New Spring Books

A Wynk, a Blynk, and a Nod to Books about Spring

Spring is right around the corner, and with the winter we’ve had, it can’t get here soon enough! We’re looking forward to those first signs of spring and all that comes with it, from planting the first seeds in the garden to listening to songbirds to celebrating April holidays. We’ve added lots of new books on these topics, and as always, have listed many of our old favorites. Enjoy……and think spring!

Animals in Spring by Martha E. H. Rustad

This set of books by Rustad also includes People in Spring, Plants in Spring, and Weather in Spring. Aimed at early readers, the books include full color photographs, a glossary, and internet sites.

Biscuit in the Garden by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, illus. by Pat. Schories

Biscuit, the puppy, explores all the wonderful things in the garden. This book is part of the I Can Read! series. The Biscuit books are exceptionally good at getting children to read, but they also include information on teaching adults how to read them to their children.

Chester’s Colorful Easter Eggs by Theresa Smythe

This simple Easter story provides an introduction to colors, as Chester the rabbit decorates and hides Easter eggs for his friends. The collage illustrations are quite appealing.

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes, as Told to Jenifer by DuBose Heyward, illus. by Marjorie Flack

The 75^th anniversary edition of this book has just been released. Originally published in 1939, this story remains a classic Easter tale. The Country Bunny’s twenty-one children help her to become an Easter Bunny. The author of this tale actually wrote the novel Porgy on which the Porgy and Bess musical is based.

Flowers and Showers: A Spring Counting Book by Rebecca Fjelland Davis

From flowers to caterpillars to umbrellas, there are so many spring things to count in this book. Vibrant photographs illustrate the book. Facts about spring, a glossary, and internet sites are included.

Have You Heard the Nesting Bird? by Rita Gray, illus. by Kenard Pak

This informative picture book is beautifully done. A boy and girl on a walk encounter many birds singing and calling. They also observe a robin in her nest, alert yet silent, and the following day they hear sounds coming from the nest. What they find explains the mama bird’s silence the day before. The soft watercolor and collage illustrations provide a springtime feel.

Here Comes the Easter Cat by Deborah Underwood, illus. by Claudia Rueda

An attention seeking cat decides that he wants to take over the prestigious role of Easter Bunny, but the job of delivering eggs becomes too exhausting. The story unfolds as a conversation between an unseen narrator and Cat. Cat doesn’t speak, but we learn his thoughts through his expressions and body language. The ink and colored pencil illustrations add humor to the story.

I Can Grow Things: Gardening Projects for Kids Shown Step by Step by Sally Walton and Stephanie Donaldson

Eighteen cute and fun gardening projects for children of all ages comprise this beautiful book. Lots of photographs accompany the detailed instructions.

It’s Raining! by Gail Gibbons

Well known for her nonfiction books for children, Gibbons includes lots of facts about rain in her latest work. She explains the water cycle, cloud formations, and a variety of rain events. She even includes tips on staying dry and safe.

Maisy Grows a Garden by Lucy Cousins

This pull-tab book follows Maisy as she digs, plants, waters, weeds, and harvests her vegetable garden. Simple science concepts for the youngest readers are introduced.

Nest by Jorey Hurley

This simple story, with just one word per double-page spread, chronicles a year in the life of a robin. The crisp illustrations enhance the simplicity of the story. An author’s note includes information about the American robin. This is simply a beautiful book!

999 Frogs Wake Up by Ken Kimura, illus. by Yasunari Murakami

This book is actually a sequel to Kimura’s 999 Tadpoles published in 2011. The baby frogs who were once tadpoles awake from hibernation to enjoy an eventful spring. The bright, bold, and simple illustrations add energy to the story.

The Passover Lamb by Linda E. Marshall, illus. by Tatjana Mai-Wyss

The story is based on an event that took place on the author’s farm and provides a good introduction to Passover. Young Miriam discovers that one of the sheep has given birth to three lambs, but can only care for two. As they are getting ready to leave for her grandparents’ seder, Miriam devises a plan to care for the runt. Charming watercolor illustrations add to the sweetness of the story.

A Perfect Day for Digging by Cari Best, illus. by Christine Davenier

As winter comes to an end, the pleasures of gardening await. Nell and Rusty plant a wheelbarrow full of pansies, bringing life back to the dreary winter landscape.

Pete the Cat: Big Easter Adventure by Kimberly Dean, illus. by James Dean

Join Pete the Cat for another adventure. This time he helps the Easter Bunny decorate and hide the eggs. At the end of the story, he receives an award for a job well done. Typical Pete the Cat humor!

Rooting for You by Susan Hood, illus. by Matthew Cordell

This is the story of the journey of a daisy seed from sprout to bloom. The rhyming text and foldout pages make this a fun read.

Seeds, Bees, Butterflies, and More!: Poems for Two Voices by Carole Gerber, illus. by Eugene Yelchin

Gerber has written eighteen poems designed to be read aloud about the plants and animals found in many backyards. Yelchin’s colorful gouache and graphite illustrations pop off the page.

Sorting through Spring by Lizann Flatt, illus. by Ashley Barron

This second book in the Math in Nature series, has readers creating rhythms, finding patterns, sorting objects, and determining probabilities and ratios in this participation book about spring. The collage style artwork adds visual appeal.