Reading by a cozy woodstove.
Although electronics minded people often claim that paper books are either dead or dying, we disagree.
Few things are as pleasant as spending winter hours curled in a comfortable chair by the wood stove reading a real book.
Even better is sharing a book with a child or grandchild. A new sharing book is Walking With Bigfoot, a Beginners Guide to the Common Trees of North America by Sharen and Mark Mellicker. It can be ordered online.
Many years ago nature study was just that. Naturalists urged people to learn outdoor specifics, such as how to identify trees, fish, rocks, birds, or some other object. Later came a movement where specific knowledge was de-emphasized and considered less important than just going outside and absorbing nature. In recent years there’s been a blend of the two. Often having some specific knowledge of aspects of nature helps create understanding of our environment.
Walking With Bigfoot is a children’s book well suited to winter reading. It helps kids learn specific tree species and various details about each one while enjoying the travels of Bigfoot through forests. It’s a fact filled story book that will pique the interest of folks of all ages in trees.
Another favorite is Emily M. Stone’s Natural Connections, Exploring Northwoods Nature Through Science and Your Senses. It can be ordered online from the Cable Natural History Museum.
Iowa native Emily Stone is Education Director at the Cable Natural History Museum in Wisconsin. Her book follows north woods nature through the four seasons. The book, from her columns, is filled with reflections, facts, and illustrations of plants, insects, birds and more drawn by children.
Winding Pathways encourages you to don warm clothes and go outside and play during cold winter months. Then, come inside to enjoy a cup of cocoa and the fireplace or furnace’s warmth while reading a truly enjoyable book.
