A grandmother explains to her granddaughter how the arrival of winter brings changes in nature and the earth's creatures, and how the return of spring and summer will bring more changes.
Jean Craighead was born in Washington. Her parents and extended family were naturalists, and she spent weekends during her childhood camping out in the woods, studying nature, foraging, and fishing. Her first pet was a turkey vulture.
In 1940, George graduated from Pennsylvania State University with degrees in both English and Science. She became a reporter for The Washington Post and was a member of the White House Press Corps. In 1944 she married John Lothur George, and began writing novels with him which she illustrated. She divorced in 1963. In 1960 she received a Newbery Honor for *My Side of the Mountain*. In 1969, she went to work for *Readers Digest* as a writer and editor. She has written over 100 books.
