Willow author's book will be a hit

Award-winning Willow author Ann Dixon has teamed up with popular artist Mindy Dwyer to create Winter Is.

This new book for young readers, published by Alaska Northwest Books, celebrates the best of winter -- capturing the anticipation of a child waiting for the first snowflake to arrive -- and reminds us why it is something to look forward to rather than dread.

It also is a timely theme, and Dixon couldn't have planned that. It fits with the theme of this year's winter in the Valley -- the long wait and anticipation of our longest season.

Dixon has received critical acclaim for a number of her books, and continues to be one of the top childrens' writers in Alaska. She has written five children's books, as well as "Alone Across the Arctic," which details the journey of Pam Flowers, who went across the Arctic with a team of sled dogs.

Randi Bernier, a seventh-grade studentt at Palmer Junior Middle school, reviewed Winter Is for the Frontiersman.

Review, by RANDI BERNIER/For the Frontiersman

Ann Dixon's book, Winter Is, is colorful. She uses great word descriptions that add a lot to the story.

It should appeal to younger kids, with song-like rhyming.

I feel the book would captivate the audience in an out-loud reading, if the audience was composed of children ages three to six.

Even better than the words in this book were the illustrations. Artist Mindy Dwyer really captures Alaska in her artwork. She puts the saying, "A picture speaks a thousand words" to use. It's interesting to see her works matched with words. The art is excellent to the point that I like to look carefully over the whole piece. In doing so, I noticed each piece has a white bunny, which should be fun for young children to look for while a parent reads the book to them.

This book is great. It will hold the attention of even the bounciest child.