The Key into Winter — Content Guide for Parents
Found in this book
None of the 9 themes were found in the reviews we checked.
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- Violence
- Scary content
- Religion
- Race & culture
- Profanity
- Climate
- Sexual content
- Gender roles
- Gender & orientation
Content themes
Factual summary of themes present in this book. No opinion — just the facts.
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Religion
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
Kindergarten-Grade 3-A gentle, touching text that tells a mythic tale of a rural African-American family who is entrusted with the four keys that open the doors enabling one season to progress into another. Little Clara's mother relates a favorite story about her own experience as a child when she stole the key to winter to prevent autumn from ending, thinking that she could keep her beloved grandmother alive by stopping time. No winter, however, meant no Christmas, no sleigh riding, and worst of all, no spring, summer, or harvest, and the dying woman longed to see one more spring. Clara's mother reluctantly searched out the key, and allowed life to go on. The theme is similar to that in Annie and the Old One (Little, 1972) by Miska Miles. The natural movement from season to season and from life to death is shown as inevitable and right. Sensitively written in simple, lyrical prose, the story reads aloud well. In strong, expressive watercolors, the realistic and individualized characters are pictured in a comfortable farm setting. Full-and double-page spreads add drama and variety to the format. The story was first printed in Cricket (Sept., 1989).
Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Description
When the doctor says that this autumn will be the last for Mattie's beloved grandmother, Mattie hides the family's traditional key to winter so that autumn will never end.
From Booklist
Ages 4-8. The march of the seasons is the metaphor for the passage of life in a story that demonstrates the interconnectedness of generations and of all things. In a time gone by, African American Clara begs her mother to "tell me again about the time you hid the key into winter." Her loving mother complies, remembering how, as a child, she threw the key to winter, which hung over the hearth with keys to the other seasons, into the fire so her beloved grandmother might not die with the passing of autumn. Touched with the warm colors of firelight and the icy hues of winter, Soman's paintings capture the little girl's courageous effort to save her beloved relative and her consternation at learning that stopping the arrival of winter would mean there would never be Christmas or spring. An affectionate mixture of fantasy and reality. Stephanie Zvirin
Frequently asked questions
Is The Key into Winter appropriate for a 7-year-old?
Reviews we checked describe none of the 9 themes we track. Review the breakdown above to decide if it fits your family.
Does The Key into Winter have violence?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Key into Winter have scary content?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Key into Winter have religion?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Key into Winter have race & culture?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Key into Winter have profanity?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Key into Winter have climate?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Key into Winter have sexual content?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Key into Winter have gender roles?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does The Key into Winter have gender & orientation?
Not found in the sources we checked.
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