NORTH AND SOUTH: A TALE OF TWO HEMISPHERES, by Sandra Morris, Candlewick, July 6, 2021, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 5-8)
Sandra Morris’ North and South: A Tale of Two Hemispheres explores how animals adapt to the seasons in both hemispheres.
In January in the Scottish Highlands, a mountain hare is camouflaged from predators in its white winter coat, while in New Guinea, a bright-green tree python guards her eggs. Come March, a warm Arctic spring lures polar bears out from their den, while in Australia, newly hatched crocodiles go for their first swim inside their mother’s jaws. When autumn comes to the north, monarch butterflies start migrating south, just as bar-tailed godwits set off from New Zealand to their breeding grounds on the Alaskan tundra. Sandra Morris takes readers through the months of the year in both the northern and southern parts of the globe, with an eye to how various species adapt to the changing seasons. Extensive end matter offers further descriptive facts about some twenty-five featured animals. —Synopsis provided by Candlewick
North and South: A Tale of Two Hemispheres begins with an introduction that explains the two hemispheres and how weather differs between the two. What follows are one-month spreads that feature contrasting animals. Each spread includes small maps detailing where the animals live; text on each animal; and a paragraph that ties everything together.
Sandra Morris’ beautiful watercolor and salt illustrations are the main focal point. These expressive illustrations are bold and full of life. Her text is clear and concise while informative and engaging. The format allows for numerous ways of reading — all at once, skipping through, and one month at a time.
