Season’s Readings

SpringReading Suggestions from

Dan Coleman at the Lawrence Public Library

A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox, by Wendy Pfeffer and Linda Bleck

It’s worth delving into the science of what Spring really is with a book or two every year, and this is one of the best for that. Pfeffer describes the planetary causes and effects of Spring, and describes how various cultures celebrate its beginning each year, including recipes and instructions for spring activities. Illustrator Linda Bleck provides colorful kid appeal, as she has in her other collaborations with Pfeffer, odes to the autumnal equinox and both solstices, books worth checking out when the time comes.

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring, by Kenard Pak

Former Dreamworks animator Kenard Pak is one of the hottest illustrators working these days, and among his best work is a recent series of books about changing seasons. In this, his latest, a boy and his dog observe how a wondrous Winter night changes into a sunny Spring day.

When Spring Comes, by Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek

Another panoramic look at the coming of Spring, Henkes’ homage is sweet as a marshmallow Peep, with pastel illustrations provided by his wife, Laura Dronzek, that look good enough to eat.

The Wind Blew, by Pat Hutchins

An oldie but a goodie, Pat Hutchins’ 1974 classic depicts the cumulative chaos of a windy Spring day on the people in a rural English village.

The Honeybee, by Kirsten Hall and Isabelle Arsenault

An iconic symbol of Spring is here described in rhyming couplets, beautifully illustrated by Canadian artist Isabelle Arsenault. The book describes just what exactly bees are up to, from one Spring to another, as well as their importance to the process of pollination, and their declining numbers.

From Seed to Plant, by Gail Gibbons

Gail Gibbons is the grande dame of non-fiction picture books, and here she lays out the facts about how seeds become plants, in her signature simple language, and charming (but clearly labeled) illustrations and diagrams.

Nesting, by Henry Cole

Veteran author-illustrator Henry Cole takes up another Spring standby in this naturalistic exploration one robin family’s efforts to hatch and raise their young.

Gardening Lab for Kids, by Renata Fossen Brown

More than 100 pages of gardening instructions, experiments, and ideas for kids, packed with photographs that make dirt look beautiful.

Backyard Adventure, by Amanda Thomsen

With chapter headings like “Forts and Other Hideaways,” “Sidewalks, Fences, and Driveways,” and “Water, Bubbles, and Goo,” this book is full of ideas for turning off screens and getting kids outside as the weather improves. Just because they can’t play flashlight tag on Roblox doesn’t mean your kids won’t enjoy it in real life.

Crow not Crow, by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple

This story of a father teaching his child the joy of birding was published by Cornell University (and they know birds). The dad’s breakdown of birds into two easy categories—“crow” and “not crow”—provides a comical starting place for beginning birders, although readers learn to identify a number of other species, as well.

Seedfolks, by Paul Fleischman

I use any excuse I can to recommend Seedfolks, a springtime favorite about the transformation of a Cleveland vacant lot into a flourishing urban garden. This short novel is told from the points of view of 13 people, most of them immigrants, whose labor and care create an oasis in their neighborhood. In addition to being a great story about the potential for small acts to effect profound changes, it’s an introduction to bigger ideas about urban gardening, the immigrant experience, and narrative perspective.

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