Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. You’ll close the book feeling like you’ve just completed an incredible journey. Abrams & Chronicle Books Over and Under the Snow - Kate Messner, Christopher Silas Neal. Readers also learn about the different environments, like how winter’s underground creatures live in the subnivean zone which exists between the snowpack and ground, that the barren landscape of the canyon can transform into a lush carpet of wildflowers, and that hanging bridges enable passage through the rainforest in parts of Costa Rica. Older children will enjoy reading the back matter which provides fun facts about all of the birds, bugs, and animals mentioned in the book. Younger children will enjoy the “seek and find” challenge of trying to spot the various creatures in the illustrations, and another fun activity is counting how many are hiding in each scene. There is so much educational value in these books for children of all ages.

“ ‘Under the snow is a whole secret kingdom, where the smallest forest animals stay safe and warm.

Discover the wonder and activity that lies beneath winter s snowy landscape in this magical book. But under the snow exists a secret kingdom of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals that live through the winter safe and warm, awake and busy, under the snow. All books begin alike with a child embarking on a nature walk with a family member, and the narrative journey is so intimate and detailed that you’ll feel like a companion walking alongside them and peering with your own eyes. Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. Each book is dedicated to a particular ecosystem and conveys through beautiful illustrations and sensory text the creatures that can be found overhead and underfoot in the environment. I love this series because it’s a creative concept that is brilliantly executed. Over the snow, the world is hushed and white, but under the snow is a secret world of squirrels and snowshoe hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many others who live outside in the woods during the winter.

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner