Read and Shine » Spring

From summer, to fall, to winter, to spring, the seasons are relatively predictable and bring with them new and exciting activities in which to participate. Animals and humans alike adapt to weather changes as temperatures grow colder or warmer. The books in this list include information about the seasons from various perspectives, including the changes animals make over the course of a year and why seasons happen at all. Activities are also included to help readers understand seasons first-hand.
Contributed by: Mary Lanni

	Seasons of the Year By: Tracey Steffora This title looks at the annual cycle of seasons and how some plants, animals, and people respond to the changes.
	Secrets of the Seasons: Orbiting the Sun in Our Backyard By: Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld Illustrated by: Priscilla Lamont Over the course of a year, a family learns about the sun’s role in the changing seasons.
	A Tree for All Seasons By: Maryse Guittet Explores the changes to a tree and its foliage as the seasons progress. The text is in the shape of a tree.
	Weather and the Seasons By: DK Introduces weather and the seasons, describing what is a cloud, why rainbows form, and how animals migrate for the winter. This book also includes four weather-related science projects.
	A Year in the City By: Christina Mia Gardeski From snowplows to skyscraper nests and rooftop gardens, life in the city changes from season to season. Discover what animals live in the city. Learn how smog forms in summer. Real-life photographs follow the seasons and capture the beauty of a year in the city.
	A Year in the Forest By: Christina Mia Gardeski From hibernation to baby animals and falling leaves, life in the forest changes from season to season. Discover why snow is good for trees. Learn how wildfires help the forest grow. Real-life photographs follow the seasons and capture the beauty of a year in the forest.

There is so much changing in spring. Follow this thematic reading list to find out about nature in spring, from plants to animals, and all the growth that happens during this blooming season.

	It’s Spring! By: Linda Glaser A child observes the arrival of spring and its effects on plants and animals. Includes suggestions for nature study projects.
	What Happens in Spring? By: Sara Latta Answers the following questions: What is spring? Why do we have seasons? When is it spring? Is spring the same everywhere on Earth? What are the first signs of spring? What do animals do in the spring? Why do animals migrate in the spring? Describes outdoor work and play, and includes how to make your own rainbow.
	Wiggling Worms at Work By: Wendy Pfeffer Explains how earthworms eat, move, and reproduce and how they help plants to grow.
	From Caterpillar to Butterfly By: Deborah Heiligman While watching a caterpillar brought to school in a glass jar slowly change into a beautiful butterfly, the class and the reader learn the basics about the mystery of metamorphosis.
	In the Small, Small Pond By: Denise Fleming Illustrations and rhyming text describe the activities of animals living in and near a small pond as spring progresses to autumn.
	Counting in the Garden By: Kim Parker Invites the reader to count the inhabitants of a garden, from one to ten, such as four bunnies and nine inchworms.
	My Garden By: Kevin Henkes After helping her mother weed, water, and chase the rabbits from their garden, a young girl imagines her dream garden complete with jellybean bushes, chocolate rabbits, and tomatoes the size of beach balls.
	And Then It’s Spring By: Julie Fogliano Simple text reveals the anticipation of a boy who, having planted seeds while everything around is brown, fears that something has gone wrong until, at last, the world turns green.
	Growing Frogs By: Vivian French A mother and child watch as tadpoles develop and grow into frogs.
	Blue Sky Bluebird By: Rick Chrustowski Follows a family of bluebirds from the completion of a nest at the beginning of spring through the migration of the parents and eight fledglings in autumn.
	How Do You Know It’s Spring? By: Ruth Owen Describes some of the signs of spring, including changes in light and temperature, plant growth, buds on trees, baby animals, and other differences, and suggests related activities.
	Spring By: Jill Kalz Introduces spring, discussing the colors, flowers, holidays, and springtime animal babies.
	Dandelion Adventures By: L. Patricia Kite Follows seven dandelion seed parachutes which the wind blows into the air and which land in different circumstances as an example of the way in which a common plant regenerates.
	The Tiny Seed By: Eric Carle Text and illustrations relate the growth of a small seed that survives the winter cold to become a beautiful spring flower.
	Growing Vegetable Soup By: Lois Ehlert Boldly colored illustrations and a simple text celebrate and explain the vegetable garden, from seed to soup.

The longing for spring is universal. It transcends age, culture, geography, and even species. And it’s just around the corner! These fiction picture books will get young readers excited about the arrival of spring. (more…)