 Marcel, a young tundra swan, is tired from the first half of a winter migration. One thousand miles is a long way to fly—too long for Marcel, so he hides in the rushes to stay behind while his parents and the flock continue south. But with the lake nearly frozen over, he soon realizes that he is not cut out for life on ice. Other animals offer advice about how to survive the winter, but their ways of living aren’t right for the swan. Hungry and scared, he falls asleep – only to be awakened by a big surprise!
Written by Laura Goering Illustrated by Laura Jacques | 32 pg, 8.5" x 10", ages 5-9, Lexile: 550
Hardcover: 978-1-934359-12-9, $16.95
Paperback: 978-1-934359-30-3, $8.95
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Author/Illustrator Info:
 Laura Goering (pronounced Gehring) is a professor of Russian language and literature (including Russian Literature for Children) at Carleton College. Every fall, people travel from all over the Upper Midwest to Alma, Wisconsin, to view the thousands of whistling swans (also called tundra swans), who stop there on the way from their breeding grounds in northern Canada and Alaska to their wintering grounds in the Chesapeake Bay area. It was this spectacle that inspired Laura to write Whistling Wings. While Laura has poems published in anthologies and several magazine articles to her credit, this is her first picture book. Laura, her husband, and their daughter live in Minnesota.
 Laura Jacques (pronounced Jakes) has more than 25 yearsof professional experience as an illustrator in the fields of advertising and publishing. Laura draws and paints traditionally using pencil, inks, acrylic and oils. She sometimes puts some digital finishing touches on her art. Her artwork has appeared in both “Weekly Reader” and the National Wildlife Federation’s children’s magazine, “Your Big Backyard.” But most of all, she enjoys illustrating children’s books that focus on natural history, wildlife and the environment such as: At Home in the Rain Forest, Going to a Horse Farm, Sweet Magnolia, and The Field Trip. Her books have won several honors and awards, including “NSTA-CBS Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children” sponsored by the Children’s Book Council and the “KIND Children’s Book Award” sponsored by the Association for Humane and Environmental Education, a division of the Humane Society of the United States. She is a member of SCBWI, (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), PBAA, (Picture Book Artists Association) and WMIG (Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild). Laura lives in Connecticut with her husband and children. http://www.laurajacques.com/ |
Science and Math through Literature
