CONTENT:
Over and Under the Snow (2011) was written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. The picturebook is aimed at showing children what lies under the snow in winter. A girl and her father take a walk in the snow and following their dialogue the reader is invited to join in their exploration of the winter landscape observing and comparing what is “under the snow” and what is “over the snow”. In this way, children are invited to discover not only the changes that the winter season brings with it, but also how living beings adapt to it. In the picturebook the animals that live in the snow are presented: how they survive, what traces they leave, and who hibernates when winter comes.
WHY USING THIS PICTUREBOOK:
Thanks to this picturebook, it is possible to present children with seasonal changes, and make them understand how all living beings adapt in different ways to the environment. The illustrations show that although in winter nature seems asleep, there is a whole world hidden from the eyes of human beings. The text offers specific expressions and terms related to different animals and their characteristics. The illustrations represent what is narrated in the written text, thus providing support for comprehension, but they are also very rich in details representing the complexity and variety in nature. The repetition of the expression “over the snow […] under the snow” (Messner & Silas Neal, 2011) produces a contrasting effect inviting children to observe and establish comparisons.
