Once in a while a book comes along that takes your breath away.
Once in a while book comes along that makes you want to grab all the other books you know around a subject.
Once in a while a book comes along that makes you want to create a whole topic around it.
Once in a while a book comes along that inspires you to read, draw, paint, model, create, research and learn.
Once in a while a book comes along that stops you in your tracks, makes you breathe deep and think about the awe and wonder of the planet we live on and the amazing creatures that share our earth.
This is one such book.
This is Time To Move South For Winter 
Written by Clare Helen Welsh
Illustrated by Jenny Lovlie
Published by Nosy Crow
This is the story of a tiny black-capped tern. We join her on her journey from north to south in search of summer sky. As she flies she sees wonderful whales roaming the ocean, climbing caribou, soaring geese, powerful turtles pushing on through the seas, monarch butterflies sailing on the breeze. All these animals are moving south for the winter, just like the Arctic tern, the dainty daylight dancer.
With lyrical prose and repeated phrases this is a beautiful book to read with young children. They will love to listen and be eager to join in.
Curious little explorers will be amazed at the awesome creatures and the incredible journeys they make.
If your little readers are anything like mine they will be inspired by the stunning artwork.
I am not an art expert but I know the illustrations in this book are brilliant. Filled with colours of ocean and earth, filled with light and movement and depth that make you want to reach out and touch the pages.
This is the perfect book for introducing animal migration to young children.
Through this book you can begin to explore migratory animals, the seasons, the northern and southern lights.
You can find out more about the animals travelling through the story and their habitats.
You can track the animals journeys & plot them on a map.
You can write poetry about seasons, journeys, awe inspiring creature of land, sea & sky.
You could look at how climate change is affecting these amazing animals & the giant journeys they make.
You can try to recreate the wonderful artwork from the book. We have been experimenting with pastels, pencil sketches, collage and paint.
Children can talk about the longest journey they have ever made and think about the reasons people travel.
This then leads on to discussions about human migration and for us that has all linked back to our main topic this week of peace.
And if you want to see the perfect illustration of peace just look at the truly beautiful endpapers of this wonderful book.
This is a review. It is part of a bookstagram tour and I know that I am gushing. But … I truly adore this book and it has inspired our learning this week. The children have produced some amazing work. All of them aged 4 to 11 have been creating art and animal fact files and acted out the earth travelling around the sun to see why and how we have seasons.
This is a gem of a book. One to read and share and treasure for years to come.
We were given one copy of Time To Move South For Winter in exchange for our honest review