While it's been officially spring for a bit now, it's only been these past two weeks that we've seen any evidence of it at all around here. But now, the spring book basket is active and full and pulled from each day for some springtime reading. (And my apologies to those of you in the other hemisphere! My "autumn" book list isn't done yet!)
Our Springtime Favorites
Spring - Gerda Muller
Always a favorite, especially in the younger years. Gerda Muller's four season board books are such a treasure - with no words, but simple illustrations full of all the wonder of the season for children.
Fruhling - Eva-Maria Ott-Heidmann
Quite similar to the Gerda Muller series in concept, this seasonal board book is full of watercolors slightly more dreamy. Paired together, I think they're a wonderful spring visual for the young ones. (Adelaide at 2.5 adores these books).
Spring Is Here - Lois Lenski
Another one perfect for the littlest ones. Sweet and simple tale of springtime treats - gardening, animals, flying kites - all in simple rhymes. And paired with Lenski's adorable illustrations. This is one I remember loving from my own childhood.
Under the Sun - Ellen Kandoian
This book is so wonderful for the way it explains the the path of the earth through the day - traveling with the 'sun' around the world in a day. I love it when science and nature can be explained in a fun story for children without getting too complicated or over their heads - and this does that. (I think this is out of print now - perhaps it's at your library?)
The Sun Egg - Elsa Beskow
I can't put a list together without including one Elsa Beskow. But this one is a favorite, and it's a perfect tale of spring. A young elf living in the northern forest discovers a mysterious 'sun egg' that has fallen from the sky, and the story is the tale of her travels to where it came from. This book has forever changed the way my family eats oranges.
A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox - Wendy Pfeffer
I really enjoy this series of seasonal books for the wide perspective of celebrations and traditions they provide. In addition to the science, historical and cultural tales of Spring, there are also recipes and activities in the back section of the book for doing your own celebrating of the season.
When Spring Comes - Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
I love this 'country' tale full of springtime adventures - sugaring, running barefoot, picking berries - all told from the dream of end-of-winter. A wonderful seasonal transition book - for when we're dreaming about the spring/summer which isn't quite here yet.
Spring's Sprung - Lynn Plourde
The spring colors incorporated into the illustrations here are stunning, and for that alone, this book is a gem. But I also love how these tales (she has one for each season) bring the season to life though a character, and this one brings to light a bit of sibling conflict - always a topic I'm happy to explore through story.
Inch by Inch: The Garden Song - David Mallet
Illustrations to go along with the sweet folk song, Inch by Inch - a favorite in our house.
Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots: Gardening Together With Children - Sharon Lovejoy
Such a favorite here. This book is full of gardening activities and wisdom for families - those with lots of gardening experience and those with less (that would be me). Her approach that encourages children to play and explore really appeals to me.
Paddle-to-the-Sea - Holling Clancy Holling
Not a spring book, per se, but there seems to be a springtime tradition forming of us reading this book. And it does fit in with the season, with it's telling of boats, and water melting and new streams forming. We like to follow along on the map as Paddle-to-the-Sea takes his journey from the Canadian wilderness to the Atlantic Ocean.
Nature Field Guides -
This is also a time of year when our bags, baskets and pockets are full of nature field guides for identifying plants, trees, animal tracks and flowers. I pick up a lot of the small, vintage "Golden Nature Guides" while out thrifting. They're super handy, and beautifully illustrated. We also like a lot of the DK field guides, as well as the Fandex Family Field Guides.
As I was thumbing through the basket, I realized just how many were bird related! So, I'm saving those for a seperate 'Bird Book List' - look for that sometime in the coming week or so.
As always, we'd love to hear your favorite family Springtime reads in the comments!
Happy Spring Reading!
