Nonfiction Monday: Animals Winter Sleep

THE ANIMALS’ WINTER SLEEP (paperback)
By Lynda Graham-Barber
Ages 2 – 5, 24 pages

Reviewed by Heidi Bee Roemer

Bio by Laura Crawford

We would like to thank Birdsong Books for donating a copy of this book for review.

Brrr! It’s a cold, snowy winter night. Thirteen familiar northern animals are looking for a warm and cozy place to sleep. But where? Easy-to-read, melodic, rhymed text paired with soft-colored pencil illustrations give young readers the chance to peek into the special sleeping places—nests, dens, burrows, caves, and lodges—of various birds and mammals. Snowshoe hare snuggles in a hollow log, squirrel wraps himself in a treetop nest, and beaver sleeps in a dome made of mud. Some animals sleep alone, while others curl up with family members. The final story page assures readers that not only are all the animals dozing comfortably, but the human family is also contentedly snuggled in for the night.
Young animal-lovers will be intrigued by the often-surprising animals facts located at the back of the book. The porcupine has about 30,000 sharp quills on its body. Foxes not only eat mice, but fruit, corn, and berries, as well. The messy porcupine sleeps in its "bathroom," and the black bear doesn’t eat or go to the bathroom all winter long! A final black and white line-drawn illustration depicts the woodland scene and invites readers to locate all the animals’ sleeping spots. Useful as an introduction to animal adaptation, this charming book is also a good choice for boys and girls eager to hear a comforting read-aloud bedtime story. A great nonfiction-fiction combo, I give The Animals’ Winter Sleep an enthusiastic thumbs up!

Lynda Graham- Barber has loved books since she was a little girl, and spent hours reading, writing and exploring nature in western Pennysylvania. While in high school she shelved books at the local library and discovered the nature writing of Henry David Thoreau, among others. After earning degrees in English and French, she moved to New York and held various editorial positions with New York publishing houses and eventually pursued a career in freelance writing. After moving to Vermont, she her husband built a cabin and she continues to be inspired by nature. Lynda began as an instructor with the Institute of Children's Literature in 1994. She currently visits schools to teach students about animal behavior discussed in her book, The Animals' Winter Sleep.

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by All About Children's books blog.