Showing posts with label Snow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snow. Show all posts

HIBERNATION & ANIMALS IN FALL AND WINTER -- 1st Grade level books

Winter's an amazing time. Plants die or go dormant, and animals alter the patterns of their lives, changing color, migrating, and even going dormant themselves. 

This list features books at the First Grade reading level.

**all ratings from GoodReads 
**most of these books are available in Spanish


bookcover of WHAT DO ANIMALS DO IN FALL? by Rebecca Felix
WHAT DO ANIMALS DO IN FALL?
by Rebecca Felix

Common Core State Standards


Simple text about how animals prepare for winter -- including migration and hibernation. Large, bright color photographs correspond well to the text.

sample page #1 of WHAT DO ANIMALS DO IN FALL?  by Rebecca Felix

sample page #2 of WHAT DO ANIMALS DO IN FALL?  by Rebecca Felix

Reading Information:
Word Count: 126
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reader: 1.0 / points: 0.5

AR quiz: 158281
Lexile: 300L


bookcover of ANIMALS IN THE FALL by Gail Saunders-SmithANIMALS IN THE FALL
by Gail Saunders-Smith

The text in this book is very, very simple and meant for children who need to build confidence. Or contrarily as a book for toddlers and preschoolers who are not yet reading.
Geese fly south. Some butterflies fly south. Deer grow winter coats.
The super simple text would be easy for adults to point to with their index finger as they share the book. And because there are so few words it would be easy for children to grasp the concept of reading, and how we go from left to right, and how words are separated by spaces, etc.

The simple text there are colorful pictures of Monarch butterflies and whales and geese, and other creatures.

I would use it for children who need to build confidence. Or contrarily as a book for toddlers and preschoolers who are not yet reading. There are so few words that adults can point as they read, demonstrating to children how we read from left to right, and how words are separated by spaces, etc.
Table of Contents
Animals That Travel
Animals That Change
Animals That Work

Words to Know
Read More

Internet Sites

Index/Word List
 sample page #1 from ANIMALS IN THE FALL  by Gail Saunders-Smith

sample page #2 from ANIMALS IN THE FALL  by Gail Saunders-Smith

Reading Information:
Word Count: 35
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reading Level: 1.1/ points: 0.5
AR quiz: 32077
Lexile: 380L

bookcover of Animals In Fall book by Martha E. H. RustadANIMALS IN FALL
by Martha E. H. Rustad

3.32 avg rating — 25 ratings 

Shows animals at work as they gather food and prepare shelter to survive the winter ahead.

sample page #1 from ANIMALS IN FALL  by Martha E. H. Rustad

sample page #2 from ANIMALS IN FALL  by Martha E. H. Rustad
Word Count: 111
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reader:  1.2 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 115416
Lexile: 220L


bookcover of WINTER  (Wonder Books: Level 2 Seasons)  by Cynthia Klingel
WINTER  
(Wonder Books: Level 2 Seasons)
by Cynthia Klingel & Robert B. Noyed

Simple text talks about the season of winter, weather changes and their effects on plants, animals, and people.

Word Count: 179
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reader: 1.5 / points: 0.5
AR quiz:  48256


bookcover of Hibernation Station by Michelle MeadowsHIBERNATION STATION
by Michelle Meadows
Kurt Cyrus (Illustrator)

3.59 avg rating — 241 ratings

Cute, cute, cute. We loved the drawings in this book that takes an ENTIRELY whimsical look at hibernation.
Fuzzy slippers, warm pajamas.
Forest babies and their mamas...

show up early at the station!
Time for winter hibernation.
sample page from HIBERNATION STATION  by Michelle Meadows
Recommend this one as a Good Seasonal Read-aloud to accompany more serious books.

Word Count: 200

Page Count: 40

Accelerated
Reader: 1.5 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 139421



FALL by Cynthia Klingel
FALL
(Wonder Books: Level 2 Seasons)
by Cynthia Klingel & Robert B. Noyed

Simple text talks about the season of Fall, weather changes and it's effects on plants, animals, and people.

Word Count: 181
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reading Level: 1.6 / points: 0.5
AR quiz:  48221


bookcover of  Busy Animals: Learning about Animals in Autumn by Lisa  Bullard
BUSY ANIMALS : Learning About Animals In Autumn
by Lisa  Bullard
Nadine Takvorian (Illustrator)

3.83 avg rating — 6 ratings

 A nature preserve provides a background for learning about what animals do to adapt to cooler weather.

Word Count: 286
Page Count:  24
Accelerated Reading level: 1.8 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 137984
Lexile: 430L


bookcover of HIBERNATION (Patterns in Nature series) by Margaret Hall
HIBERNATION
(Patterns in Nature series)
by Margaret Hall

NSTA Recommended

  • 3.73  avg rating — 11 GoodReaders

Brilliant and interesting photographs, easily understood diagrams and a short, informative text are the highlights of this Patterns in Nature series, which features titles on day and night, hibernation, phases of the moon and seasons of the year.

Children will indeed choose this book by its cover: it depicts a huge brown bear sound asleep, eating grass and grabbing a fish from the river. In answer to the question on the first page, why hibernate? we see a picture of splotches of snow stuck to a bear surrounded by snow. Food is hard to find. We see tiny animals hibernating also, including clusters of bats that don t even go to the bathroom.


sample page from HIBERNATION  (Patterns in Nature series)  by Margaret Hall

Getting ready to hibernate means getting fat on fish (bears), filling a burrow with acorns (chipmunks), or digging a warm hole in the mud (frogs). Each title features a pattern diagram on the last page--in this case getting ready, finding a den, hibernating, and leaving the den. Hibernating is one of nature's patterns. Children can see the principle and learn the words that explain that principle.

There is a very short index, a glossary, a list of additional books, and a reference to the Facthoundweb site with links to age-appropriate sites for each book. This is an outstanding series of concept books for new and pre-readers; the photographs make the book interesting enough to use with older children who struggle with reading and concepts.
--Childrens Literature Comprehensive Database, January 2007

Word Count: 181
Page Count: 24
Accelerated
Reading Level: 1.8 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 108397
 
Lexile: 390L

bookcovers of ANIMALS IN WINTER by Martha E. H. RustadANIMALS IN WINTER
by Martha E. H. Rustad

When snow falls animals and people adapt to the cold. People bundle up, but what do animals do?

The text in this book is simple, and the photographs on the right hand side cover an entire page.  Animals include bats and snowshoe hares.

sample page #1 from ANIMALS IN WINTER  by Martha E. H. Rustad
sample page #2 from ANIMALS IN WINTER  by Martha E. H. Rustad
Word Count: 148
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reading level:  1.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 123650
Lexile: 400L

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You might be interested in HIBERNATION & ANIMALS IN FALL & WINTER -- Kindergarten level books
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compiled by Pam
updated October 2014

HIBERNATION & ANIMALS IN FALL & WINTER -- Kindergarten level books

This list features books about animals in Fall and Winter at the kindergarten reading level. 

**all ratings from GoodReads

bookcover of National Geographic's SLEEP BEAR
National Geo Kids, 
SLEEP BEAR!

4.0 avg rating — 15 ratings

Children will follow a bear as it wakes up and explores it's environment, before going back to sleep again in the Fall.

Pictures are charming and show the bear eating berries and bugs.

sample page #1 from Nat Geo SLEEP BEAR

sample page #2 from Nat Geo SLEEP BEAR


Reading Information:
Word Count: 98
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reading level: 0.7 / points: 0.5
AR quiz:  174215


bookcover of RED SQUIRREL HIDES SOME NUTS by Beverley Randell Harper
Red Squirrel Hides Some Nuts
by Beverley Randell Harper

A little red Squirrel hides some nuts so he will have something to eat during the winter.  Amazon has copies but this might be best tracked down at your local library.

Word Count: 133
Page Count: 16
Accelerated Reader: 0.8 / points: 0.5
AR quiz:  50804


bookcover of THE BUSY LITTLE SQUIRREL by Nancy TafuriThe Busy Little Squirrel
by Nancy Tafuri

3.85 avg rating — 799 ratings

In this pre-primer, you'll find a story about Squirrel who needs to get ready for winter. Being a busy little fellow he has no time to hop or run with frogs, dogs, and mice. No, he must get ready for when temperatures drop and the snow falls!
Leaves were falling.
The air was getting cold.

It was time for Squirrel
to get ready for winter.

"Squeak, squeak," said Mouse.
"Will you nibble a pumpkin with us?"

But Squirrel couldn't...
He was so busy!
"He was so busy!" is the common refrain, and it's repeated throughout the book until the very end when Squirrel can't participate because he is 'fast asleep!'

Warm, cheerful drawings by one of our favorite author-artists makes it easy for me to recommend this book. [Click on the picture below and most browsers will make it larger.]

sample page from THE BUSY LITTLE SQUIRREL by Nancy Tafuri

Word Count: 128
Page Count: 32
Accelerated Reading level: 0.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 118900
--sample pages available


bookcover of Animals in Fall  by Mari Schuh
Animals in Fall
(What Happens in Fall?)
by Mari Schuh

Nature photographs and easy-to-read text show children how animals adapt to the changing weather of fall.

Word Count: 103
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reader:   0.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 161505


bookcover of What Happens in Winter?  (Four Super Seasons)  by Alex Appleby
What Happens in Winter?
(Four Super Seasons)
by Alex Appleby

A sort of generic book from Gareth Stevens Publishing. The format consists of a single sentence on a page followed by a photo on the opposite page. One complaint of a reviewer mentioned that there was no continuity from one page to the next.  

Index image from WHAT HAPPENS IN WINTER?  (Four Super Seasons)  by Alex Appleby

sample page 2 from WHAT HAPPENS IN WINTER?  (Four Super Seasons)  by Alex Appleby


Word Count: 46
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reader:   0.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz:164160
Lexile:  180L
-- Available in Spanish!


bookcover of CHIPMUNKS  (My First Animal Library)  by Mari Schuh
Chipmunks
(My First Animal Library)
by Mari Schuh

4.0 avg rating — 4 ratings

Follows chipmunks as they gather food in preparation for winter.

(sorry, could find no sample page images)

Word Count: 100
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reader:   0.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz:  180500

Common Core Suggested Common Core Suggested


updated January 2017

Hibernation & Animals in Winter!
- a GoodBooksforKids Science List


Here is a list of books about hibernation at the easiest levels.
We've reviewed the books we could get our hands on, and included exclusive inside peeks to help you choose the right book.

If you have any favorites, do let us know.


bookcover of Animals In The FallAnimals In The Fall
By Gail Saunders-Smith

This book has super simple text.
  • Geese fly south.
  • Some butterflies fly south.
  • Deer grow winter coats.
I would use it for children who need to build confidence. Or contrarily as a book for toddlers and preschoolers who are not yet reading. There are so few words that adults can point as they read, demonstrating to children how we read from left to right, and how words are separated by spaces, etc.
Table of Contents
Animals That Travel
Animals That Change
Animals That Work

Words to Know
Read More

Internet Sites

Index/Word List

Word Count: 35
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reading Level: 1.1/ points: 0.5
AR quiz: 32077
Lexile: 380L
    This item is eligible for Amazon's 4-for-3 promotion



    Animals In Fall
    by Martha E. H. Rustad

    Description: In fall, animals are busy getting ready for winter. See how hard they work to make sure they have enough food and shelter for the cold winter ahead.



    Reading Information:
    Word Count: 111
    Page Count: 24
    Accelerated Reading level:  1.2 / points: 0.5
    AR quiz: 115416
    Lexile: 220L
    • Publisher: Capstone
    • ISBN-10: 1429600225
      --amazon



    Animals In Winter
    by Martha E. H. Rustad

    Description: Snow falls, animals hibernate, and people bundle up, its winter! Check out all the changes that come with longer nights and colder temperatures.


    Reading Information:
    Word Count: 148
    Page Count: 24
    Accelerated Reading level:  1.9 / points: 0.5
    AR quiz: 123650
    Lexile: 400L
    • Publisher: Capstone
    • ISBN-10: 1429622008
      --amazon



    Time to Sleep
    by Denise Fleming

    This is a cute, colorful book for youngsters. It's actually more of a bedtime book than a 'straightforward' book about hibernation. But I'm including it because I think children will enjoy the story and get the background message about how animals react when the seasons change. Note: Kirkus and the School Library Journal both praised it.

    The story begins with Bear who sniffs the air. He decides winter is coming, but before he pads off to his cave, he tells us that he needs to tell Snail.
    Snail was lowly slithering
    up one leaf and down another.
    "Snail," rumbled Bear,
    "winter is in the air.
    It is time to seal
    your shell and sleep."
    Snail realizes the truth of this, but before he can sleep he has to tell the news to Skunk. Skunk needs to tell Turtle, and Turtle must notify Woodchuck and so on.... The book ends with Ladybug waking Bear to tell him that it's time to hibernate.

    This isn't a book I'd necessarily buy for the home shelves, but it would be a nice book to share at home or school.

    Reading Information:
    Word Count: 431
    Page Count: 32
    Accelerated Reading Level: 2.1 / points: 0.5
    AR quiz: 19249
    Lexile: AD310L
      Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
    • ISBN-10: 0805067671
    • Sample pages
    This item is eligible for Amazon's 4-for-3 promotion




    A Bed For Winter
    by Karen Wallace

    Description: When a dormouse sets out to find a safe place to spend the winter it is the start of a dangerous journey. Stunning photographs combine with lively illustrations and engaging age-appropriate stories in this multilevel reading program guaranteed to capture children's interest while developing their reading skills and general knowledge.

    • Paperback: 32 pages
    • Publisher: Dorling Kindersley
    • ISBN-10: 0751328324
    • Look Inside available
      --amazon

    Reading Information:
    Word Count: 490
    Accelerated Reading level:  2.3 / points: 0.5
    AR quiz: 45915
    Lexile: 240L

    This item is eligible for Amazon's 4-for-3 promotion




    Animals in Winter (Let's-Read-and-Find... Science 1)
    by Henrietta Bancroft and Richard van Gelder
    Helen K. Davie (illus.)

    This book at the 2nd Grade level features colorful, interesting drawings and text. The discussion begins with Fall and a discussion of animals that migrate. It proceeds to show familiar examples of birds and Monarch butterflies that migrate before introducing hibernation and animals that hibernate. Here is some sample text from two pages about bats.

    Many bats fly south, too. But some bats stay in the north all
    Winter. When the weather gets cold, they go to a cave. There is
    no wind or snow in the cave. The bats sleep there all winter.

    They do not eat. The live on fat stored inside them.
    They do not move. They hardly breathe. They sleep,
    sleep, sleep.
    They hibernate.

    Other adaptive behaviors are also discussed. The authors talk about how animals 'squirrel' away food and how they must work hard to find food under the snow. I was surprised that they didn't mention how animals change color, nor go into much detail about what the characteristics of hibernation are. Still "Animals in Winter" is an appealing book that I think younger will readers will like. Doesn't contain the in-depth information that third and fourth graders may be ready for.

    excerpt from Bancroft's Animals in Winter
    Reading Information:
    Word Count: 634
    Page Count: 32
    Accelerated Reading level:  2.5 / points: 0.5
    AR quiz: 18851
    Lexile: 380L



    What Do Animals Do In Winter?
    by Melvin and Gilda Berger
    Susan J. Harrison (Illus.)

    I liked this little book because it is jam packed with useful information. It asks and answers the question of 'what animals do during very cold winters'. It introduces children to hibernation and migration and some adaptive behaviors that animals exhibit, and it gives plenty of examples.

    It has a section that describes the northern and southern hemispheres and it's explained that when one hemisphere is experiencing winter, that the other is having summer. (The book does not explain that the angle of the earth is responsible for this.)

    excerpt #2 What Do Animals Do in Winter
    When the authors discuss migration, for example, they discuss how Robins only travel a short distance, while Arctic Terns travel the longest. They also talk about Monarch butterflies, Reindeer, and whales.

    And when discussing hibernation not only groundhogs are discussed, but bats, ants, bees, bears, raccoons.... So you can see that many animals are discussed.

    excerpt #1 What Do Animals Do in Winter
    The only section I would have changed is the one mention of mating. It's just a casual mention, but I assume that many moms are like me and really don't want to get into a long discussion with a 4 or 5 year-old about what mating is. Otherwise an excellent book. The artwork is okay.

    There is a two-page map that shows which regions are warm all the time, and which experience greater temperature changes.

    Reading Information:
    Word Count: 1,371
    Page Count: 48
    Accelerated Reading level:  2.7 / points: 0.5
    AR quiz: 31032
    • Publisher: Ideals Publications
    • ISBN-10: 0824953142
      --amazon
    This item is eligible for Amazon's 4-for-3 promotion



    Don't Wake Up The Bear!
    by Marjorie Dennis Murray

    GoodReads rating::: 4.00 stars · 24 ratings

    Description: On a cold, snowy evening, several animals snuggle up to a hibernating bear in order to keep warm.

    • Paperback: 32 pages
    • Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books
    • ISBN-10: 076145330X
    • Look Inside available
      --amazon

    Technical Stuff
    Reading Level: 3.1

    This item is eligible for Amazon's 4-for-3 promotion



    Undetermined Accelerated Readers

    We attempted to find the Accelerated Reading designation for the following books, but we either found that no specific number was given, or else conflicting numbers. (It happens.) The generic 2 rating means that the book is supposed to be a the '2nd Grade level' but that a specific number was never determined. Unfortunately for teachers, these books do not have test numbers.



    Hibernation
    by Robin Nelson

    Description: Hibernation is a cycle that some animals go through every year. Most people know that bears hibernate. But why do they hibernate? And what other animals hibernate?

    • Paperback: 23 pages
    • Publisher: Lerner Classroom (2010)
    • ISBN-10: 0761356819
    • Look Inside available
      --amazon

    Technical Stuff
    Reading Level: generic 2

    This item is eligible for Amazon's 4-for-3 promotion


    Every Autumn Comes The BearEvery Autumn Comes The Bear
    by Jim
    Arnosky

    This is a lovely, poetic book that I enjoyed sharing with my children. In it, Jim Arnosky tells about the bear that comes to his property every year when the leaves turn gold and red, and begin to fall. Jim follows the bear as the season changes. He tells us what bear sees and feels and smells. And I like it because of it's kid-friendly artwork and because I like verse and like to expose my children to poems.

    There's a sample page below which if you click on it, your browser ought to make larger. And here are two examples of prose.
    There is a wooded hill
    behind our farm.

    It is a wild and rugged
    place with as many rocks
    as trees.

    Every autumn,
    after the leaves have fall,
    a bear shows up.

    And from the end of the book,
    Nestled there against
    cold rock, with only fat
    and fur to keep him warm,

    he sleeps all winter long.

    excerpt from Every Autumn Comes The Bear
    Recommend sharing this one! Excellent read-aloud.

    Reading Information:
    Reading Level: uncertain. Different sources give different levels.
    Page Count: 32
    Lexile: AD410L
    • Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
    • ISBN-10: 0698114051
    • Sample pages
    This item is eligible for Amazon's 4-for-3 promotion



    The Animals' Winter Sleep
    by Lynda Graham-Barber

    Description: Taking nonfiction into the realm of bedtime read-to-me stories, this rich, melodic text paired with detailed color pencil illustrations describes how 13 North American animal species—such as black bear, ermine, pileated woodpecker, porcupine, river otter, and ruffed grouse—survive harsh winter snows snug inside their dens, nests, burrows, and lodges. Additional information, geared to very young children, includes animal winter survival adaptations, such as the foods they eat, nesting materials, camouflage, and predator survival along with a series of questions that encourage children to look back at the illustrations for clues. A line art diagram of the final panorama illustration that identifies the location of all 13 animal species is also included.

    • Paperback: 24 pages
    • Publisher: Birdsong Books
    • ISBN-10: 0966276167
      --amazon

    Reading Information:
    Reading Level: generic 2

    This item is eligible for Amazon's 4-for-3 promotion


    For more practice readers on Hibernation and Animals in Winter check our new list

    More Great Books about Snow and Snow Crystals!

    This list features books about snow that are at a higher reading level -- AR 3 and up. For lists of easy readers and books about winter and hibernation see our Winter Index.



    bookcover of SNOW by Cynthia Rylant
    Snow!
    by Cynthia Rylant
    Lauren Stringe (Illus.)

    ** Starred Review BookList**

    A Celebration of snow in lyrical text and lovely pictures!

    3.91 Stars from 161 GoodReads voters

    Reading Information:
    Word Count:326
    Page Count: 40
    Accelerated Reading level: 3.6 / points: 0.5
    AR quiz: 122947
    Lexile:AD840L
    -- sample pages available



    bookcover of Snowflake Bentley  by Jacqueline Briggs MartinSnowflake Bentley
    by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
    Mary Azarian (Illustrator)

    **Caldecott Medal Winner**
    ** Starred Review BookList**
    ** Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon** 

    A biography of a self-taught scientist who photographed thousands of individual snowflakes in order to study their unique formations.

    4.13 Stars from 3427 GoodReads voters

    Word Count: 979
    Page Count: 32
    Accelerated Reading level: 4.4 / points: 0.5
    AR quiz: 27678
    Lexile: AD830L
    -- sample pages available



    bookcover of THE STORY OF SNOW by Mark Cassino
    The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder
    by Mark Cassino
    with Jon Nelson, PhD
    Nora Aoyagi (illus.)

    ** Starred Review BookList** 
    ** Starred Review Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books**

    This is a wonder book about snow that has a great appeal for a variety of ages. It very clearly explains how snow crystals are made, and why there are different kinds of snow. The drawings are very good, but the photographs are just amazing, showing the different sorts of shapes that can form. There is a section at the end on how we can view our own crystals.

    4.13 Stars from 148 GoodReads voters
    Highly recommended by us.

    Word Count: 1,627
    Page Count: 36 
    Accelerated Reading level:  4.8 / points: 0.5
    AR quiz: 131879
    Lexile: 870L
    -- sample pages available


    bookcover of SECRET LIFE OF A SNOWFLAKE by Kenneth George Libbrecht
    The Secret Life of a Snowflake: An Up-Close Look at the Art and Science of Snowflakes
    by Kenneth George Libbrecht

    3.94 Stars from 36 GoodReads voters

    Provides information about snowflakes, discussing what they are made of, why they appear to be white, how they form and fall, and other related topics.

    Word Count: 1,673
    Page Count: 48
    Accelerated Reading level:  4.9 / points: 0.5
    AR quiz: 137170
    -- sample pages available