WINTER ACROSS AMERICA

Simon (Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids, p. 995, etc.) has written a lively and informative text as a companion to his Autumn Across America (1993). But the stars of this effort are his own and other photographers' memorable pictures of our darkest season. The muted colors of winter might render the book too subtle for the younger reader, a problem ameliorated by the many scenes of animals in their habitats. A whooping crane perfectly framed by a patch of light in a gloomy sky; a herd of huddled deer, curious but not startled by the photographer; a chickadee stared down by a gray owl on the opposing page—these images stand out amid equally remarkable, if more static, photos of snow-encrusted cacti and an icy Grand Canyon. The lone human pictured seems dwarfed by an urban blizzard, a fitting encapsulation of our sometimes uneasy relationship with nature. A book smart enough to be kept on the reference shelf, but with photos that tempt you to tear them out and frame them. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 5-10)