Under the Snow

by Melissa Stewart, Constance R. Bergum (Illustrator)

When snow falls, we love to sled and skate and have snowball fights. But at the end of the day, we go home where it is warm and safe. What about all those animals out there in the forests and fields? What do they do when snow blankets the ground? Journey from your neighborhood to the woods, where ladybugs crowd together in a gap in the stone wall and a chipmunk snoozes in his burrow. Take a side trip to the pond, where a carp rests quietly on the bottom and a green frog nestles in the mud, scarcely breathing. And then as winter passes and the sun's rays grow stronger, join all the animals as they get ready for spring. Award-winning science writer Melissa Stewart offers a lyrical tour of a variety of habitats, providing young readers with vivid glimpses of animals as they live out the winter beneath the snow and ice. Constance R. Bergum's glowing watercolors perfectly capture the wonder and magic that can happen under the snow.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Science, Animals, Nature, Childrens, Juvenile

30 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2009

About the author

Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 180 science and nature books for children. She offers a wide range of programs for schools, libraries, nature centers, and conferences. www.melissa-stewart.com"

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A natural history picture-book for younger children, Melissa Stewart's Under the Snow chronicles how various species, from ladybugs to bluegills, survive the cold months of winter. With a simple text of no more than two sentences per page, and engaging watercolor illustrations, it follows the "story" of life under the snow - chipmunks snoozing in their burrows, beavers huddling in their lodges, frogs and turtles resting in the mud - highlighting the fact that, even when the world above seems still and quiet, there is abundant life beneath the surface.

Although I would not say that I found this book particularly revelatory, as an adult reader - the information is quite basic - I think that what is there is very well presented, and will probably be quite engrossing for the intended audience. The idea of hidden worlds is always appealing, and never more so than when we are young, and feel that the world itself (the world outside our home) is hidden from us. Just as appealing is Constance R. Bergum's artwork, which ably captures the cold beauty of a world blanketed in snow, and the cozy animal retreats from that world. Highly recommended to younger preschool children with an interest in the natural world, or a love of winter.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an impressive accomplishment.

It tells about different habitats in winter and how the animals survive when the ground is covered with snow. It’s fascinating. It can be enjoyed by the youngest child, because though it is packed with information, it manages to give that information with very few words.

The watercolor paintings are of high quality and they’re very beautiful.

I thoroughly enjoyed both the information and the art, and I learned some things I didn’t know, and in a completely enjoyable way.

For some reason, I wasn’t fond of the very last line, even though what it communicates certainly fits the story, but it’s not enough of a disappointment to detract from how much I love this book.

My only dilemma is that I either have to use restraint or have my to-read shelf explode. This author has written more than one hundred books for young people, and at least one of them was illustrated by the artist who created the paintings for this book; they’re a wonderful team. That book, at least, will promptly go on my to-read shelf. By the way, this author knows of what she writes. She has degrees in both biology and science journalism. I’m so glad she’s using her expertise to write books such as this one.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned something from this one. Frogs can freeze solid and still live! Little did I know how much activity is going on under the snow and ice. Stewart shows the reader who is sleeping or moving around under leaves, brush piles, bushes covered with snow, under ponds, in logs, and in many other places. The illustrations are clear and colorful. Pair this with Jennifer Berry Jones' Who Lives in the Snow. Highly recommended, especially for children who live in snowy climes.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without using vocabulary words like hibernation or dormancy, without an author's note or bibliography, this is still an excellent science book. I love the illustrations, and the fact that several different habitats (pond, forest, etc.) are explored. Highly recommended for any unit, preschoolers to upper elementary, on how critters survive the winter.

[Luann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you ever think about where ladybugs go during the winter? Or centipedes? Or bumblebees? Of course we all know that bears and many other animals hibernate, but Melissa Stewart shows a wide variety of animals "under the snow" during the winter in several habitats: in a field, in a forest, on a pond, and in a wetland. Constance Bergum's very nice illustrations show the animals under the snow and also what is happening above, such as people ice skating on the pond and a deer foraging at a bush. The text is simple, yet gives great details: a wood frog can freeze solid and still survive, a woodchuck sleeps soundly all winter long and gets all the energy it needs from its thick layer of fat, frogs and turtles wait out the winter buried in the mud of a lake never moving and barely breathing.

This is one of those so-simple-it's-amazing books! I plan to use this in my snow-themed library lesson next year.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t believe what all goes on during winter. I’ve never given thought to what some of these animals do. Some aren’t active at all, some are moving and eating under the snow that we don’t know about.

Ladybugs packed themselves into a gap in a stone wall in the book. A snake hibernated in a hole.
Voles tunneled through the snow, finding young trees to eat the bark off of.
Chipmunks slept for days at a time, eating nuts and seeds kept in its burrow.
A mourning cloak butterfly took cover in a brush pile.
A bee, and ugh, centipede, are still and quiet in a log until spring.
A wood frog, something I’ve never heard of, stays under some leaves. It can even freeze solid and will live! That’s crazy!

A woolly bear caterpillar stays through winter in a tight ball.
Salamanders wait through winter right below the ground.
Woodchucks sleep further under the ground. It’s heart rate and breathing slows, and it gets energy from its thick layer of fat.
Bluegills circle in the pond slowly, not having energy to chase waterboatmen. Carp rest on the bottom of the pond, not even tempted by water striders.
Frogs and turtles bury themselves in the mud at the bottom of the pond. They don’t move and hardly breathe. I had heard that they stay on the bottom.

Beavers stay in their lodges, and when hungry, swim to their food storage piles and eat sticks. It looked like they keep a food pile near their dens.
Red-spotted newts seem to be the only active ones; they dart under the ice.
Animals in the fields and forests, ponds and wetlands get ready for spring, as the days get longer and the sun stronger.
It ends with:
‘As time passes, the sun’s rays slowly grow stronger. Each day is a little bit longer. Animals living in fields and forests, ponds and wetlands begin to get ready for spring.
And so do you.’

It was just ok. The illustrations were in an older-looking style.
I did like the opening lines:
‘In the heart of winter, a deep layer of snow blankets fields and forests, ponds and wetlands.
You spend your days sledding and skating and having snowball fights.
But under the snow lies a hidden world.’

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is so enlightening about what so many species do in the winter when it’s too cold for them to be out. It’s so informative about what happens to the animals when it’s winter and we don’t see them. Like ladybugs packed in a stone wall, and voles tunneling in the snow and eating the bark off young trees. Chipmunks sleep under the ground and snack on nuts and seeds. Butterflies stay in piles of brush in the woods. Bees are still inside logs. It’s amazing that wood frogs can freeze solid and still survive under leaves. Caterpillars curl in a ball under the leaves. Woodchucks stay underground and live off their fat and their heart rate and breathing slows. Bluegills swim slowly. Carp aren’t even tempted by water striders! Frogs and turtles bury themselves in mud and they never move and barely breathe! Beavers comes out of their lodges to eat from their storage of sticks.
But the red spotted newts from the cover are still active below the ice! That was my favorite image in the whole book.

The illustrations were just okay. I thought the animals were too specific at times and to general to this area. It would have been better if the species as a whole was mentioned and not like the certain type of butterfly or salamander.

But it was nice to learn more about where the animals go when we don’t see them anymore!

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you see snow, you think of how pretty it is or how cold it is. UNDER THE SNOW opens your eyes to all of the creatures that are doing what they have to in order to survive the cold of winter. Squirrels snuggle in a burrow and sleep for days at a time. Other creatures like a salamander and woodchuck sleep under the ground as well to wait out the cold months.

UNDER THE SNOW teaches about animals and their habitats during winter time. The author even includes animals that live in the water like bluegills and carp. Under the sheet of ice, they barely swim, too cold too dart around for food. UNDER THE SNOW makes you look at the winter differently. As you walk, you wonder what creatures could be hiding under your steps?


Final Verdict: This is perfect for fans of animals, the mysteries what's hiding under the snow, and learning about different habitats and means of survival.

This review can also be found on YABC: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nonfiction book takes a look at what animals are doing in the fields, forests, ponds, and wetlands under the snow and ice during the winter to survive. There are only a couple of sentences on each page with large beautifully detailed pictures. I would use this book as a read aloud to young children or older children can read it to themselves. Most will learn something new about one of the animals highlighted in this book.

[Megan Minehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book is the perfect book for an elementary science classroom. This book was very diverse through the course of the text because it focused on land animals, amphibians, and water creatures and how they survive in their biomes during the harsh winters. The illustrator did an exceptional job creating close-up images of the habitats the animals hibernate in, and also used complex words which made it easy to incorporate the use of context clues.

[Ellie Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the illustrations in this book. They went great with the text! I think this book does a really good job explaining what many animals do during the winter time. I think this book would be great to read to a class and use it as a transition into a unit about seasons and/or animal hibernation.

[ErinTheLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

technically nonfiction or informational picturebook this reads like a story and is still great for preschool storytime or a class lesson for k-2nd grades. Only a few sentences per page. Big illustrations.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science in a picture book format explains what happens under the snow and under the fall debris and what happens to several types of animals, reptiles and insects.
If the illustrations were just a little bolder, I would have given it five stars.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Educational and interesting.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for science!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lyrical, descriptive text and beautiful, vivid illustrations introduce readers to variety of habitats, with depictions of animals as they live out the winter beneath the snow and ice.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This simple explanation of what several different types of animals survive during the winter is a good introduction for young children.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great animal adaptation book!

[Jeanine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple text and good images. Best for 4+

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating look at what animals do during the winter! Love this narrative nonfiction!

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great illustrations and engaging, educational text. 👍

[Jessica Marquis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely picture book full of fascinating facts. Helped the kids and I look at our surroundings more closely…you never know who might be hiding under an innocuous pile of brown leaves in winter!

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish the illustrations were more engaging- otherwise this is a wonderful book.

[Beth Trumper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author: Melissa Stewart
Title: Under the Snow
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers
Edition: Trade
ISBN: 978-1-56145-493-8
Price: $16.95
Number of pages: 32
**** (4 stars)



Melissa Stewart writes a simple, yet engaging account of how animals live under the snow and ice. The author has degrees in both biology and science journalism, and uses her knowledge to inform and engage her audience. This picture book is broken into sections using italics for the opening sentences. The italicized beginnings repeat the title “Under the snow”, adding the different locations focused on. (“Under the snow in a field”, “…in a forest”, “…on a pond”, and “…in a wetland”). The layout design of double page spreads broken into two or three separate panels for the illustration allows the reader to focus attention on the text and the details in the painting. It also forces the reader to read at a slower pace, almost like the animals themselves slowing down in the cold.

Stewart’s description of various mammals, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and fish is expertly illustrated by Constance Bergum’s watercolors. Her scenes give a beautiful overview of the snowy landscape that cut away to the life below the surface. We see a pair of skates gliding on a frozen pond while just beneath them “bluegills circle slowly through the chilly water”. As a deer nibbles the leaves above the ground “a wood frog nestles in scattered leaves on the forest floor.” We learn that a woodchuck sleeps all winter long and “its heart rate drops and its breathing slows”. Small insects, like a woolly bear caterpillar or a water strider, are detailed by a square inset magnifying them from the rest of the illustration. Some school-age children may be ready for more scientific terms, like the use of hibernation instead of the word “sleeping”, but for the very young this visually appealing and informative work will answer many of their questions about what animals do in winter.

[Patricia Kemp Blackmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under the snow! Have you ever wondered where all the critters go when there is snow on the ground and trees? Well this book has some wonderful illustrations and explanations as to where some of those critters go under a blanket of snow for the winter.

For instance the author says:

"Under the snow lies a hidden world."

A wood frog nestles in scattered leaves on the forest floor. It can freeze solid and still survive.
Buried in the mud, a frog and a turtle wait out the winter. They never move, and they barely breathe.
Below the ground a chipmunk snoozes for a few days at a time. Between naps it snacks on the nuts and seeds stored in its burrow.

And there are many more amazing things under the snow and ice for you to see and read about in this amazing book.

The illustrations are full page color illustrations and with the author's writing it makes for a fun way to learn about the winter habitats of some interesting critters.

This book would be a great book for your child. It would also be nice for the classroom or school library. Now I am a grandmother and I have a special bookshelf for my grandkids when they come to visit. So I will definitely add UNDER THE SNOW to Mamaw's Bookshelf.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:
I received a free copy of this book from Peachtree Publishers for review. I was in no way compensated for this review. It is my own opinion.


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[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many of us have no idea what happens to many of the animals we see in the spring and the summer when the snow falls in the winter. This book looks at the animals in the woods, the animals in the water and all of the animals in between. The winter lives of our animal friends are introduced and brought to light.

This book is full of amazing illustrations which bring our animal friends to life. The lyrical style of this book makes it an easy and thoroughly enjoyable read. Overall a very fun read for learners of all ages.

This book would be fun to introduce in December when we start to see snow and freezing weather. Many students can recognize the migration of the Canadian goose, but few know the habits of the other animals. A fun activity would be to have students create a page showing what they do in the winter. So they snuggle in bed? Do the play outside? What are their lives like during the cold weather?

Level: K-3

Young Hoosier Primary Awards 2011-2012

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Illustrated by Constance Bergum

This book was just okay for me, maybe I expected a little more depth in the explaination of how animals adapt to winter weather, particularly I would have like to see ants and perhaps mosquitoes. I really like the premise and the idea behind the book as the topics presented in the book would be great questions to present to children to get them thinking about nature and the changing of the seasons. The book didn't talk about birds and how some birds migrate, so I think that was another missed opportunity. I know the book is a picture book gear for pre-K to maybe 1st grade, I just think the book could have explored a bit more into the habitats of animals. For example, the book discusses salamanders, frogs, and snakes all of which resided just under rocks or in the mud (doesn't mud freeze)?

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently my daughter and I have stumbled up on Melissa Stewart's fantastic and informative non-fiction picture books for kids and ordered several from our public library. I had no clue how accomplished of an author she was until I read the dust jacket and saw " Melissa Stewart has written more than one hundred books for young people.." To which my daughter replied “wow our poor coffee table is going to get a workout.” (Since that is the temporary home of all our library checkouts.)

Under the Snow describes the different habitats and some of the adaptations that animals use to survive in the winter when the ground is covered with snow and ponds and lakes freeze over. Melissa Stewart managed to do this in such a simple way that kids won’t even realize that they are learning science while reading.

[Evelyn Mauldin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Under the Snow is a book that could be used during many different units of study. The author discusses different animals and the habits during the winter, with an emphasis on insects. This book would also be useful if the class was studying the changes in seasons, or cold weather specifically. Stewart provides many engagement opportunities by illustrating activity that many children don't see, since we generally live above the snow. Young children will find it very interesting to learn about all of the things that happen beneath us during this time of year. Lesson plans could be developed that differentiate what we do when it snows, and what different types of animals do when it snows. The pages are some what simple, which could help children with disabilities focus more of the content of the pages, rather than overwhelming illustration.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. The kids weren't really that interested in Under the Snow. It's not a bad book. It has nice illustrations, and the text is a decent length, and it is informative. The book does have a lot going for it, so my niece especially should have liked this book fairly well.

I think the problem here was that we don't live in an area of the country that gets much snow in the winter, so maybe that's why this book didn't really speak very loudly to the kids. Perhaps Under the Snow would be of more interest to kids who do get to experience truly white winters each and every year, or perhaps teachers could use it to help kids understand the various ways that animals survive winter months.