Winter Lullaby

by Dianne White (Author) Ramona Kaulitzki (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Rendered with reassuring words and pastoral scenes, this soothing lullaby of a story is sure to settle even the most restless of cubs.

Mouse is rushing to her nest. In soft, dry grasses she will rest. Geese are calling, a chilly wind is blowing, and the sky is turning gray. Winter is on its way. For Mama Bear and Small Bear, that means it's time to tuck into their den for a long sleep. But Mouse is scurrying by, and Chipmunk is still gathering nuts beside the lake. And look at Hare and Skunk, still romping through the leaves! Why can't Small Bear stay up, too?

To each question, Mama Bear responds with the coziest of answers, finally painting a dreamy picture of the brightening colors and new adventures that will greet Small Bear in the spring. But first comes sleep, in this irresistible invitation to drowsy little cubs everywhere.

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Kirkus

Reassuring, inviting bedtime fare. 

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2--The world is growing grayer and chillier as autumn heads into winter in the woods. Mama Bear wants her cub to head toward their den to prepare for the hibernation but Small Bear wants nothing to do with that. True to all small ones everywhere, he does not want a nap! He notices all the other animals scurrying around the forest, but Mama Bear assures him that they, too, are preparing for the long winter. All of them are seeking a safe, protected space where they will sleep through the winter. The rhyming text has a gentle pace that lulls readers as the bears head for their den. The illustrations reflect the changes from one season to the next. Fall colors dominate the first few pages but soon the snow begins to shape the landscape. By the time Mama and her cub arrive at their den, the trees and the forest floor are covered with snow and ice. Children will empathize with the cub's one last look at the falling snow and the promise that the spring will return with all its glory before they, too, will succumb to rest. VERDICT This soft, reassuring tale is ideal for teaching seasonal changes as well as the need for transitions.--Joan Kindig, James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

This soft, reassuring tale is ideal for teaching seasonal changes as well as the need for transitions.
—School Library Journal

Simple, quiet illustrations executed in a soft, elegant, swirling style trace the transition from tawny autumn's bareness to early winter's silvery wonderland. . . . Reassuring, inviting bedtime fare.
—Kirkus Reviews
Dianne White
Dianne White lives in Gilbert, Arizona, with her family. She is the author of Who Eats Orange?, Blue on Blue, Green on Green, Dark on Light, and It's Your Time to Shine.

Felicita Sala is a self-taught illustrator and painter. She has a degree in philosophy from the University of Western Australia. She now lives and works in Rome. She draws inspiration from nature, children, mid-century illustration, folk art, and architecture.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781536209198
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Candlewick Press (MA)
Publication date
December 07, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV029000 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | General
JUV002030 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Bears
JUV010000 - Juvenile Fiction | Bedtime & Dreams
Library of Congress categories
-

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