Winter Dance

An exemplary addition to the shelves of nature-themed picture books

PreS-Gr 2-- Winter approaches with the arrival of a solitary snowflake, while a young red fox questions what to do when the air grows colder and the ground slowly covers with snow. A softly painted palette that gently mimics a snowy landscape presents the change in seasons and the still quiet of nature through varied perspectives as, one by one, the fox asks the creatures of the forest, "What should I do?" Each answers with the instinct or innate behavior of their species--helpful advice comes from a caterpillar, turtle, bat, squirrel, goose, and snowshoe hare. Lastly, a "great black bear," advises "Curl beneath the roots of a toppled balsam tree, and tuck all your growls away." No advice seems quite right until another fox invites him to watch as "a million snowflakes fill the air" and join in a celebratory dance. Inspired by the author's discovery of the foxes' dance in the woods of the North, the descriptive, lyrical text and its placement imitate the dance's movement. VERDICT A suggested first purchase suitable for young readers in libraries and classrooms studying seasons and animal behavior.-- Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

With winter fast approaching, geese know to fly away and bears know to hibernate, but a red fox is at a loss. One by one, animals offer the fox advice, and one by one the fox rejects their suggestions. "Gather, gather, gather./ Then quick,/ quick,/ hide everything away," says a squirrel. "That won't do for me," the fox muses. "I don't even like acorns." Eventually, another red fox shows up with an idea that works: "When a million snowflakes/ fill the air,/ twirling,/ tumbling,/ spinning,/ waltzing,/ you and I/ join them." Bauer's verselike text pairs gracefully with smudgy and similarly understated scenes from British illustrator Jones: the text and artwork work in tandem to suggest the hushed onset of winter while carrying readers forward with the swiftness of a snow flurry. Ages 4-7. Author's agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. Illustrator's agent: Arabella Stein, Bright Group. (Oct.)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

★ "An exemplary addition to the shelves of nature-themed picture books." —Kirkus, starred review

★ "Bauer's verselike text pairs gracefully with smudgy and similarly understated scenes from British illustrator Jones: the text and artwork work in tandem to suggest the hushed onset of winter while carrying readers forward with the swiftness of a snow flurry."
-Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "The regular pattern of Bauer's text provides excellent support for pre-readers, while remaining sweetly simple. However, it's Jones' soft-lined, textured illustrations that steal the show, as they cast beautiful forest scenes across the page, using a cool wintry palette against which the fox's orangey-red fur pops. Eventually, the fox finds another of his kind, who has the answer to his question, providing a lovely finish to this finely crafted winter's tale." —Booklist, starred review

"Inspired by the author's discovery of the foxes' dance in the woods of the North, the descriptive, lyrical text and its placement imitate the dance's movement...A suggested first purchase suitable for young readers in libraries and classrooms studying seasons and animal behavior." -School Library Journal