Kitten's Winter

by Eugenie Fernandes, Eugenie Fernandes (Illustrator)

Overview

Winter comes to Kitten's world, and the little calico leaves her cozy home for an afternoon of exploration and discovery. Kitten learns that even on a frosty day, animal life flourishes: a squirrel forages, an otter goes fishing and a woodpecker taps the side of a bare-limbed tree. At the same time, readers discover that for many animals, winter is a time of rest. Softly, Kitten treads past a burrowing turtle, a napping beaver and a hibernating bear. Told in rhyming couplets, Kitten's Winter is a perfect introduction to animal behavior and habitats. And its sumptuous, mixed-media illustrations make it ideal for beginning and pre-readers, who will delight in spotting all the different details of the season.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781554537426
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	09/28/2013
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 6.12(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD330L (what's this?)
Age Range:	1 - 4 Years

About the Author

Eugenie Fernandes is an award-winning picture book author and illustrator. Her many works include the Little Mouse series, Earth Magic, One Hen and Kitten's Spring. She lives in southern Ontario.

Eugenie Fernandes is an award-winning picture book author and illustrator. Her many works include the Little Mouse series, Earth Magic, One Hen and Kitten's Spring. She lives in southern Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

The large, clean pictures make this small square book easy to share with a group, though children will surely enjoy looking at the small details up close.—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

PreS-Gr 2—This journey through the snowy woods follows a kitten as it runs to its cozy home, passing many forest animals along the way. Bear is hibernating, Otter catches a fish, and other creatures are engaged in various winter activities. Each spread shows animals performing the action of the text, such as "Turtle burrows,/Beaver naps," with the next spread completing the rhyme, e.g., "Raccoon dozes,/Woodpecker taps." The large, clean pictures make this small square book easy to share with a group, though children will surely enjoy looking at the small details up close. The realistic scenes are created from a mixed-media collage composed of self-hardening clay and acrylic paint, among other materials. A fine seasonal selection.—Laura Butler, Mount Laurel Library, NJ

School Library Journal

Kitten's fourth seasonal sojourn (Kitten's Autumn, 2010, etc.) finds her struggling through a snowstorm to reach the warmth and safety of home, all the while observing how the forest dwellers deal with the weather. "Rabbit hops, / Mouse zips. / Otter catches, / Fish flips." Kitten also sees beaver, turtle, bear, chipmunk and raccoon sleeping, woodpecker tapping for insects and a squirrel searching for food. But the animals in the gentle rhyming verses are not the only ones in the artwork--children will enjoy spying their favorites, as well as searching for the kitten, who takes a behind or under-the-trees route home, and sometimes leaves only footprints for seekers to find. As in the previous three books, Fernandes' artwork takes this simple tale to a whole new level. Created with clay, acrylics and mixed-media collage, the forest takes on a depth and texture that echo reality, while the animals appear ready to spring off the pages, the birds to take flight. Readers are treated to cutaway views of the animals' cozy burrows, their inhabitants sleeping through the cold. Foresty browns and wintry blues and whites contrast nicely with the warmer colors of Kitten's home. A pleasing finale to the seasonal quartet. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews