat and gloves and boots (and here is where the Santa reference materializes) grabs boxes and a sack and rushes outside to put presents under Tree. At this point, if you like, you can press the battery-button and the stars "twinkle" and a short chiming mysterious melody plays.
Winter is the Warmest Season
Lauren Stringer (Red Rubber Boot Day)
ISBN: 0152049673
Exuberant acrylic paints vibrantly reveal the warm heart of winter.
You may think that Summer is the warmest season, but Ms Stringer will have you convinced by the end of this lovely book that you were quite wrong. Her lyrical and evocative text (in large letters, and not much of it per page) draws attention to all the warm delights that winter brings: grilled-cheese sandwiches, roaring radiators and fires, warm cats and glowing candles, cozy blankets and cozier snuggles. This is one of my favorite reads, and the language just flows beautifully along with the bright and cheerful page-spreads, just busy enough to reward close attention without losing focus or attractive composition. I think I read this at least once a year, and I'm happy to do so.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Tuesday Storytime: Winter
Even though it rarely snows down here, I feel like it's important for storytimes to show different places and different experiences. These are three fun, wintery, snowy-day stories to show how different the seasons can be.
It's Winter!
Linda Glaser, cut-paper scenes by Susan Swan
ISBN: 0761317597
Extremely detailed, slightly stylized scenes with bright contrasts focus on the natural world in winter.
A perky (possibly asian) girl is our host for this tour of winter in the Northern USA, beginning with late autumn and the first snow-fall, and ending with the barest beginnings of spring snow-melt. We see a few human-centric activities (catching snowflakes, sledding, making snowpeople) but the focus is on the natural world and what the animals and environment is doing. The illustrations are crazy-detailed, with a stylized edge to them that makes them just sharp enough to avoid being cutesy. Really good overview for the length, and an excellent jumping-off-point.
Hibernation Station
Michelle Meadows, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus
ISBN: 9781416937883
Adorable fuzzy woodland creatures (and the odd frog) dress in jammies and attempt to cozy up.
This one is short and sweet, with much of the interest in the busy overstuffed illustrations (very similar in feel to Jan Brett) that show the various animals failing at falling asleep for the winter in their cramped communal log. After much whining, protesting, last minute complaining, and general unhappiness, the bears (the conductors) marshal the troops, rearrange the sleeping quarters and roommates, pass out last-minute snackies, issue kisses and hugs and snuggles, and get everyone tucked in properly for the winter. Did I mention that it was adorable? I've done this one before, and I'm sure I'll do it again. This one also got picked to go home to older siblings, which is always nice to have happen.
Winter is the Warmest Season
Lauren Stringer (Deer Dancer)
ISBN: 0152049673
Plump, cozy, fluffy illustrations show why winter is actually warmer.
This is a favorite, and it went over just as well today as usual. Several kids caught the title, and were instantly disagreeing with the premise. They enjoyed the slight cozy subversion. Our narrator (gender ambiguous) walks us through their reasons why winter is warmer: from hot cocoa to fuzzy mittens to cats who deign to sleep on laps now that the windowsills are too cold. These are usually contrasted with summer activities or analogues, so cold summer pools contrast with hot winter baths, and cold jelly sandwiches with toasted cheese. A great ending to the storytime, and a fun read overall.
It's Winter!
Linda Glaser, cut-paper scenes by Susan Swan
ISBN: 0761317597
Extremely detailed, slightly stylized scenes with bright contrasts focus on the natural world in winter.
A perky (possibly asian) girl is our host for this tour of winter in the Northern USA, beginning with late autumn and the first snow-fall, and ending with the barest beginnings of spring snow-melt. We see a few human-centric activities (catching snowflakes, sledding, making snowpeople) but the focus is on the natural world and what the animals and environment is doing. The illustrations are crazy-detailed, with a stylized edge to them that makes them just sharp enough to avoid being cutesy. Really good overview for the length, and an excellent jumping-off-point.
Hibernation Station
Michelle Meadows, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus
ISBN: 9781416937883
Adorable fuzzy woodland creatures (and the odd frog) dress in jammies and attempt to cozy up.
This one is short and sweet, with much of the interest in the busy overstuffed illustrations (very similar in feel to Jan Brett) that show the various animals failing at falling asleep for the winter in their cramped communal log. After much whining, protesting, last minute complaining, and general unhappiness, the bears (the conductors) marshal the troops, rearrange the sleeping quarters and roommates, pass out last-minute snackies, issue kisses and hugs and snuggles, and get everyone tucked in properly for the winter. Did I mention that it was adorable? I've done this one before, and I'm sure I'll do it again. This one also got picked to go home to older siblings, which is always nice to have happen.
Winter is the Warmest Season
Lauren Stringer (Deer Dancer)
ISBN: 0152049673
Plump, cozy, fluffy illustrations show why winter is actually warmer.
This is a favorite, and it went over just as well today as usual. Several kids caught the title, and were instantly disagreeing with the premise. They enjoyed the slight cozy subversion. Our narrator (gender ambiguous) walks us through their reasons why winter is warmer: from hot cocoa to fuzzy mittens to cats who deign to sleep on laps now that the windowsills are too cold. These are usually contrasted with summer activities or analogues, so cold summer pools contrast with hot winter baths, and cold jelly sandwiches with toasted cheese. A great ending to the storytime, and a fun read overall.
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