When snow closes Greg Heffley's middle school, he and his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, face a fight for survival as warring gangs turn the neighborhood into a wintry battlefield.

The December solstice is a turning point. For some it represents a time of darkness, the shortest day of the year. But for others this event--just a few days before Christmas--is about hope, renewal, and rebirth. The author brings together five very different people, ranging in age from the teens to the mi-sixties, each of whom must confront very different challenges or losses.

Describes the delights of such winter activities as throwing snowballs, making a snowman, and going ice skating.

Mr. Horse takes Cat, Dog, Pig, and Duck on a snowy winter sleigh ride.

"During the first snowy day of winter, five little penguins bundle up and venture outside to play"--

Despite their elaborate preparations for the winter, the animals and birds are delighted by a surprise banquet after a big snow.

A small boy impatiently awaits the first snowfall while the small animals of the woods prepare for winter.

Pictures and simple text depict forest animals' tracks in the snow as they rush to their homes during a winter storm.