Survival at 40 Below

The award-winning Alaskan picture book duo is back with a look at the long arctic winter. As temperatures drop and the snow deepens, the animals that make the tundra home must ready themselves for survival. Follow the arctic ground squirrel as it begins the cycle of sleeping, supercooling, and warming that will occur at least a dozen times before spring arrives. See how the wood frog partially freezes itself in hibernation beneath layers of snow, or how the woolly bear caterpillars makes it through the winter months with a special antifreeze substance that prevents ice from forming in their bodies. Then when the temperatures finally rise and the snow begins to melt, these creatures emerge and the pulse of life returns to the arctic.

Debbie S. Miller’s expert research and accessible writing will fascinate readers as Jon Van Zyle’s signature style beautifully captures these animals and their habitat.