The artist/naturalist shares his observations about outdoor life on and around his Vermont farm throughout an entire winter season. In Part One Arnosky focuses on the natural cycles of farm animals and the wild animals whose lives quietly intersect on a regular basis, as evidenced through the tracks they leave in the snow. Nearby Pickerel Cove provides the setting for Part Two of the book in which the author comments on the muskrats, otters, turtles, mink, and winter stone flies he frequently watches there. The elegantly designed book is liberally illustrated with the author's pencil drawings, and these, combined with his conversational tone, give readers the sense that they are spending a few months with a good friend who enjoys pointing out the wonders of nature. Arnosky's genius here, as elsewhere, is his uncanny ability to get across his vision of the whole though his close-up observations of the tiny pieces. (Ages 9-14)

Jim Arnosky shares his reflections and observations over the course of a year spent tracking wildlife and tending his Vermont farm. His is a naturalist's view you won't soon forget. B&W illustrations.