Time to move south for winter

A juvenile Arctic tern leaves her northerly birthplace at winter's start and, "in search of summer in the sky," flies to Antarctica in this empathetic migration story. Via this tern's-eye view and through gentle repetition, Welsh also signals how other long-hauler species respond to changing seasons: the tern sees humpback whales diving for "summer in the waves," caribou "in search of summer in the hills," and monarch butterflies gliding toward "the promise of shelter." Løvlie's undulating illustrations portray a tern gazing at the aurora borealis and sweetly accepting a mouthful of fish from her mate. Though the bird's visible maturation goes unexplored in the text, perhaps confusingly for young readers, the creators feature a humble hero taking on a truly incredible journey. Back matter includes blurbs about migrating species mentioned. Ages 4--8. (Oct.)

Welsh presents an account about the migration habits of six different animals that can function as a comforting bedtime story or thoughtful read-aloud. With lyrical patterned text, we follow the travels of an arctic tern "in search of summer in the sky," followed by the oft-repeated line, "It was time to move south for winter." Next, humpback whales swim "in search of summer in the waves" and caribou climb "in search of summer in the hills." Canada geese soar "in search of summer on the lake," a leatherback turtle dives deep "in search of summer in the ocean," and monarch butterflies sail and flutter "in search of summer in the trees," each acknowledging that "it was time to move south for winter." The simple, descriptive lines are accompanied by expansive, double-page illustrations in washes of cool blues that capture the sweep and movement of the story while also providing small details that enhance the informative aspects. For example, the life cycle of the arctic tern is suggested by the changing colors of its feathers, beak, and legs as it migrates and grows to adulthood, ending with a nest and a new baby tern being born. The last line of text -- "Time to move north for summer" -- provides another satisfying, full-circle moment. Brief back matter offers a paragraph of helpful information about the six animals depicted, along with a simple image of Earth showing the migration patterns of each one. Sylvia VardellNovember/December 2023 p.112 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.