Someone Walks By: The Wonders of Winter Wildlife - Hardcover

Polly Carlson-Voiles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0980104556 ISBN 13: 9780980104554

Publisher: Raven Productions, 2008

Synopsis

Someone Walks By through the north woods in winter. Readers can see the tracks in each detailed depiction of winter habitat, but they don't discover the mystery animal until the last pages. On the way, they see frozen wood frogs, a bear in her den with her newborn cubs, sleepy chipmunks, fish and otters swimming under the ice, owl hunting and hare hiding, and many other creatures surviving and even thriving in the cold, snowy winter environment. The artwork in this book is created from intricately cut colored paper with watercolor detailing. Children will enjoy finding the many animals on each page. A glossary defines different types of snow and amazing facts about winter animals.

About this title

About the Author:

Polly Carlson-Voiles lives on a lake near Ely, Minnesota, where she watches wildlife walk by her front window.

Polly first fell in love with the north woods on a canoe trip in 1959. After teaching English and Special Education for 20 years, she has retired to write full time. She is working on two novels and several other picture books.

Review:

Armchair Interviews -

Delightful message. Beautiful illustrations. This author/illustrator has created a stunning trek across a Northern winter environment. The illustrations are bold and tell a story without a word. Animals are hiding on every page waiting for a child to find them. The cover art could be framed for its beauty. Home schooling parents could use this book for many days of lessons on animal s winter survival, hibernation and hunting for food. Any child and adult will find the story intriguing with the illustrations alternating between showing life on top of the snow and underground (like rivers, caves, etc.). The story moves quickly as we learn about all the animals found in the north woods. Whether we are learning about day and night activities of mammals and birds, the give and take of nature is obvious. What does a porcupine eat? How do animals store up food for winter? What does it look like inside a bear s den with mother and cubs? Each above ground page focuses on one animal and its footprints border the page. Kids could practice drawing them. The title idea of someone walks by is answered at the end as two wolves howl from different directions, I am here to each other so the mates can connect. The wonderful way the author describes things like: Two wolves run and dance on moonlight paws racing with shoulders pressed together. You can see them run and almost feel their togetherness. Armchair Interviews says: This book is a wonderful combination of all three: story, storytelling and superb visuals. ----Armchair Interviews- Connie Anderson, Dec. 2008

Midwest Book Review

How wild animals can survive throughout the winter months is always a fascinating subject for young readers. Deftly written and charmingly illustrated by Polly Carlson-Voiles, Someone Walks By takes as its enticement for children ages 5 through 10 a series of tracks in the snow. Following these tracks through the north woods in deep winter, children will learn how animals stay warm, eat, care for themselves, and move about when there is snow on the ground. From froze wood frogs, to a bear in her den with newborn cubs, to chipmunks in their shelters, to otters swimming under the ice, and so many more denizens of the deep woods, Someone Walks By is as informative as it is entertaining. Enhanced with a glossary defining different types of snow and other winter terminology, and also available in paperback edition, Someone Walks By is an enthusiastically recommended addition to school, community, and family library collection for children. -----Midwest Book Reviews, March, 2009

About this edition

• Publisher: Raven Productions
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0980104556
• ISBN 13: 9780980104554
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Polly Carlson-Voiles