Winter Bees \u0026 Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman

Winter Bees \u0026 Other Poems of the Cold Reviews

• 
  Calista

  First thing: there is a fox on the cover and a fox on each page and yet there is not a poem to a fox; why? OK, the poems are about animals surviving the cold winter in nature. They are good poems. Then on the side they give a block of text on how the animals actually survive the cold with facts. My niece loves the facts and found this book interesting. She had lots of questions.
  
  I enjoyed the art and the poems. This is not a story really. It is a collection of poems about surviving the cold.
• 
  Kathy

  Lovely illustrations accompany poems that educate. How do animals cope, where do they go in winter are subjects addressed.
• 
  Abigail

  Award-winning children's poet Joyce Sidman and engraver and small press operator Rick Allen, who previously collaborated on the Newbery Honor-winning title
  Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night, joined forces again in this poetic examination of the lives of animals and plants in winter. Twelve poems about everything from migrating tundra swans to brumating snakes, snowflake formation to arboreal wisdom, is paired with lovely artwork featuring the fauna and flora in question, as well as a curious fox who makes his way through the book. A glossary of terms, both scientific and poetic, is included at the rear...
  
  Although Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold is the fifth picture-book I have read from Sidman, it is the first I have encountered from Allen, whose work here I found absolutely lovely. I like to look for information about artistic medium on the colophon of picture-books, and here there was a particularly extensive and quite entertaining example:
  
  "The images for this book were made through the unlikely marriage of some very old and almost new art mediums. The individual elements of each picture (the animals, trees, snowflakes, etc.), were cute, inked and printed from linoleum blocks (nearly two hundred of them), and then hand-colored. Those prints were then digitally scanned, composed, and layered to create the illustrations for the poems. The somewhat surprising (and oddly pleasing) result was learning that the slow and backwards art of relief printmaking could bring modern technology down to its level, making everything even more complex and time-consuming."
  
  This description was sufficiently charming that I found myself seeking out the website for Allen's
  Kenspeckle Letterpress, where I spent a good hour exploring his artwork. Time well spent!
  
  As delightful as the visuals here were—unsurprisingly, given my love of foxes, it was the cover image which first drew me to this one—the poetry was every bit as appealing, and I enjoyed all twelve selections, as well as the factual notes accompanying them. Certain phrases just stood out to me—"our wings knew," in reference to the tundra swans; the description of the mass of bees as burning like a golden sun—while in other cases I was most interested in the form used. Sidman employs both a pantoun (Under Ice) and a triolet (Triolet for Skunk Cabbage) in this collection. All that being said, I think my favorite was What Do the Trees Know?
  
  "What do the trees know?
  To bed when all the wild winds blow.
  Roots are deep and time is slow.
  All we grasp we must let go.
  
  What do the trees know?
  Buds can weather ice and snow.
  Dark gives way to sunlight's glow.
  Strength and stillness help us grow."
  
  If I have any criticism to make of this one, it is that I would have wished to see a poem featuring the fox. That being said, his presence is felt throughout, so perhaps we are meant to identify with him, making his way through the wintry world and observing it, just as we are meant to do. Recommended to young poetry readers and animal lovers, and to picture-book readers looking for wintry titles.
• 
  Melki

  I honestly didn't care for Sidman's poems; many were just too cutesy for my taste. HOWEVER . . . on the opposite page is a description of the featured creature, and the ways it survives the winter, and those bits were FASCINATING. I even learned of a critter I didn't know existed - springtails, aka "snow fleas." The other thing that makes this book a winner is Rick Allen's stunning artwork.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  Katt Hansen

  I'm giving a lot of 5-star reviews today, and poetry seems to be especially inclined toward good ratings. But I do truly love picture books that introduce real poetry to children in a beautiful way, using words they can understand that still sing on the page. I loved the bits of information on the sides of the pages, though I could have done without seeing the massive snarl of snakes or trying to picture a brumate of 20,000 snakes. Ick!
• 
  Cassandra

  One of ALA's 2015 Children's Notable Books--
  This collection of poems written about tundra wildlife in the winter is beautifully written and illustrated with intricately detailed linoleum prints. I very much enjoy the way each poem is accompanied by an informational "aside" text block/blurb, offering factual information about the animal or plant that each poem is about. There is also a glossary of terms at the end of the book to describe larger words that may be unfamiliar to young readers.
  I think that this book would work really well in a classroom setting and lends itself to creative lesson planning, mixing poetry and non fiction, but the density of the text and complexity of the illustrations may not be as engaging to young readers on their own.
• 
  Becky B

  A collection of poems about animal activities during winter.
  
  I loved the illustrations in this book. I found the poems so-so. They didn't quite sing to me. I did like the notes on the critters on the side of each page. Overall a good pick if you're studying animal hibernation or seasons, but I'd pick a different collection for poetry units as most of these are free verse.
• 
  Fats

  Joyce Sidman has a way with words. Lyrical verses and gorgeous illustrations fill the pages of this book. It also provides an insight on how plants and animals cope with the cold, winter months. Overall, "Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold" is an excellent poetry collection for the young and old alike.
• 
  Laura Harrison

  Loved it. I have been a fan of Joyce Sidman's for years. She is just incredible.
• 
  Nicole Santiago

  Joyce Sidman uses imagery-saturated verse alongside nonfiction prose to celebrate the Michigan winter survival of animals and plants like moose, bees, and trees. The piece spans twelve poems and prose, beginning in winter and ending in spring and focusing on some creatures that are not commonly known- like skunk cabbage.
  
  “Snowflake Wakes” is poem about snowfall and the form of the piece has short lines so that they appear to be falling down the center of the page. The rhyme of the “Big Brown Moose” gives us the sense of the moose’s “kicking” and “prancing.” In “Brother Raven, Sister Wolf,” there is a dual-voiced verse where the raven and wolf go back and forth about the their teamwork- or lack thereof- during the hunt.
  
  On the right of each of the poems, there is factual prose to learn more about the poem’s subject and a glossary included for all of the content-specific words. Rick Allen’s illustrations hug the poems and prose and are composed of multimedia: nearly two hundred cut, inked, and hand-colored linoleum blocks that are digitally scanned and layered. The illustrations are vivid, textured depictions of the natural world.
  
  Students that love science, art, and are accustomed to the northern winters will be naturally drawn to this piece. Students that are not from the wintery north, will appreciate this artistic window into the wintery world. The combination of poetry and nonfiction prose as well as the inclusion of a glossary makes this subject accessible for first grade readers and will hold the attention of students as old as fifth grade. Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold would function as a dynamic read aloud to celebrate the musicality of each of the poems. The title has won the 2015 Claudia Lewis Poetry Award and the ALSC Notable Children’s Book Award.
  
• 
  Jana

  Here's something to help beat the heat of summer! This beautiful picture book uses poetry, informational text, and stunning artwork to tell readers the ways that different animals deal with winter. I love the mix of poetry with factual information. This is an awesome mentor text for both types of writing! According to the title page, "The images for this book were made through the unlikely marriage of some very old and almost new art mediums. The individual elements of each picture (the animals, trees, snowflakes, etc.) were cut, inked, and printed from linoleum blocks (nearly two hundred of them), and then hand-colored. Those prints were then digitally scanned, composed, and layered to create the illustrations for the poems. The somewhat surprising (and oddly pleasing) result was learning that the slow and backwards art of relief printmaking could bring modern technology down to its level, making everything even more complex and time-consuming." I'm really glad that I have this book to share with my students.
• 
  TaylorG

  One of the things that I have always thought about in the winter is how animals survive and what they do. Winter Bees Other Poems of the Cold answers this question that I have had. This is written be a Newberry Award Winning poet and was a great read. I think that this book is great because it answers questions that so many children have. They want to know about animals and how they live. This picture book does just that, while using the beautiful poetic form.
  
  I think that this book would be great in the classroom for students to use to discuss animals and what they think their lives are like. They would be able to write their own poem about themselves and how they spend their winter days. I think that students would really like this book and would connect with the animals and what they do during the winter months.
• 
  Holly Mueller

  The cover of this beautiful, informative book captured my interest right away. It's gorgeous! The rest of the book doesn't disappoint. Sidman's wonderful poetry and Rick Allen's absolutely captivating illustrations combine to make this a must-have for the classroom library. Informational paragraphs follow up each poem, teaching us about tundra swans, snowflakes, honeybees, voles, chickadees, and more. I'm looking forward to sharing this with my students in December when I do a winter unit on figurative language and sensory details using short texts.
• 
  ༺Kiki༻

  If you liked this book, you might also enjoy:
  
  ✱
  Over and Under the Snow
  ✱
  Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives
  ✱
  Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt
• 
  Jenny

  Joyce Sidman never fails to delight and spark curiosity. The illustrations are simply breathtaking...just as a snowy winter day can be. Her expert combination of poetry and informational text give insights into how a variety of animals (as well as a few plants) survive the winter. Particular favorites of mine were What Do the Trees Know?, Big Brown Moose, Winter Bees and Brother Raven, Sister Wolf. I also love that Sidman uses a variety of poetry forms. Well worth reading and savoring.
• 
  Mary

  An exquisite collection of animals-in-the-winter poetry which is both esthetically pleasing and highly informative. Sidman's well-crafted verse and Rick Allen's art are detailed and precise, making this a picture book that can be appreciated by the young scientist as well as the young poet. Absolutely lovely!
• 
  Rachael

  Perfect combination of beautiful poetry, fascinating text and wonderful illustrations. My son makes me read "Snake's Lullaby" to him every night before he goes to bed and now he claims to love snakes. I think this is one that everyone would enjoy.
• 
  Matt Forrest Esenwine

  Thoroughly enjoyable. Joyce brings together a nicely balanced blend of forms and beautiful imagery to capture not only the essence of the winter creatures, but the mood of the forest during the season. The illustrations perfectly complement her poetry, too.
• 
  Anna

  Gorgeous poetry with illustrations that make you say, "Ah..." Joyce Sidman, I love your work, your expressive language your perfect structure and your wonderful connections between fact and frolic.
• 
  Teri

  SO GOOD!!! We all loved it and learned a TON! This book is a GEM! Hibernaculum--what a cool word!
• 
  Allysia Vaultonburg

  Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman is the perfect mixture of poem verses and informational text. Joyce Sidman does a fantastic job using innovative language that is easy enough for children to comprehend but creative enough to engage thinking. I also love how this book includes fun facts and information to go along with the poems. Joyce Sidman is a two-time Caldecott winner as well as a Newbery-winning author. Unlike poetry I have read before, this book contains many illustrations to aid in the understanding of the poems.
  
• 
  Nica

  Art⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Story⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
  A picture book enjoyable for any age, it offers exquisite hand colored linoleum block illustrations, imaginative poems of lyrical cadence, and fascinating paragraphs educating us on ways nature behaves in the winter.
• 
  Laura (Book Scrounger)

  Beautiful poems and illustrations -- full review here:
  https://www.theproblemsite.com/book-s...
• 
  Terra

  this was cute and cozy.
• 
  Linda Gill

  How do animals of the frigid north survive and "brave" the long and cold winters?
  
  Not only is this book interesting and insightful, but it is artistic and poetic. It brings the science of animal survival in harsh winters of earth's northern hemisphere into focus with a delightful poetic flare and extremely beautiful artistry. This is a book not to be missed.
  
  
  Ms. Sidman creates a poetic picture about animals of the tundra on one side of each double-page spread. On the page across, there are scientific facts about that particular animal living and surviving in the harsh winter climate. Fine artistic renderings of each animal in its wintry habitat spreads across the open two pages. The vocabulary is rich with a fine glossary at the end to broaden one's understanding of the many words that may be new or of special interest for the young reader. Plant life is introduced to allow the reader to know that the harsh winters do open to spring eventually.
  
  The hand-colored linoleum block prints can only draw the reader's eyes right into this wintry mix of animals, plants and snowflakes. The texture of the art is incredible, but texture is wrapped around the words and the air one imagines breathing while in such cold winter environs. From the fox pouncing to the moose and vole looking straight at the reader from the page, you cannot help but feel you are right there.
  
  We read:
  Dream of the Tundra Swan
  Snake's Lullaby
  Snowflake Wakes
  Big Brown Moose
  Winter Bees
  Under Ice (beavers)
  Brother Raven, Sister Wolf
  Vole in Winter
  What Do the Trees Know?
  Chickadee's Song
  The Whole Wide World is Melting
  Triolet for Trunk Cabbage
  
  Ms. Sidman's poetry takes two-dimensional words and turns them into three-dimensional art as in "Winter Bees"... "Born with eyelash legs/and tinsel wings/we are nothing on our own./Together, we are One….Deep in the winter hive,/we burn like a golden sun."
  
  In "Big Brown Moose," the large animal chants, "I'm a big brown moose,/I'm a rascally moose,/I'm a moose with a tough shaggy hide…"
  
  Reading Level: 6 - 9 Years
  
  Awards:
  School Library Journal Best Book of 2014
  Kirkus Best Book of 2014
  Starred reviews in:
  Publisher’s Weekly
  Kirkus
  Booklist
  School Library Journal
  Bulletin
  
  Author
  "Newbery Honor winner Joyce Sidman is simply one of the best poets writing for children today. Her accolades include a Lee Bennet Hopkins Award, winner of the Cybil Award, Texas Bluebonnet Master List, two Caldecott Honors, winner of the Claudia Lewis Award, and many stars and notables and best of lists. For her award-winning body of work, she recently won the Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. She lives in Wayzata, Minnesota." She can be found @
  www.joycesidman.com
  
  Illustrator
  Rick Allen creates. He creates prints by pressing original linoleum cuts, wood engravings, broadsheets, and more with his wife and creative partner, Marian Lansky, and their assistant, Janelle Miller. Mr. Allen can be found @
  https://sivertson.com/artist.php?id=36
  
  https://kenspeckleletterpress.com
  
  https://kenspeckleletterpress.com/blo...