Over and Under the Snow

This book describes a piece of nature that I didn't even know existed, the winter world that exists between the snow and the ground below. Just proves that there is no book too simple to teach a guy like me. Highly recommended.

Snowfall changes everything. Animals go underground to keep warm. But what does it look like down there? And what do the animals do?

This little picture book explores this idea with beautiful illustrations and simple text for young readers. Lovely.

Snowy banks filled with hidden life hide within the pages of Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner. As a young girl and her father ski across the fields of packed snow she discovers that there’s more to the winter than simple white wintry landscapes. From bears to mice to bullfrogs the number

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of animals hiding beneath the surface are almost too many to count. Follow along on this young girl’s journey into a magically real world hiding just under your feet.

Over and Under the Snow has been a delightful story to share with not only the Turkeybird, but Littlebug as well. They both love discover the animals hidden beneath the layers of snow and then flipping to the back of the book to learn more about them in the animal guide listing. For the Turkeybird it’s definitely all about the learning aspect of it. He’s in a stage where he wants to soak up every little bit of knowledge he can about things and adding the magic of the snow made it even that much more interesting for him. As for Littlebug she just loves the fun of finding all the animals hidden in the snow. Now, if only we lived near the snow again!

Kate Messner clearly is an author who loves nature and sharing that love through brilliantly written books for children of all ages. In Over and Under the Snow Messner brings to life the hidden world resting just beneath our feet during the snowy wintry months. Begin sharing and teaching about these fantastic creatures at an early age by introducing the magical journey of a little girl and her father. Our family has loved discovering our “favorite” animals at winter time and thanks to Messner’s additional reading sources that are listed in the back of the book our discoveries will continue happening. Over and Under the Snow is an excellent addition to any young reader’s library and one that will be loved by the entire family!

My original review was posted at There's A Book.

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A wonderful picture book that teaches science using simple words and beautiful illustrations. A young girl and her father are cross-country skiing through the snowy woods. The girl spies a red squirrel, who disappears. Her father explains: “Under the snow is a whole secret kingdom where the

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smallest forest animals stay safe and warm. You’re skiing over them now.” With wide-eyed attention, she notices the signs of abundant life in a seemingly lifeless landscape above the snow: an owl overhead, deer tracks, a creeping fox. The illustrations show the abundant life under the snow: the deer mice in their nest, a shrew in a tunnel, bullfrogs sleeping under the ice, beavers snug in their den, a drowsy queen bumblebee. The book contains further reading resources, as well as more information about all animals featured in the text.

Curriculum: This would be an ideal non fiction text for a lesson about animals and their habitats, as well as how animals adapt to survive winters – which animals hibernate, which go underground, which stay aboveground?

Messner, K. & Neal, C. (2011). Over and under the snow. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

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Above the snow is a quiet white world but underneath lies a unique place for squirrels, bears, and creatures alike. This book will help your children discover the wonders of hibernation and the magically activities that lie underneath the snowy blanket. Learn how many animals stay safe and warm

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through the coldest of weather. The illustrations and information have a beautifully creative way of depicting nature. This is sure to be a favorite for all children. –Alicia

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Simple, appealing text, beautfully designed and illustrated.

Lyrical and informative text combines with serene and evocative illustrations for a compelling package. As the narrator and her father ski slowly through the woods, they see evidence of animals above the snow. When the father tells his daughter of the "secret kingdom" under the snow, the reader is

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presented not only with the goings-on above the snow, but with pictures and text that show how other animals adapt to the winter season. From the shrew and the vole making their way through tunnels, to the queen bumblebee and the bear drowsing in their underground spots, children learn how populated the seemingly quiet winter woods are. The muted palette of Christopher Silas Neal's somewhat retro illustrations adds to the peaceful and rhythmic text. The story on its own beautifully meshes with FCPS's kindergarten and first grade science program of studies, and Messner's backmatter, including notes on each of the featured animals and further reading, is icing on the cake. This title will be enjoyed by children, teachers, and parents.

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So so. Words don't feel like a child's voice. Interesting info about the animals but kind of dry. Illustrations are fine but nothing special.

A young girl enjoys a night-time skiing trip with her father in this gorgeous picture-book, while underneath the snow, in the subnivean zone, a host of wildlife is occupied with their own concerns, from sleeping to foraging for food. The snow-bound world seems still and quiet to the girl, but in

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reality, there is a wealth of activity taking place, just beneath her feet...

A simple but informative text (augmented by an excellent afterword that discusses the animals mentioned) is paired with breathtakingly beautiful artwork in Over and Under the Snow, making for a book that is both entertaining and educational! Christopher Silas Neal's mixed-media illustrations are simply enchanting - I was reminded of Julie Flett's work, in Lii Yiiboo Nayaapiwak lii Swer: L'alfabet di Michif / Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet, which is a high compliment indeed - and I came away very impressed that this was his first book. I certainly hope that there will be many more to come! Kate Messner's text encourages young readers to appreciate the beauty of the winter woods, and to look more closely at the world around them. All in all, an excellent work of natural history for the younger picture-books set, and a beautiful work of art. Recommended to young animal lovers, and to anyone who appreciate lovely illustrations!

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A close look at the snowy environment and what occurs between plants and animals. subtle and beautiful illustrations depict life in the snow.

Nature at it's best...reminds me of "Owl Moon" when father and daughter wander about in and appreciate nature together. Great winter storytime book or evening storytime read.

The story follows a father and his daughter on their cross country skiing through the snow covered forest. Children, reading this story, will learn that even though it is winter season there is still ongoing life under the snowy blanket. The illustrations provide a great support to the text.

The title Over and Under the Snow illustrates this story perfectly. It tells the story of life above and below the snow. It is a story of perspective. Life above the snow is subdued. It's quiet. Below the snow life continues. Animals are busy going on with life and trying to stay warm. Some are

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hibernating. This book would interest kindergarten to fourth grade. Teaching ideas include adaptation, nature, animals, survival.

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This story is about a boy and his dad taking a cross country ski through the woods. On their journey, they talk about all the animals that are hibernating beneath the snow like bears, bees, frogs, and chipmunks. They also discover a white hare and a hungry red fox on their journey. The boy starts

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to get hungry and thinks to himself that a bear is nice and full of food when it hibernates. Soon, they arrive home; eat supper, and he crawls into his warm and snug bed to sleep like the forest animals.

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This is a beautifully illustrated non-fiction picture book (mixed-media) about animals in their winter habitats. It is Very informational, but not overwhelming to younger students. It has a cozy feel to it because of the illustrations, and the language has a beautiful nuance to it that makes it

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feel comforting to read.

I work in the kindergarten classroom assisting the teacher, and my partner read this book to the students. They all loved it, and it made a really great learning experience to understand the habits of different animals during the winter. But also it was a really good outlet for art projects. Students were given construction paper that was already put into two different tones (white for the snow, and tan for underneath the snow) and they drew their interpretation of which animals and plants live above or below the snow during the winter. Is proving to be a really great asset in the classroom.

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Both beautiful and informative, this book is must for classroom or home libraries. The text of the book functions off of this construct of animals being above or below the snow. This dialectic is simple but it adds a poetic flow to the words while brining to light a previously unknown realm. The

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illustrations feature cross sections of natural landscapes such as fields and ponds and forest floors. This composition can often come across as clinical, but the soft, cool color scheme, organic shapes, and various textures keep the images youthful and interesting. In the back, there is a glossary of all the animals addressed in the story which includes a picture of each and some additional information. There are equal parts joy and science crammed into this book. It truly is a triumph.

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A journey over the snow while revealing the animals that hide underneath in the winter. The end reveals facts about those animals. I really liked this book. It is beautifully illustrated and informative with a feeling of adventure. This would be a great book to initiate a study on animals in winter.

Engaging story about the world that exists, quite literally, under our very noses in the winter deep. Retro feeling illustrations bring to life the carefully detailed nuances of hibernation, winter nesting, and cold-weather sleeping of North Country animals. Kate Messner's research shines through

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subtly and nuanced. She doesn't brow beat children with facts, but chooses to tell her story and let the facts illuminated the magic that is the forest in winter.

End notes give us more information about the creatures in the story. The first and second graders that I read the book to all wanted to know more.

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This is story of a beautiful snowy day of a family skiing in the woods and they encounter wildlife followed by dusk and sticky marshmallows.

A very unique story that shares a boys adventure of cross country skiing over the secret world of hibernating animals of the winter. The story share the secret life under the store as the reader gains a perspective of what life is like under the snow.

I love the illustrations and context of the

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book, as the main character cross country skiing brought back childhood memories of completing the same outdoor winter activities. The illustrator does a wonderful job of capturing a hardwood scenery with white birch trees creating a winter wonderland. This is great story in general as young children do not realize how much life is occurring under the snow.

I would use this story with my students to explore hibernation and the winter season.

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This is a simply told story about a little girl and her father skiing through the woods, the animals they encounter, and the animals that are hibernating nearby. At the end of the story, there is an author's note about how animals adapt to winter, and also details about each animal in the book. The

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illustrations are gorgeous.

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Good science, with clear end notes. Lucid text and appealing pictures. Bravo. More, please?

So nice to think about all aspects of the world and how they intersect -- and these books are particularly good at including all the senses as they portray the visible and hidden worlds.