winter – Page 2 – Sneak Peek Books

The Little Lost Robin

On the edge of the deep wood lives an old Hare. Once he would dance under the magical moon, but now he spends his time daydreaming. Every day, the Hare would walk into the woods and feed the birds. All of the birds fly away for the winter, except Robin. Every day, the Hare walks in the woods to visit his friend.

Hare worries about Robin when a big storm blows in, covering everything in snow. The next morning, Hare goes in search of his friend. Is Robin safe? Will Hare find his friend?

Beautiful artwork brings Hare and Robin’s friendship to life. The story starts with gentle green mountains and fades to muted fall colors and finally to the blistery white of winter. As Hare wanders into the woods, younger readers will enjoy looking for Robin’s scarlet feathers. Hare’s facial expressions show that he cares for Robin. The Little Lost Robin is a beautiful story about the benefit of their special friendship.

The Little Lost Robin doesn’t only have beautiful pictures; the poetic words use alliteration, imagery, and dialogue to describe the woods and the animal’s friendships. It is unclear why Robin does not fly south with the other birds. However, Robin’s experiences would be the perfect way for parents to introduce the reason why birds fly south for the winter.

The Little Lost Robin is a picture book that is intended to be read aloud to a child, instead of being read independently. With five or fewer sentences on each page, the story is a quick read. The Little Lost Robin is a sweet story about two friends that help make each other’s day more enjoyable. Readers who would like a little more fall fun should add A Loud Winter’s Nap by Katy Hudson to their reading list.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

The Snowy Nap

Snow is on the way and as Hedgie trundles around the farm all his friends tell him of the winter-time fun he will miss when he hibernates—Icicles decorating the chicken coop! Lisa making snowmen! The pond turned to slippery ice! It sounds so amazing that Hedgie decides to stay awake instead of going to his burrow. But when a snowstorm starts, Lisa has to rescue Hedhie and bring him inside. But it’s okay! Hedgie gets to see the wonders of winter from inside the cozy house.

Readers will be introduced to the idea of hibernation from Hedgie’s point of view. As the curious hedgehog walks through the farm, different animals tell Hedgie what he will miss while he is taking his long winter nap. Although there is little action, animal lovers will enjoy all the farm animals. Before he hibernates, Hedgie is able to see the other animals enjoy winter activities. Readers will giggle when the farm animals take over Lisa’s living room because they want to see winter “from a nice warm house.”

Bauer’s illustrations have an old-fashioned feeling to them. Each picture is detailed and includes side panels, borders, and a lot of winter activities. The artwork is beautiful and charming. Hedgie appears on each page, and also includes decorative side panels that focus on the different animals. The hedgehog is absolutely adorable and readers will love how the other animals look through the windows to take a peek at Hedgie, who is tucked in a warm bed by the window.

As readers fall into the winter landscape, they will be able to relate to Hedgie, who really wants to be a part of the adventures of winter. Even though A Long Winter Nap is a picture book, it is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. Each page has four or fewer sentences. The complex sentences and detailed pictures will require readers to take their time to enjoy the story. Readers who want more winter fun should add Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer to their reading list.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Max & Mo Make a Snowman

Max and Mo, two hamsters, live in a comfortable cage in a classroom. They love watching the boys and girls. Now that it’s wintertime, the children head outside to play in the snow and make a snowman. The hamsters want to enjoy the snow, but it’s too cold. Instead, Max and Mo decide to stay in the warm, cozy classroom. How can they keep snuggly warm and make a snowman too?

Max’s and Mo’s classroom comes to life through both text and illustrations. The two hamsters are adorably cute and creative too. Instead of going outside in the cold, the hamsters jump into the Odds and Ends bin and find art supplies. As they watch the children, they begin to make their very own paper snowman. The story ends with directions so little readers can also make their very own snowman.

With repeating words and 1-3 simple sentences per page, Max & Mo Make a Snowman is perfect for beginning readers. Anyone who wants to get into the winter spirit will enjoy seeing Max and Mo build their own snowman. The two cute hamsters use creative problem solving to make a great snowman. Readers who enjoyed Max & Mo Make a Snowman may also like the Pets on the Loose series by Victoria Jamieson; however, young readers would need parents to read the graphic novel to them.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Winter Dance

Snow is coming, and it’s time to get ready! The squirrel gathers nuts, the geese soar south, and the snowshoe hare puts on its new white coat. But what should the fox do? Each animal advises the fox and says its own plan is best, but the fox thinks otherwise. However, it’s not until he meets a golden-eyed friend that he finds the perfect way to celebrate the snowfall.

Beautifully illustrated, Winter Dance combines poetry, dialogue, and onomatopoeias into a fun story that is perfect for reading aloud. Even though Winter Dance is a picture book, it intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. The story shows how various animals—bats, bears, caterpillars, squirrels, and more—prepare for winter. Without sounding like a text book, the story explores the different animal habits. As the fox talks to the animals, he learns that each animal must discover what works best for them.

The story’s illustrations beautifully convey the calm and peaceful start of winter. As the fox tries to answer, “What should I do?” the winter landscape comes alive. Endearing illustrations end with the fox finding a friend who he can enjoy a winter dance with. Winter Dance celebrates the winter season and will delight younger readers. Each page has five or fewer short sentences, making the story a quick read and an excellent bedtime story.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

A Loud Winter’s Nap

Tortoise is set in his ways. He doesn’t like winter. He’s been planning his long winter nap, and now he’s ready to find a peaceful place to snuggle up. Tortoise has his pillow, his teddy bear, and his ear plugs. But what will tortoise do when the robins create a ruckus with their winter singing class?

Readers will giggle as Tortoise tries successfully to find a peaceful sleeping spot. But every time he snuggles down to sleep, a different forest animal wakes him up – from the playful squirrel who invites him to a snowball fight to the beaver who chops down the tree he’s sleeping in. Tortoise just doesn’t understand winter fun. All he knows is that “tortoises just don’t like winter!”

A Loud Winter’s Nap is a beautifully illustrated picture book that explores the joy of winter. Rabbit noisily creates an ice sculpture. Squirrel starts a snowball fight with the sleeping tortoise. Colorful illustrations add little details that will delight readers. Each animal is adorably cute and has expressive facial expressions. Readers will enjoy finding Tortoise’s teddy bear in each picture.

The text includes onomatopoeia words and repetition that will capture young readers’ attention. With four or fewer sentences per page, A Loud Winter’s Nap would be a fun story to read aloud. Readers will want to grab a blanket, a teddy bear, and curl up with this fun book. A Loud Winter’s Nap will become many children’s favorite winter book.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Red Fox Running

Red Fox runs on and on through the snow in search of food for his family. Then, he makes the long trek back to his den where his mate and cubs are waiting. The lyrical poem focuses on a winter day and on Red Fox’s search for food. As he searches, he notices many different animals. Unlike many children’s books, Red Fox Running doesn’t shy away from the hunger that animals face in the winter. Red Fox is described as starving and desperate to find food.

The beautiful poem is accompanied by large, full-color illustrations. Although many of the illustrations show Red Fox in a winter landscape, there are other wildlife shown such as duck, geese, and a rabbit. The ending of the story shows Red Fox carrying a dead animal in his mouth. Even though Red Fox’s dinner is not recognizable, the illustration might upset some children.

Even though Red Fox Running is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child rather than for a child to read it for the first time independently. Each page of the poem has 8-9 short lines. Many of the pages have no words, but they use the illustrations to bring the winter landscape and the forest animals to life instead. Even though the illustrations are stunning and the poem uses a concerned tone, younger readers who are not ready to be introduced to animals hunting for pray will want to leave Red Fox Running on the shelf.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

Red Fox finds his pray. “Dragging it behind you / Along the ground. / Your paws are raw and bleeding / Your body’s sore and spent.” Red Fox takes the food to his “mate and cubs, / Eat your fill and then / All curled up together.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

A Long Way from Home

It’s bedtime in the burrow, and as usual, Noah is squished and squashed by sleepy rabbits. So out into the night he goes. Outside Noah meets his friend Albatross, who flies him to the land of the North Star, where sky and snow go on forever. When Noah falls from Albatross’s back, he’s not worried.

At first Noah loves being the only rabbit as he explores the snowy world. There’s no one to squish or squash him. But when Noah snuggles up in an icy nest, he missing the cozy nest full of snuggly siblings. Noah wants to go home, but without wings how will he make it home? Will ever find Albatross?

The beautiful illustrations begin by showing Noah’s cramped bunny den. Noah is being squeezed by his favorite sister, Ella. But Noah doesn’t want to be held like a teddy bear. As the story progresses, the animals’ expressions convey emotions. Noah visits a beautiful winter wonderland filled with blues and whites. The fanciful illustrations are lovely and young readers will want to look at them again and again.

Even though A Long Way Home is a picture book, the story intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. Each page has 2-6 lines of text and some of the sentences are complex. However, the easy-to-read story’s topic makes A Long Way Home a good bedtime story.

Children will relate to Noah’s story. Even though adults will find A Long Way Home predictable, younger readers will love Noah’s adventure in the snow and understand the theme. Noah learns to appreciate his family despite being squished and squashed. Parents can use Noah’s story to discuss different habitats, Noah’s personal growth, as well as the importance of appreciating what you have. A Long Way Home uses a winter landscape to create a warm story that highlights the joy of family.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Cabin Fever

Most people love the holiday season, but it makes Greg a nervous wreck. Greg believes that if he makes a mistake in the first eleven months of the year, it’s not a big deal, but if he does something wrong during the holiday season, then he’s in trouble with Santa and won’t get any presents. With Thanksgiving gone and Christmas fast approaching, Greg becomes obsessed with playing Net Kritterz online – a game where he takes constant care of his internet pet Chihuahua. Greg needs money in order to feed and clothe his virtual pet, but after his mom says money is tight, Greg has to create new ways to earn cash quickly.

After Greg’s request to his local church for a ‘donation’ and his snow shoveling business fall through, Greg and his best friend, Rowley, decide to hold their own Holiday Bazaar where they will sell concession snacks, offer holiday games, and make gifts like their school’s own Bazaar. However, after Vice Principal Roy stops them from handing out advertisements at school, the young duo decides to advertise their Bazaar by hanging signs on the outside school wall. But while taping them up, rain begins to pour and the paint on the signs runs, staining the bricks a neon green. With the police hot on their tails, Rowley and Greg flee the scene of the crime.

After the local newspaper carries a story about the vandalism and Vice-Principal Roy demands that the guilty parties come forward the next day, Rowley submits an anonymous note indicating that he and Greg are responsible for the vandalism. Refusing to identify Rowley as his partner in crime, Roy forces Greg to clean the outside bricks alone for hours. When Greg gets home, he learns the police have paid his house a visit and left a note saying that they would be back later. That night, a huge snowstorm traps Greg and his family inside their house. Greg now has to wait out the snowstorm while stressing about the police as his family’s food rations and electricity run out. Will Greg survive the snowstorm and get the chance to clear his name or will he be sent to jail like he fears?

Cabin Fever’s plot revolves around everything that happens in Greg’s life and is told from his 12-year-old perspective. The story contains a lot of bathroom and childish humor and at times the humor and illustrations can be crude and inappropriate for really young readers. At one point in the story, Greg clears a neighbor’s driveway of snow using a sprinkler and feels annoyed when his neighbor slips on the resulting ice. In another part, Greg tries to steal from the collection tray at church in order to pay for his Net Kritterz. Many illustrations also depict a butt, someone using a toilet, or Greg in his underwear.

Despite the book’s bathroom humor, Cabin Fever has positive lessons for young readers. Jeff Kinney has a natural talent for using humor to mask important messages. In this book, Kinney uses Greg and his humor to address gratefulness. When Greg is on the verge of losing everything – electricity, food, shelter, video games – while snowed in, he realizes how grateful he is for his family, friends, and home. Also, the consistently funny black-and-white comic illustrations will help younger readers transfer their reading skills from picture books into full-fledged novels, helping even the most reluctant of readers start reading. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever is a fun, easy-to-read story that will entertain readers and teach them to be grateful for their families and friends.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

One of Bryce Anderson’s cronies shoots Greg with a BB gun.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Bathroom and immature humor are used consistently. Words like stupid, jerk, and poop are used frequently.
After Greg went to the bathroom, somebody asks, “Did you poop?”
Every time someone gets hurt on a piece of playground equipment, the teachers remove it for safety issues. Eventually, the only thing left is the balance beam and Greg thought it would never leave, “but believe it or not, some idiot wasn’t looking where he was going the other day, so now that’s gone, too.”
Greg thinks Rowley’s skipping “looks stupid.”
When Greg was in elementary school, his teacher, Mr. Harkin, accidentally walked in on him while he was using the bathroom. Greg says he “felt like a jerk” after he told his mom about it.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

It’s Christmastime in the novel; Jesus and God are mentioned.
The family goes to church three times and to folk mass one time. Greg says, “Our family usually goes to church at 9:00 a.m., but today we went to the folk service at 11:00.” Greg and his family even go to church on Christmas morning.
Greg feels bad for people who have their birthday right around the holidays because it gets lumped together with Christmas and they get cheated out of a gift. Greg guesses it’s been happening for thousands of years and an illustration shows God handing a gift to Jesus saying, “This gift counts for Christmas AND your birthday, Jesus!”

by Matthew Perkey