Beneath the winter white crust of snow, there’s a hidden world of hibernating creatures for children to meet.
They can look at habitats, camouflage, food and the seasons through artwork, discussion and writing.
Over and Under the Snow tells the story of a small girl and her father who are skiing home.
As they pass through the woods, the girl spots lots of creatures that live above the snow – a red squirrel, a great-horned owl, a deer, and a bushy-tailed fox.
Meanwhile, her father tells her about all the creatures that are hidden beneath the snow, in their ‘secret kingdom’ – shrews, deer mice, voles, bullfrogs, beavers, even bears.
It’s a delightful picture book that will entrance your children. Kate Messner’s story offers a perfect way into exploring habitats, and the icy illustrations by Christopher Silas Neal – with their subtle colour palette – could be used to inspire your children to create some wonderful wintry art, too.