4 of the Best Spring Picture Books
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Spring is a busy time in elementary libraries: In cold places, cabin fever is at an all-time high, and the false start of warm weather is messing with everyone’s peace. Add standardized test preparation, and you can start to feel pressure that has nothing to do with weather systems. How can I try to bring some peace? Well, read out loud of course.
Nature-themed spring picture books help students slow down and take a closer look. They start conversations about growth, change, and the little details that are easy to overlook. Stories about outdoor adventures promise that our period of confinement is about to end, and not a second soon. Below, I’ve photographed several picture books about spring so you can almost smell the freshly turned earth. Read these when the sunlight is finally warming your skin, when the seasons are on the verge of change, or when spring is so far away that you can only find it in books.
Have you ever seen a flower? by Shawn Harris
Shawn Harris is a frequent Caldecott contender for a reason. His dreamy, slightly sketch-like illustrations make even his latest books feel like nostalgic classics. Since we’re celebrating spring, what could be a better theme than delicate, magical flowers? Experience spring through all five senses in this beautiful picture book.
Busy Spring: Nature Wakes Up By Shawn Taylor, Alex Morse and Sini Chiu
I grew up on a tree farm, and this cover brought me powerfully back home. Celebrate spring with turned earth and moist backyard walks. Written with an ecologist, this book combines narrative with non-fiction illustrations to spark curiosity and answer questions.
goodbye winter, hello spring By Kennard Pak
This series consists of four books celebrating the transition between the seasons, and I return to it as a teacher, as a parent, and as a giver of bookish gifts. Kennard Pak matches lush, detailed illustrations with concise text. The repetitive goodbyes and hellos allow the reader to explore the scenes of fading winter and blooming spring, and find something new each time they return.
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Outside By Deborah Underwood and Cindy Darby
Continuing my nature theme, I wanted to include another Caldecott Honor winner. There is really something about spring that makes painters shine in depicting it. Underwood’s poetic reading makes this book a meditation on the magic of the outdoors and the infinite possibilities that await us out there.
Hopefully, you’ve found some spring books to help you celebrate the changing seasons. Looking for more? check these out Spring Books for Preschoolers. Happy reading, and happy spring!