September through November, a girl chronicles the changing of the season from fall to winter in the woods surrounding her home. She observes a variety of creatures across a series of days and weeks foraging for food: fox, lynx, bear, skunk, rabbits, deer, chipmunks. Birds — woodpeckers, Canada Geese, wild turkeys (“muttering food food food” ) — are part of the landscape, too. “Winter is coming” is the repeated refrain. As autumn fades, the sky grows as gray as the geese. Eventually, “Winter is here.” A quiet text is rich with details and experiences that, while not common to every child, can be appreciated by many. The illustrations depict the girl with sketchbook in hand, and the lushness of these paintings with their seasonal hues are charmingly contrasted by childlike sketches of a young artist on the closing endpapers. (Ages 4–8)

“A quiet, beautiful picture book to share.” —Booklist (starred review)

“This gentle, lyrical celebration of the natural world will reward similarly observant readers.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A touching reminder about the beauty of the natural world.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

“With meditative language, Johnston offers a vivid sense of the changing seasons and of stillness. LaMarche quietly and sensitively portrays a child who’s comfortable spending hours alone, working on her own projects and observing—a young naturalist.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Witness the changing of a season through a watchful child’s eyes in this story of nature and discovery from award-winning author Tony Johnston and New York Times Best Illustrated artist Jim La Marche.

Day after day, a girl goes to her favorite place in the woods and quietly watches from her tree house as the chipmunks, the doe, the rabbits prepare for the winter. As the temperature drops, sunset comes earlier and a new season begins. Silently she observes the world around her as it reveals its secrets. It takes time and patience to see the changes as, slowly but surely, winter comes.