Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman

 

Bibliography

Sidman, Joyce.  (2014). Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold.   Ill. by Rick Allen.  New York, NY:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Plot Summary

This book of poems illustrates how twelve different animals survive and adapt during the cold of winter.  The poems take the reader on a journey through winter, beginning with the migration of the tundra swan to the emergence of the springtails and skunk cabbage at the first signs of spring.  Other poems show the begrudgingly symbiotic relationship between the wolf and the crow to help each other find food, the adaptability of the beaver to live solely under the frozen water, and the book’s namesake, the bees, which clump together and vibrate their bodies to keep the colony and queen warm during the coldest parts of winter.  Sibley also provides a nonfiction blurb about each species, describing how it survives during the winter in scientific terms.

Critical Analysis

The arrangement of the poems within the book were strategically arranged to show the transition from late autumn to winter to early spring.  The book begins with migration of geese after the first snowfall, and ends with the emergence of plants and bugs at the first sign of snow melt.  Each poem has a different style, with some written in rhyme and some not, but they are all told from the perspective of the animal.

Allen’s illustrations have a wood-grain appearance that clearly show the way they were created.  According to the cover notes, Allen created the lithographs for this book with inspiration from his residence in Minnesota.  His artwork clearly shows the transition of the seasons, starting with the inner cover artwork.  The inner front cover shows the transition from a tree branch with autumn leaves to a bare branch with snowflakes, and the back cover inside cover transitions from a barren tree branch with buds that sprout in the spring thaw.  The colors of the illustrations reflect the barrenness of winter.  The artist uses mostly tones of blue, white, and brown, the colors of the snowy landscape and dead grass and leaves.  The most colorful parts of the lithographs are the animals themselves. 

Review Excerpts

Horn Book Guide, 4/1/2015: "Sidman exemplifies winter survival strategies of a well-chosen sample of species."

School Library Journal Starred, 11/1/2014:  Carole Phillips says "the 12 selections in this collection offer a winter wonderland of deftly crafted poetry, fascinating science facts, an amazingly rich vocabulary, and stunning illustrations..."

Publishers Weekly Starred, 9/8/2014:  "Each poem brings a sense of humor, respect, or wonder to its subject, from minuscule bees 'Born with eyelash legs/ and tinsel wings' to an imposing 'slumberous moose.'”

Connections

Children who love animals and nature will love this book, and also those who love the snowy winter landscape.  Readers may also enjoy Joyce Sidman's Song of the Water Boatman, ISBN 9780618135479 or Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell, ISBN  9781250076366 .