In the northern forests, there is a space that develops between the ground and the winter snowpack. This, the Subnivian zone, is occupied by a fascinating assortment of animals whose stories remain invisible to all but the most careful of observers. As a girl and her father spend the day on skis, gliding over the snow and through the hushed white woods towards a good meal and cozy beds, they see evidence of this secret animal kingdom beneath the ice. Deer graze and voles scurry, bears sleep and beavers build. And father and daughter (and reader!) watch.
Written in a spare poetic style, and with glorious illustrations by Christopher Silas Neal, OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW is not just a picture book about animals, but about how things are not always what they seem, about a child truly experiencing nature, and about a father and daughter and the magic they share when they stop -- and listen.
I love this book a lot and I hope you will too. But don't take MY word for it. Here's what the Wall Street Journal had to say. This is the starred review from Publishers Weekly. Let the Eric Carle Museum tell you about it. Then buy the book yourself and see what everyone is talking about.
Finally, here's a fascinating interview with Christopher Silas Neal on Kate's blog -- check out the evolution of the AMAZING artwork for this book!
*** If you would like SIGNED COPIES of Over and Under the Snow, and you'd like to help support the rebuilding of the Adirondack libraries that were devastated in Hurricane/TS Irene, consider ordering copies from The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid. More info about their great fundraiser, and how to order even if you are far away, is up on Kate's blog. ***
