While many of us are on Spring Break and may be venturing to different parts of the world, it is not hard to sense that spring is upon us. Longer and lighter days, warmer weather, blossoms blooming and bulbs starting to emerge. Spring is always a time to celebrate nature and get outside to dig and garden and explore. Why not start the new season with some new books celebrating spring?
Here are my top ten favorite books celebrating spring:
Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring – Kenard Pak
A boy greets all the beautiful parts of winter from snow to a frozen pond to an empty nest to winter trees, and then watches as winter fades into spring. This is one of a series by author Kenard Pak.
Spring Is Here – Heidi Pross Gray
An adventure of all the things to do in the outside during spring. Colorful pictures of animals and nature and simple repetition: “Spring is here!”
When Spring Comes – Kevin Henkes
What a delightful book, full of the joys of spring! When Spring Comes, the first of four books about the seasons by award winning author Kevin Henkes and his wife, Laura Dronzek, might be my favorite! I love that this book can be used as a mentor text for teaching imagery, repetition, and alliteration. Simple, sweet story about spring!
Spencer Knows Spring – Tiffany Obeng
Young readers join Little Spencer, who is an excellent Spring tour guide! He presents fun spring facts and gives examples of what happens with weather, animals, and nature. Beautiful illustrations.
And Then It’s Spring – Julie Fogliano
A boy and his dog patiently wait for their new spring garden to grow. This book has simple writing but not one word is out of place. SO many great lines: “…the brown that has a greenish hum that you can only hear if you put your ear to the ground”; “Please do not stomp here– there are seeds and they are trying.” (What a great metaphor for a classroom!)
Handsprings – Douglas Florian
April is poetry month, and Douglas Florian is one of my favorite children’s poets – so this is a MUST for my spring collection! Filled with 29 poems about spring filled with every poetic structure and device you could ever want – from simple rhyming, to puns, to sophisticated wordplay. LOVE this series!
Busy Spring – Nature Wakes Up – Sean Taylor & Alex Morss
Join a father as he teaches his two daughters all about the wonders of spring, and just what makes it such a busy time. I really like that this book includes back pages filled with information about plants, animals, migration, life cycles, climate change and protecting the natural world. Wonderful!
Spring Stinks – Ryan T. Higgins
Ruth the bunny is excited to share the smells of spring with Bruce, but Bruce thinks spring stinks! Kids love this series and this one is a fun read-aloud.
Finding Wild – Megan Wagner Lloyd
While not specifically about spring, I love this book which inspires all of us to seek out and find wild, no matter where you live. With spare poetic text, readers journey with a young girl and boy as they look for wild things that can be seen, smelled, and felt in many kinds of places and discover that wild exists not just off in some distant place, but right in their own backyard.
Up In The Garden And Down In The Dirt – Kate Messner
Another great addition to Kate Messner’s “Over and Under” series, this book helps young readers learn all about the plants that grow above a garden and all the creatures that dwell below the soil. Gorgeous illustrations and beautiful text.
Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know – Brittany Luby
A sweet, gentle story follows a child and grandmother through the wonders of each season with a focus on appreciation of nature and togetherness. Written as a lyrical story-poem in Anishinaabemowin and English, this book could be used as a mentor text to inspire students to create their own versions of imagery describing how they know a new season has begun.
Little Witch Hazel – Phoebe Wahl
I only recently discovered this delightful book and wanted to include it on this list. While not specifically about spring, readers travel through all the seasons with Little Witch Hazel as she experiences adventures in the forest helping animals and friends. The illustrations are gorgeous and the book is filled with the old-fashioned charm and magic of fairies, talking animals, witches who heal, adorable little homes made in the base of tree trunks, mushrooms, and old shoes!