Keep Looking!

by Millicent E. Selsam, Joyce Hunt, Normand Chartier (Illustrator)

This house looks empty. The yard looks empty. Snow covers the ground. But there are animals here. Where are they? Sit quietly, wait patiently, and keep looking.

Juncos, chickadees, and screeching blue jays have settled in for the winter. Squirrels take food from the bird feeder. A rabbit hides beneath the raspberry bushes, not far from the dark burrow of a woodchuck. Behind the front steps hang torn webs and clusters of eggs that next year will hatch out into spiders. What could be inside the cocoon nearby?

When night falls the moon rises, lighting up a family of raccoons noisily searching for treasure in the garbage cans. Owl awakens, calling "Who cooks for you?" to a pair of striped skunks on parade. And if you're up just before the sun rises, you may even spot a deer nibbling the twigs of the maple tree.

How many animals can you find? Both parents and youngsters will have fun answering that question as they turn the pages of this beautifully illustrated, loving tribute to nature.

Genres: Nature, Animals, Childrens, Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Millicent Ellis Selsam was was a biologist and teacher who wrote natural science literature for children.

Reviews

[Oxalis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soft watercolor illustrations transport the reader to a winter scene in maybe a New England yard? The text encourages its younger readers to slow down and take the time to observe nature as they look for the many creatures that call this yard their home. This a recommended quiet read, to teach kids outdoor observational skills.

[Terra Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty nice, cute book. It tells what happens in your own backyard, even in the winter. You get to look for the animals at the end and learn about them a little. overall, I think it's nice, but missing a bit.

[Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this!

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

A somewhat vintage picture book from the 1980s…
I appreciate a slow moving children’s book that has some value/depth!

[Asho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our library was displaying this book on a winter picture book table, so I brought it home to try it out. It's a non-fiction book that describes the winter habits of various animals, which you can then look for in the pictures. My three-year-old really enjoyed the "I spy" quality of the book,and we had fun looking for the animals together. And I really liked the illustrations, which perfectly capture the feel of winter in the country.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a grea book about noticing and what really is happening in your own back yard even in the dead of winter. It really is a simple text and it is beautifully illustrated, populated by facts about various animals' wintering habits. Well worth the few minutes it takes to read.