Counting winter

PreS-Gr 2--From one red fox to 12 excited children, onlookers count through the Alaskan winter in this picture book poem. Each bold scratchboard and watercolor spread illustrates a single sentence that rhymes internally with the line on the following spread. Seven musk oxen stand in the snow, "sturdily/ facing winter," while eight sled dogs are "heartily/ racing winter." Ravens, snowshoe hares, red squirrels, and owls each experience winter in the far north in their own way until the children come out to slip and slide on the melting ice, "merrily/ meeting spring." Children will want to linger over the pictures in which creatures and landscape are captured in striking scenes. The jet black of the scratchboard tinted with strong, translucent color stands out beautifully against the bright winter white. A final wordless spread includes all of the critters in the book for a bit of seek-and-find fun. The back matter includes an additional fact about each of the animals as well as author's and illustrator's notes. VERDICT A visual treat that cheerfully celebrates winter through lyrical facts found in the natural world, while incidentally also being a counting book. A worthy purchase for most collections.--Jan Aldrich Solow

It's a counting book. It's a winter animal book. It's a just plain beautiful book! "One red fox walks / across the white snow / quietly / stalking winter." Meanwhile, the fox looks boldly at readers, a single paw raised. Though weather and color palettes may change from page to page as the book counts to 12, the one thing that remains the same is the sense of awe readers will feel while observing these animals in their native Alaskan environments. Each animal's relationship to the season is described in evocative verse, whether they're "talking winter" or "tracking," "riding," "hiding," "facing," "racing," "naming," "taming," "feeding," or "meeting" it. The final animals on display--human kids of various skin tones--slip and slide on ice that's rapidly melting as spring arrives. With lines such as "Four red squirrels feast / at their midden full of cones / hungrily / cracking winter," Carlstrom's writing deftly sets this title apart from other counting books. Meanwhile, McGehee's art conjures up both the silly side of nature and its incredible dignity and variety. Backmatter consists of animal profiles, with fun facts about each one pictured. In her author's note, Carlstrom reminisces about observing wildlife while living in Alaska; in an illustrator's note, McGehee discusses researching the animals she drew. A little scratchboard, a little watercolor, and voilà! The prettiest nondenominational winter book seen in ages. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.