On a flake-flying day: watching winter's wonders

Close-up, detailed photographs of animals and winter scenes accompany simple rhyming text. This simple nonfiction picture book provides readers with high-definition images that showcase the delicate beauty of individual snowflakes and a mouse's tiny whiskers and tufts of fur. While the concise, bouncy text keeps the pages turning, it's really the stunning photography that pulls readers in. More than just the furry creatures impress; a show-stopping image of shadows cast by winter trees is pure barren beauty. All the animals are shown in their winter habitat and include some surprises such as a huddled bunch of bees keeping warm and a pile of beetles against white snow. Readers will surely expect the owl and bears, but the grouse, nymph, and heron are surprising inclusions. The rhyming text is largely simple two-word sentences describing each image, introducing young readers to vocabulary such as glistens, prowl, and lumbers. The final pages include a paragraph of description about many of the featured animals, along with suggested further reading and a glossary. Ultimately, the incredible photography makes this book worthy of a spot on readers' shelves, but the rhyming text and end notes certainly bolster its value. Breathtaking images and lively text. (further reading, glossary) (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.