Schwartz and Wade (Random House Children’s Books), July 2015
Publishing in time for the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, here is a beautiful read-aloud about animal families preparing for an impending storm in their bayou habitat.
Journey to the Louisiana wetlands and watch as all the animals of the bayou experience one of nature’s most dramatic and awe-inspiring events: a hurricane. The animals prepare—swimming for safer seas, finding cover in dens, and nestling their young close to protect them. During the height of the storm, even the trees react, cracking and moaning in the wind. At last, the hurricane yawns and rests, and animals come out to explore their world anew.
Over in the Wetlands Discussion Guide and Activity Sheets
The Notebook Series: Over in the Wetlands (a behind-the-scenes glimpse into writing the book)
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Awards and Accolades
Junior Library Guild selection
Accepted into the Original Art 2015 show by the Society of Illustrators
Huffington Post’s Best Picture Books of 2015
On Earth Magazine’s Best New Green Reads
State Book Lists
Florida Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award nominee (2016-2017)
New York State Reading Association’s Charlotte Award nominee (2018)
Praise for Over in the Wetlands
This lyrical text uses interesting imagery, informal rhyme, and an insistent rhythm to describe the world of the bayou and the wonder of a storm…A reassuring portrayal of a remarkable event in an equally remarkable natural world.
— Kirkus Reviews
Rose focuses on the actions of wetlands animals as they react to the approach, arrival, and departure of a hurricane. Her poetic text avoids the temptation to follow the familiar “Over in the Meadow” formula by varying rhythmic patterns to mirror the storm’s energy…Even collections far from the Gulf Coast will benefit from adding this effective portrayal of how weather affects the natural landscape and the animals that live there.
— School Library Journal
Adapting the old counting rhyme “Over in the Meadow” into a vivid description of a powerful storm, Rose’s first picture book sounds like it might make for scary reading. Instead, it offers an engaging, dramatic look at the natural world, focusing on the way animals of the Louisiana bayou protect themselves from the force of a hurricane. In rhyming text, Rose describes how the animals prepare for the storm’s onslaught and afterwards enjoy the ensuing calm, while Dunlavey’s lush illustrations depict the coziness of the animal families.
— Booklist