Animals in Winter

Bancroft, Henrietta, and Van Gelder, Richard. Animals in Winter. Illustrated by Helen K. Davie. Harper Collins,1997. 32 pages. $12.48. ISBN 9780060271589.

Summary:

This text provides an introduction to the ways that animals adapt to winter through several examples: animals who stay active, and those who migrate and hibernate. The text is illustrated with engaging pictures and most of the animals will be familiar to readers (mice, squirrels, monarch butterflies, deer, woodchucks, etc.). There is a two-page spread that suggests ways to help animals in winter, with a caveat about being responsible when feeding animals in the wild.

Curriculum Connections:

This is an ideal text to introduce young readers (K-2) to nonfiction reading strategies: there is information on every page and details about the individual animals. After a group read-aloud, students could re-read in small groups, then work on strategies for organizing information about what is similar and different about the example animals.

Personal Reflections:

This is the perfect sort of text to introduce young thinkers with a “What do we already know about…?” and “What do we want to learn about…?” format, and to follow up with a metacognitive activity “What did we learn about…?”

Awards:

Age/Interest Range:

K-8

Genre/Themes:

Science, Adaptation, Migration, Animals, Winter, Seasons

Read-Alikes:

Over and Under the Snow (Messner) addresses similar themes, at a similar manner; Waiting for Winter (Meschenmoser) takes a more lighthearted and silly approach. This title is part of a series called “Let’s Read and Find Out Science, Level 1.”