WINTER WHERE?

I think Gus Gordon just wanted to draw birds, lots of birds.  The end pages have illustrations of old suitcase advertisements so you get the sense that this is an unusual take on birds going south for the winter.  

It's winter and fowls of all sorts are going every which way, on all manners of transportation.  Some are even using travel agents to help them get to their destinations.

The only fowl not going anywhere is George.  He's too busy baking brownies, carrot cakes, and other pastries.  He tells Pascal, the bear, that there's also ironing to do and yoga to practice so that's a no to Paris. The Andes - Nah.  But Pascal really wants a warm place to stay, like the Carribean.  

After all the excuses, because that's what they are, excuses, George finally admits the truth.  Together Pascal and George form a plan to fly...somewhere else.  

I love this story. It's unexpected.  It's poignant.  

For pre-K and older readers of all ages.

BEAUTIFUL SCRATCH BOARD ART

Before Morning is a beautifully illustrated story about a hard working mother’s commitment to duty and her family.  After tucking her child into bed, she heads off to the airport to fly passengers to their destinations.  As the night wears on, a wintry storm strengthens, the child longs for her mother's warmth within their cozy home.  What will happen before morning?

Joyce Sidman’s Before Morning is an endearing story about a child's wish.  Although the text is spare, Caldecott award winner Beth Krommes extraordinary art on scratch board and water colors captures the heart of a family's love. 

For readers in K-2nd grades. 

BEAR & HARE: SNOW!

Emily Gravett’s perfect pair from Bear & Hare Go Fishing return for another sweet story in Bear & Hare: Snow!
One morning, Bear and Hare don their winter scarves and venture out into an unexpectedly snowy world. Hare loves snow, and his exuberance is plain to see as the two friends spend the day catching snowflakes, making snow prints, forming snow angels, building snow creatures, and rolling snowballs. Meanwhile, Bear’s somewhat aggrieved expression throughout the pair’s activities belies the gentle text, providing an undertone of gentle humor.
This is lovely story to share with younger children to introduce the concept of snow. Many young children, particularly in Southern California, have never seen snow before. Sharing books about unfamiliar things can help children become aware of new things and new experiences in the world. The pictures and stories in books also help pave the way for more in-depth understanding when they eventually see the real thing.
Explore more wintry stories for younger children (ages 0-2) with Under My Hood I Have a Hat by Karla Kuskin, Jingle Jingle by Nicola Smee, and Red Sled by Lita Judge. For preschool aged children, check out Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London, Rabbit's Gift by George Shannon, and Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson.
Ages 0+

FINDERS KEEPERS?

A warm red scarf lies at the center of this clever and deceptively simple winter picture book. In Lost. Found. by Marsha Diane Arnold and illustrated by Matthew Cordell, the two titular words are repeated over and over again as the story progresses, and readers must pay close attention to the details in Cordell's charming pen-and-ink-with-watercolor art, where the true story unfolds. When bear loses his cozy red scarf in the cold winter breeze, it finds and loses several other woodland animal successors, each time being reinvented to serve many a varied purpose--hat! rope swing! trampoline!--along the way. But trouble ensues when all the animals try to claim the scarf for their own and it becomes unraveled. Can they possibly put it back together and discover a way for all the animals to use it together? 

This delightfully inventive picture book is wonderful to share with preschoolers through first graders in a group, but even more so in a one-on-one setting, where they will have the chance to really pore over all the finer details of this lovely story. Either way it's the perfect find. 

IT STARTED ONE SUMMER

Poor Truly Lovejoy, only 12 years old and tall beyond anyone in her class.  With a size 10 1/2 size shoes, she thought at least she would have a new perfect start, with her cousin, and the rest of her family in Texas, but everything changed when her father was hurt by an IED on his last tour of military service. The family plans are changing and now they were all packing up once again, moving to Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire, the smallest town ever and founded by her ancestors.  

Her father has changed.  There's no more jokes, no more swimming, and she has flunked math and now has to be tutored by him everyday. The only bright thing in her life in this tiny town is watching for birds. She's been a birder ever since her grandfather turned her on to the hobby.  

A great read by Heather Vogel Frederick, author of The Mother-Daughter Book Club series, Absolutely Truly:  A Pumpkin Falls Mystery is not so much a mystery as a story of changes, adapting, belonging and patience. 

For readers in 6th and up. 

TOYS' DAY OUT... IN THE SNOW!

The delightful characters of Emily Jenkins's beloved Toys Go Out chapter book series are back in a wintertime picture book adventure for a younger new audience. Lumphy the stuffed buffalo, StingRay the plush sting ray, and Plastic the rubber ball encounter all the wonder of a snowy day for the first time in Toys Meet Snow when their little girl has left them at home during her winter vacation. They try to get to the bottom of what snow is exactly--is it frozen water? or a "blanket of peace over the world"?--by catching snowflakes, building snowmen, and making angels in the snow. 

Paul O. Zelinsky's  captivating illustrations shine in this bold color format, and Jenkins's poetic and gently humorous text makes a seamless transition from chapter book to picture book. This sweet and whimsical story will warm the hearts of readers of all ages, but particularly the preschool to second grade set. 

ZOOZICAL MUSICAL

Zoozical by Judy Sierra pictures by Marc Brown.

It's winter time and families are staying in their homes and the usual field trips are no longer taking place at the local zoo.  The animals are getting rusty and restless, no one to entertain and no one to take pictures with…”Owls did not give a hoot, pandas quit being cute.”  And so begins the ever fun production of an animal show at the zoo, put together by none other than the animals themselves, hence zoozical…

The illustrations are deep in colors with vibrant and colorful characters that dance, sing and entertain one another until summer arrives.  One of the things that you will learn from this beautifully crafted book is that a person should never feel bored, because no matter what, we can always find ways to entertain us, we just need to look  around us for a little bit of inspiration… Pre-k to 1st grades.