A spare text describes the onset of winter as four animals of the forest make preparations. One line describes the weather conditions, "Icy winds blowing through," and then: "Squirrel stashing, / bat chewing, / beaver building, / bear, big bear, digging deep." The four finally scrunch up to wait out the winter. The flurry of activity stops, while: "Moon, big moon, glowing bright. All sleeping, sleeping tight." With very few words per page, Partridge's (This Land Was Made for You and Me, p. 107, etc.) text creates a gentle rhythm. Paley's (One More River, p. 423, etc.) collage technique of cut paper embellished with watercolor, crayon, pastel, pencil, and oil paint provides the hook. The compositions are simple and bold, with the textured browns and blacks of the animals and trees contrasting with the bright palette employed for the background. Illustrations that have animals as the focal point are especially engaging. An explanation of the hibernation habits of the animals follows the text. Lovely. (Picture book. 2-5)

K^-Gr. 2. This attractive introduction to the hibernation habits of several animals can also serve as a bedtime story; the rhyming text reinforces the methodical preparation for the long winter and ends on a somnolent note, "Moon, big moon, glowing bright. All sleeping, sleeping tight." Bold, clean collage art shows a squirrel, a bat, a beaver, and a "bear, big bear" collecting food and seeking out or building a winter shelter it needs to keep warm. The cut-paper illustrations, augmented with oil paints, watercolors, crayons, and colored pencils, manage to capture the textures of tree bark and fur, wings and tails, and Paley's deep palette suits the late-autumn, nighttime setting. The images of the animals curled snuggly in their trees, dens, and dams will make children want to snuggle under their own covers for the night. Diane Foote

In this gloriously illustrated, economically paced volume, autumn arrives in a swirl of orange leaves and a blast of icy wind that ripples the water, and four animals-squirrel, bat, beaver and bear-end their frolicking and begin preparing for the long winter. (The final page offers easy-to-understand details on the four animals' winter habits.) Partridge's (Oranges on Golden Mountain) austere, almost poetic prose-often just a noun and verb per page-trace each animal's activities, always in the same order. Paley (The Emperor Lays an Egg) echoes the simplicity of the text, representing the animals' instinctive labors with collages of subtle, mesmerizing beauty. She animates the bold, neutral-colored shapes of the animals through intricate texturing. With a weave-like criss-crossing, she details the webby construction of the bat's wings as it readies for its upside-down hibernation ("bat scrambling"); with countless striations of black and gray, she draws readers into the thick, furry depths of the bear's coat as he readies his den and hunkers down ("Bear, big bear, digging deep"). Her backdrops, meanwhile, capture the sky changing from warm azure to chilly gradations of violet; on the final spread, the snow's ice crystals glitter with orange light from the glowing moon. As the animals cuddle up for their long sleep, Partridge chooses long vowel sounds for each of the four animals, emphasizing a soporific mood: "Nose tucking,/ wings folding,/ eyes closing./ Paws, big paws, wrapping round." This lovely, understated entry doubles as an ideal introduction to hibernation and a languorous entree to nighttime dreams. Ages 2-6. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Handsome collage illustrations picture four forest animals as they prepare for winter. The minimal text conveys simple images that capture each creature's behavior: Squirrel stashing, / bat chewing, / beaver building. / Bear, big bear, digging deep. An informative glossary extends the narrative with details about the animals' diets, physical characteristics, and hibernation routines. From HORN BOOK Spring 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

PreS-As autumn leaves fall, a squirrel, bat, beaver, and bear prepare for colder weather. When winter clouds roll in, all four seek shelter and then sleep as snow blankets their woodland home. This deceptively straightforward tale subtly conveys the concept of hibernation to a young audience-its urgency, its inevitability, and its cozy and somnolent warmth. Each animal is composed of basic cut-paper shapes given furry texture with mixed-media decoration. The forest backgrounds are simple but boldly colored. The repetitive pattern of the pared-down text with two to five words per page will engage young listeners while the well-chosen vocabulary and gentle lyricism will charm them. An appended brief description of how each of the four creatures hibernates will satisfy basic curiosity. A must purchase for the youngest naturalists, and a handsome and informative addition to winter-themed toddler storytimes.-Carol Ann Wilson, Westfield Memorial Library, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.