Winter Book - Hardcover

Harriet Webster

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0684188910 ISBN 13: 9780684188911

Publisher: Atheneum, 1988

Synopsis

An antidote for winter doldrums, this illustrated collection of seasonal projects, information, and ideas combines education with entertainment and includes a section on winter holidays and appropriate celebration suggestions

About this title

Reviews

Grade 4-7 Webster brings together fact and folklore, nature crafts, outdoor games, recipes, and brief introductions to better-known January and February celebrations, all loosely related to winter. Many of the suggested activities are rather complex and require a very wintery climate, extensive materials, a real commitment of time, or previous knowledge. Directions for making a scatter rug on a loom or a quilt, for example, are fairly complex and are not likely to be understood by those without experience. To complete the scatter rug, instructions (in paragraph form) tell readers to tie the fabric-strip ends together, ``using slipknots or half stitches if you know how.'' Readers won't find out here, however, as no instruction for either is given. The same is true with ``whittling'' a design on a snow snake (a North American Indian game in which a stick is hurled along a track). Although the snow snake and related games are clearly described, individualizing it through ``whittling'' is not. Nor is adult help recommended for this and several other potentially dangerous building and cooking activities. Adult participation is sometimes suggested for particularly special activities such as using paraffin to collect animal tracks and maple sugaring. Black-and-white illustrations are more decorative than instructive, although they do help open a fairly dense format. Markle's Exploring Winter (Atheneum, 1984) provides a more thorough overview of the season, while craft books better explain the activities suggested here. Maria B. Salvadore, District of Columbia Public Library Junior High Up
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Atheneum
• Publication date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0684188910
• ISBN 13: 9780684188911
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Irene Trivas
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 113