Animals in Winter

Animal in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft and Richard G. Van Gelder is a book to use for content area learning. The illustrations and text compliment each other to show the changes in seasons to the reader. Students are introduced to migrations through the actions of birds, butterflies, and some bats. There are bats that stay north and the reader learns about hibernation. Which I loved because it was different than the typical example of bears. Woodchucks hibernate too and we learn about their behaviors and homes to help them survive the winter. Then we learn about animals who prepare for winter by storing food, especially the pika. However, there are animals that don't prepare for winter; mice and deer. The big ideas introduced in this book are done well for younger students. I especially like the animals chosen for examples. These are animals, excluding the pica, my students could wonder and think about because they could see them in our neighborhoods and backyards.