This week’s featured title, Is That You, Winter?, was written and illustrated by Stephen Gammell and published in San Diego by Silver Whistle/Harcourt Brace in 1997. Although the calendar insists winter doesn’t arrive until December 21, the combination of freezing temperatures and accumulating snow has already made the season feel very present.
Stephen Gammell (b. 1943) is a well-known American children’s book illustrator whose career spans nearly seventy titles. He received the Caldecott Medal in 1989, and many readers instantly recognize his eerie, unforgettable illustrations from the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series.
This title holds an interesting spot in Gammell’s body of work. When he created Is That You, Winter?, he was already a celebrated illustrator with a long list of publications behind him. The book was well-received upon release and went on to win the Minnesota Book Award in 1998. While Gammell is often associated with spooky, shadowy images, this book reveals a completely different side of his style, loose, playful, and whimsical.
The story follows Old Man Winter, who begins his day in a foul mood, casting icy winds and storms across the landscape. Gradually, however, he is reminded of the unique beauty and purpose he brings to the world. The story offers a message about embracing one’s role, even on days when everything feels cold and gloomy.
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--View more from our Historical Curriculum Collection
---Melissa (bracing myself for winter…emotionally, not physically), Distinctive Collections Library Assistant
