Grandmother Winter [Hardcover]

Phyllis Root (Author), Harold Ober Associates Inc. (Author), Beth Krommes (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

All through the spring, summer and fall, Grandmother Winter tends her geese and gathers their feathers. Why? To bring snowfall, of course-snowfall as soft as feathers and bright as a winter moon. With a poetic text and distinctive scratchboard illustrations, this book reveals that there is indeed magic and charm in our coldest season. To the woodland and all of its creatures-from round mice curling up and earthworms tunneling down to black bears burrowing and children dreaming of snow angels and sleds-the arrival of winter is, quite simply, a gift.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Root (Aunt Nancy and Cousin Lazybones), no stranger to folktales, takes her inspiration for the title character from a German fairy tale figure, Mother Holle. Beginning in the spring, this wisp of a tale traces the heroine and her "snow-white flock" of geese through the four seasons. The prose gently foreshadows the closing spreads; in summer, for instance, Grandmother Winter gathers the goose feathers, "soft as snowflakes,/ bright as a winter moon." First-time illustrator Krommes supplies the meat of the volume with visual hints at what's to come. In an autumnal spread, her scratchboard illustration depicts the protagonist embroidering a quilt of snowflake designsAno two alikeAwhile russet and golden leaves tumble in through the window. As the woman shakes out her downy masterpiece, the flakes begin to fall, sending nature's creatures scurrying for cover. Krommes portrays a painted turtle burying itself in the muddy floor of a pond and bull snakes snugly coiled beneath the ground, before closing with scenes of children and Grandmother Winter herself tucked into their beds. A cozy mood-setter that will help children to welcome the winter weather. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2 Impressive scratchboard-and-watercolor illustrations highlight a fanciful tale regarding the origin of snow, based on a character from German folklore. Grandmother Winter herds her flock of snow-white geese in spring, gathers their feathers in summer, and, in the fall, stuffs her homemade quilt with their milky down. When she shakes the fluffy quilt, snow falls gently, creating a winter wonderland for people and a warm blanket under which various animals and insects sleep. From the stylized Jacobean flowers, the folk-art suns, and each unique snowflake, Krommes's expressive pictures successfully convey the actions and reactions of all living things affected by the snow. Poetic language and detailed art blend to create a whimsical delight. Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (September 27, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395883997
• ISBN-13: 978-0395883990
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #255,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Phyllis Root has written many award-winning books for children, including TEN SLEEPY SHEEP, OLIVER FINDS HIS WAY, ONE DUCK STUCK, WHAT BABY WANTS, RATTLETRAP CAR, and BIG MOMMA MAKES THE WORLD, winner of the BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars charming, December 12, 1999

By 

Deborah A. Smith "deb from nj" (cleveland heights, ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Grandmother Winter (Hardcover)

As a person who prefers to celebrate solstice and the wheel of the year instead of Christmas commercialism, this book charmed me immediately. It helps us to remember that winter is a time of rest and introspection and that the wheel of the year turns and turns, time is circular, not linear. Love it! The nature references help us to remember that we are not alone on this planet and that there were beings living with the 4 seasons long before indoor heat and thermal underwear.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a treasure to share with your child, September 28, 2005

By 

waldorf_curric - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Grandmother Winter (Hardcover)

I'm surprised that there are no reviews for this lovely book although it has been included in many listmania lists about winter. Yesterday we took a Nature walk and my daughter found a white feather lying on the ground. When we got home and put it on our Nature table, I remembered that I had this book and we read it together; it turned out to be the perfect complement. Grandmother Winter collects feathers all throughout the Spring and Summer from her flock of geese. In Autumn, she stitches together a quilt and stuffs it with the soft feathers. The arrival of the first snow means that Grandmother Winter has shaken her quilt over the world from high in the sky and then she goes to sleep and rests through the Winter. Many other animals also take shelter for the Winter -- this book talks about frogs, fish, bears, earthworms, butterflies and many other animals (including, of course, Grandmother Winter's geese) and how they make it through the Winter. This book is a perfect blend of storytelling and natural history and I would recommend it to any family watching the seasons change.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique Story with Beautiful Illustrations, January 31, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Grandmother Winter (Hardcover)

This book was a gift to my son and a very special surprise. The story line is very unique and the illustrations are truly beautiful -- they are unlike any I have seen in other children's books. I plan on purchasing this book for all of my nieces and nephews. This book would be a very special addition to any child's library.