Spring has finally sprung officially, and the trees are in full bloom and grass is getting greener as the sun begins to beat down from on high. It’s time to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and notice the beauty of God’s creation. The following picture books will do just this. So, enjoy a good book amongst nature and enjoy the beautiful warm sunny days. The first three books are board-books and good for ages zero through three. The rest of the books are good for ages three through eight.
Sunrise Dance, by Serena Gingold Allen and beautifully illustrated using gouache and watercolor by Teagan White, is a clever interactive book with pull-tabs and wheels that turn to create a different scene or discover who is hiding behind the tab. The outdoor scenes of warmer weather are a delight as you read about animals, birds and even fish becoming more active in the warming weather.
Seed, and Drip, are both by Maggie Li and are die-cut throughout both books. Seed has a tiny seed cut through the entire book in the middle of an apple as you watch its progression travelling by way of a bird high in the sky and eventually becoming imbedded in the ground. This little book illustrates very simply the life cycle. Drip has a small drip shape die-cut throughout the book and in a similar fashion showing the life cycle of water. (Candlewick
Chirp!, by Mary Murphy, celebrates the return of birds for the warmer months. Just hearing their songs in the morning can uplift and bring a smile to your countenance. This brightly illustrated book does just this. Upon turning each page, it brings about a new bird as it wakes up to sing its song. As you see the sun beginning to rise and the light comes into each open-book page, you can almost hear each different type of bird chirping. Warble, goes the thrush. Tooraloo, whistles the blackbird from the blackberry bush. Chee chee, says the wren. Tink-tink, calls the finch. Goodbye to the dark.
Lou Gets a Clue, by Lori Haskins Houran and vividly illustrated by Edward Miller, is a clever way to learn how to differentiate while exploring the outdoors. Lou likes to search for things, looking for different colors, sizes, shapes, even smells. But what he discovers in the end will surprise the reader. The rhyming text makes this a perfect read out loud. My name is Lou. I look for things. Flat things. Round things. Lost things. Found things. This is the kind of book that expands horizons for young minds and gleaming an awareness of surroundings.
Acorn Was a Little Wild, by Jen Arena and brightly made digitally by Jessica Gibson, is a story that also shows the life cycle of a tree. Acorn desires to take a leap and falls to the ground and rolls. But just as he’s picking up momentum, he is picked up by a squirrel. The adventures of this cute little acorn not only entertains, but also informs as you see the changing seasons take place.
Just to See, by Morgane de Cadier and wonderfully hand drawn with colored pencil by Florian Pige, is a story about a little girl who decides to investigate something unusual she’s not seen before perched high in her treehouse. She knows all that surrounds her tree, so her interest is piqued by this unique sighting. When she ventures out into the woods where she spotted this unusual structure, she is quite surprised, and you will also be surprised. But this is just the beginning of her adventure. What takes place after her discovery, might stir some clever imaginations of your little one to make up their own story. This book is a delight!
Jeremy Worried About the Wind, by Pamela Butchart and wonderfully illustrated with hand drawn pictures and colored digitally by Kate Hindley, helps youngsters deal with incoming storms with strong winds that precede them. Jeremy is frightened of many things. But what he is most afraid of is the howling wind. When an usually strong wind blows so hard, it lifts him out of his shoes and into the sky, he ends up on an exciting and unique adventure. The storyline is delightful, and chances are it will be read over and over. But perhaps the best part of the story is showing courage can help qualm those feisty little fears that can hold us back from enjoying life.
Find Out About: Animal Babies, by Martin Jenkins and brightly illustrated using mixed media by Jane McGuinness, explores the many possibilities of babies being raised in many different ways, depending on the animal. Even though this book was written by a biologist, it is written with simplistic text making it kid-friendly and very informative. For instance, the size of a baby whale can be as heavy three tons. But a baby kangaroo is smaller than an inch long before climbing into its mother’s pouch.
My Day in the Park, by Marta Orzel, celebrates going to the park to explore, eat, enjoy, relax, and learn. The first open page showcases a map of a park with the many possibilities that await. On this map, there is a playground, a pond, a small wooded area, a garden and much more. Each page takes you to a different part of the park and has colorful illustrations filling one side of the page along with labels describing to the young reader what is being seen. This interesting type of book helps youngsters learn a variety of new words and lengthen their vocabulary. For instance, in the pond area of the park you see many different animals living there such as: water striders, tadpoles and fish.
