Gathering: A Northwoods Counting Book

Winter is the longest season up north, and it comes early. Residents need to do a number of things to prepare for winter each year. In this book, author and illustrator Betty Bowen uses a counting theme to show how family activities throughout the year are actually preparation for winter. Events such as planting the garden in spring, harvesting rhubarb, blueberries, and wild rice, fishing, gathering firewood, and waxing skiis are all included. The woodcut illustrations are bold and very appropriate for the subject. This might be a nice supplement for a unit on seasons. It was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award in 1996.