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Counting books need to have special qualities these days to stand out among all of the counting books already available. This one does. How? Through unusual, textured illustrations, rhythmic poetry, and fabulous word choices.
ONE red fox walks
across the white snow
quietly
stalking winter.
There’s a number, an animal, and an action in the first line. The second line adds context. The third line highlights a single adverb that zooms in closer to modify the detailed action in the last line.
Here’s the next spread.
TWO ravens croak and gurgle
cutting the sounds out of forty below
raucously
talking winter.
I am smitten! “Croak and gurgle” are brilliant verbs. And the additional description “cutting the sounds out of forty below” evokes how sound slices through the air at such low temperatures. Then the purposeful addition of the adverb “raucously” to modify “talking winter,” well….I told you. I am SMITTEN!
The numbers continue until “12 excited children slip and slide on melting ice,” a harbinger for spring. It’s followed by a wordless spread depicting a winter wonderland where all of the people and animals frolic in the snow. Glorious!
Back matter includes brief profiles of the animals featured in the book, and author and illustrator notes. The animals depicted in the book reflect the author’s 18 years spent living in Alaska. The illustrator describes her winter experiences and then explains how she made the white scratchboard illustrations, using watercolors to shade them.
I would definitely use this as a counting book, BUT I would also use it as an instructional guide for older children to write their own seasonal poems, using the repeated structure described above.
Activities:
Write seasonal poems using the structured poems in the book as examples.
Make a forest poster and populate it with origami animals. (fox, raven, hare, squirrel, eagle, owl)
Make your own scratchboard art, using this video as a guide.
Title: Counting Winter
Author: Nancy White Carlstrom
Illustrator: Claudia McGehee
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2024
Ages: PreK-Elementary school
Themes: winter, animals, counting
For more perfect picture book recommendations, please visit Susanna Hill’s website.