Winter Dance

by Marion Dane Bauer (Author) Richard Jones (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade
Every animal approaches winter differently. What should the fox do? Stunning illustrations by new talent Jones complement this playful homage to the natural world by Newbery Honoree Bauer (On My Honor). Full color. 8 x 10.
Select format:
Hardcover
$17.99

Kirkus

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

School Library Journal

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.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

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.

Review quotes

★ "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
Marion Dane Bauer
Marion Dane Bauer is the author of many books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor book On My Honor and the Coretta Scott King Book Illustrator Award winner The Stuff of Stars. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and can be reached at MarionDaneBauer.com.

John Wallace's formal training was not in illustration, but rather theology, which he received at University of Cambridge. However, he always loved drawing, and one of his early jobs was as a newspaper cartoonist. In his children's book illustrations, he is particularly inspired by what he calls "the gooniness" of young schoolchildren. John lives in Broadstairs, England.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780544313347
Lexile Measure
520
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Clarion Books
Publication date
October 24, 2017
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV009100 - Juvenile Fiction | Concepts | Seasons
JUV029010 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | Environment
JUV002110 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Foxes
Library of Congress categories
Forest animals
Winter
Foxes

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!