Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold
Bibliography:
Sidman, J. & Allen, R. (2014). WINTER BEES & OTHER POEMS OF THE COLD. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
ISBN:978-0547906508
Plot Summary: Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold are twelve poems in a book that draw readers through the first whiff of winter that sends tundra swans migrating to warmer climates as the humble, first-observers of spring's arrival. The book takes you on a journey to discover how animals stay alive in the wintertime and reveals their secret lives under the snow.
Critical Analysis: Poet Sidman offers readers a winter exploration of different animals during the cold months of the year. The cover image is one of a beautifully-colored orange fox with the bee on the title. The background is snowy white as snowflakes fall from the sky, which gives readers a taste of winter and what the poem collection will be about. The colors used for the illustrations are straight from a winter color palette with the color white dominating and drawing the reader’s eye. The twelve different poems describe different animals surviving in the cold.
The poems vividly describe how the seasons change. The author uses sentences such as “Dusk fell and the cold came creeping.” and “Autumn sun” to craftily describe the exact moment each of the seasons arrive. The vocabulary is easy to understand and suitable for upper grade students. Some of the pages of the books have fascinating facts on the side of the page to give the reader more fascinating facts about the animals from the poems. The book shows profound beauty because of its visual and verbal imagery.
Review Excerpt(s): “Sidman exemplifies winter survival strategies of a well-chosen sample of species. Her poems are precise, evocative, lyrical, varied in tone; facts in succinct (separate) prose illuminate the imagery of each. It's as beautiful visually as it is verbally: winter's browns, blues, and whites are warmed with glowing honey tones; a note describes Allen's "unlikely marriage" of hand-colored linoleum blocks with computer techniques. Glos.” -Horn Book
“The creators of Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night (2010) offer here a dozen winter-themed poems detailing the natural world. Topics range from migrating tundra swans and hibernating snakes to shivering bees and diving beavers. Each double-page spread contains a poem, full-page art, and a scientific note. Take, for example, "Vole in Winter," in which the titular critter considers snow: "How it appeared so softly one night, / just as the bitter wind had almost / sucked the very life from my bones: / a blanket made of sky-feathers!" Meanwhile, Allen's hand-colored linoleum block and digitized art depicts a contemplative vole surrounded by snow and the dry grasses that sustain him. Only at the last minute does he notice a red fox poised to pounce. The accompanying science paragraph offers more details about the subnivean (beneath the snow) zone occupied by these small mammals, as well as the keen hearing that helps them detect predators. Most poems address familiar topics (snowflakes, moose, trees, chickadees), but springtails (snow fleas) and skunk cabbage (an early flowering spring plant) will be new to many. Concluded with a glossary of big but fascinating words, this is equally suited to curricular units and cozy reads in front of a fire.”-Starred Review ALA Booklist
Connection:
*Students can select an animal from one of the poems or another favorite animal to explore and can do some research. This can align with a science and technology lesson.
*Students can compose their own winter poem once done reading the different poems and getting some ideas from them.
Other books that reflect this genre:
Florian, D. (1999).WINTER EYES: POEMS AND PAINTINGS. New York: Greenwillow.
ISBN 978-0688164584
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