OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW

This beloved nonfiction picture book exploring the subnivean zone reveals the tunnels and caves formed beneath the snow but over the ground, where many kinds of animals live through the winter, safe and warm, awake and busy, but hidden beneath the snow.

“Messner packs much information into the serene wintry landscape, beautifully captured in Neal’s stunning retro-style illustrations. Calm, lovely and richly informative.” ~New York Times

“Straddling the informative and the evocative, this lovely study of the ways animals spend the winter in a “secret kingdom under the snow” combines Messner’s (Sea Monster’s First Day) graceful prose (“Over the snow, the fire crackles, and sparks shoot up to the stars. I lick sticky marshmallow from my lips and lean back with heavy eyes”) with debut illustrator Neal’s quiet, woodcut-like portraits of the snowy forest.” ~ Publisher’s Weekly

“An adult and child cross-country ski through a winter forest wonderland, beautifully rendered through Messner’s spare, poetic words and Neal’s block-print-looking mixed-media illustrations.” ~ The Horn Book

“A good choice for winter reading, this quiet but eye-opening picture book could heighten a child’s awareness of the natural world.” ~ Booklist

“The lyrical descriptions of the text and the gray/brown/ice-blue palette of the illustrations leave readers with a retro feel that harkens back to the earlier days of children’s books and bygone times when life seemed simpler. Utterly charming, and informative, to boot; readers brought up on a diet of rhymes, bright colors, and adorable fluffy animals will find its simple beauty a balm.” ~ Kirkus Reviews

Kate Messner is an award-winning author, TED 2012 speaker, and former middle school English teacher. Her books for kids include The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z., Sugar and Ice, and Eye of the Storm (Walker/Bloomsbury Dec. 2010), the Marty Mcguire series (Scholastic), Sea monster' first day (Chronicle, Books). Kate also wrote Spitfire and Champlain and the Silent One, both Lake Champlain historical novels published by North Country Books.