ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Vooks Storybooks Animated Read Aloud Kids Books | Winter Stories
Imagine gliding over the snow, everything around you is frosty and white. Suddenly, you see a red squirrel dash down a crack in the snow. Where did he go? Your dad explains that under the snow is a secret world where tiny forest animals stay warm and safe. You’re skiing right above them!
As you glide past tall beech trees and strong pine trees reaching for the sky, you notice a great horned owl watching from a high branch. Below the snow, a little shrew is busy running through icy tunnels, hidden from view. “Look,” says Dad, “tracks! They always tell a story.”
Over the snow, you see where a deer has walked, leaving deep hoofprints. Up the hill, under a tree, there’s a patch of melted snow showing where the deer slept. Below the snow, deer mice snuggle together in a cozy nest made of feathers and fur.
You climb over the snow, making sure not to slip. Below, animals are searching for food left from summer. You swoop down the hill, going faster and faster. “Whoa! Whoops!” you exclaim. Below the snow, a snowshoe hare watches from its hiding spot, almost invisible with its white fur.
As you glide past reeds, you remember that tadpoles play there in spring. Below the snow, big bullfrogs are sleeping, dreaming of sunny days when they had tails.
Stopping over the snow, you hear a sound. You stand still like a statue. A fox appears, listening carefully. Suddenly, it leaps into the snow, trying to catch a mouse it heard below.
Over the snow, you glide under the light of a full moon. Below, a chipmunk wakes up for a snack in its cozy home beneath your feet.
You climb one last hill. You smell bonfire smoke and enjoy warm hands, hot cocoa, and hot dogs roasting on sticks. Below the snow, a black bear snores, dreaming of the blueberries and fish it ate in October.
As the fire crackles and sparks fly up to the stars, you enjoy sticky marshmallows and feel sleepy. Shadows dance in the flames. Below the snow, a queen bumblebee sleeps through December, ready to start a new colony in spring.
Finally, you glide home on tired legs. Soft snowflakes fall from the clouds. Under your cozy covers, you snuggle in and dream of the secret kingdom under the snow, with cuddling deer mice, sleeping frogs, hungry bears, and playful squirrels.
Animal Tracks Detective: Next time you go outside, become a detective and look for animal tracks in the snow or mud. Try to identify which animal made the tracks. You can use a simple guidebook or an app with pictures of animal tracks. Draw the tracks you find in a notebook and write a short story about what the animal might have been doing.
Build a Mini Snow World: Use a shoebox or a small container to create your own “under the snow” world. Use cotton balls or white paper to represent snow on top. Underneath, create tunnels and small homes for toy animals or figures. Think about what materials animals might use to stay warm and safe, and use items like twigs, leaves, and small stones to decorate your mini world.
Winter Wildlife Observation: With the help of an adult, spend some time quietly observing a natural area, like a park or your backyard. What animals do you see? Are there any signs of animals, like tracks or nests? Write down or draw what you observe. Think about how these animals might be surviving the winter and what they might be doing under the snow.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, with unnecessary elements removed and the content streamlined for clarity:
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**Over and Under the Snow**
Over the snow, I glide into woods frosted fresh and white. A flash of fur—a red squirrel—disappears down a crack. Where did he go? Under the snow, Dad says, is a whole secret kingdom where the smallest forest animals stay safe and warm. You’re skiing over them now.
I glide past beech trees rattling leftover leaves and strong silent pines that stretch to the sky. On a high branch, a great horned owl keeps watch. Under the snow, a tiny shrew dodges columns of ice, following a cool tunnel along the moss, out of sight. Look, Dad says, tracks! Tracks always tell a story.
Over the snow, a deer has crossed our path. Deep hoofprints punch through the crust. Up the hill, under a tree, an oval of melted snow tells the story of a good night’s sleep. Under the snow, deer mice huddle up against the cold in a nest of feathers and fur.
Over the snow, I climb, digging in my edges so I don’t slide back down. Under the snow, I scratch through slippery tunnels searching for morsels from summer. Over the snow, I swoop down faster and faster.
Whoa! Whoops! Under the snow, a snowshoe hare watches from a shelter of spruce, almost invisible. She smooths her fur, a coat of winter white. Over the snow, I glide past reeds where tadpoles play tag in springtime. Under the snow, fat bullfrogs snooze, dreaming of sun-warmed days back when they had tails.
Over the snow, I stand and stare at little mountains in the marsh. Under the snow, beavers gnaw on aspen bark, settled in for supper. Can they hear my tummy rumbling too?
Over the snow, stop! A sound! We stand like statues carved in ice until a bushy-tailed fox steps from a thicket, tips his ear to the ground, listens, listens, listens, and leaps out onto the snow after an invisible dinner. His paws scratch away to find the mouse he heard scratching underneath.
Over the snow, I glide. A full moon lights my path to supper. Under the snow, a chipmunk wakes for a meal—bedroom, kitchen, hallway—his house under my feet.
Over the snow, I climb one last hill. Bonfire smoke rises, warm hands, hot cocoa, hot dogs sizzling on pointed sticks. Under the snow, a black bear snores, still full of October blueberries and trout.
Over the snow, the fire crackles, and sparks shoot up to the stars. I lick sticky marshmallow from my lips and lean back with heavy eyes. Shadows dance in the flames. Under the snow, a queen bumblebee drowses away December all alone. She’ll rule a new colony in spring.
Over the snow, I glide home on tired legs. Clouds whisper down feathery soft flakes. Under the covers, I snuggle deep and drift into dreams of cuddling deer mice, slumbering frogs, hungry bears, and fizzy squirrels in the secret kingdom under the snow.
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This version maintains the essence of the original content while removing extraneous elements like music cues and applause. Let me know if you need any further modifications!
