One Winter Up North is a tale told without a word. The book follows a family of three over the course of a couple days and nights in the Boundary Waters. "Because there are no words [readers] come up with their own story," says illustrator John Owens.
The book moves the family through evocative scenes presented in water color and color pencil. Eagle eye readers will note animals, animal prints, and other gems naturally hidden throughout the book.
This is Owens's follow-up to One Summer Up North, a book illustrated with the aid of digital color. And, yes, other seasons are on the horizon. "As I go forward I'm planning on doing spring and fall also and each of those books will be in a different medium and technique."
The book is available online through the University of Minnesota Press website, but Owens is a proponent of local booksellers. "If you have a local independent bookstore, I would really encourage you to try to get books from them."
Minnesota Reads is produced at The North 103.3 with funding provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
