|
Books
for Four Seasons to Read All Year Long
By Holly E. Newton
Spring has sprung and this season of new life
is growing, blooming and hatching. Here are picture books about
the seasons, and especially the rebirth of the earth during this
sometimes rainy and stormy time of year. Most of these books are
for ages 4 through 8.
 North
Country Spring, by Revve Lindbergh, is a rhythmical
celebration of all the northern parts of the country. The ice breaking
apart, the geese beginning to head back, the leaves popping out
and the bears waking up are just a few signs of spring coming to
the colder parts of the continent. Liz Sivertson captured the essence
of the changes with her dazzling paintings.
Spring also brings rain. April showers
bring May flowers. Who Likes Rain?, by
Wong Herbert Yee, is an interactive poetry book with simple questions
about all of nature and enjoying the rain. The answers are cleverly
found at the turn of a page. Mr. Yee also painted the sweetest pictures
for this small sized book.
 Another
book that celebrates the water cycle is A Drop of Water,
written and wonderfully illustrated by Gordon Morrison. A young
girl is looking at a drop of water and as you turn the pages, the
origin of the water, from high up in the mountains down to the meadow,
is described. This story will have your little one amazed at all
there is to appreciate from the water that surrounds us. The last
pages of the book are full of information about the animal and plant
life the author has placed in the different regions where the water
is found. This book would be good for all ages.
Another book that is good for all ages is Can It Rain Cats and Dogs?:
Questions & Answers About Weather, by Melvin and Gilda Berger,
and illustrated by Robert Sullivan. Spring also brings about some
very strong winds and sudden drops in temperature. This book explains
the importance of such changes to help understand weather, especially
during the springtime.
 A
favorite wordless illustrator has a new book out — Rainstorm,
by Barbara Lehman. This is another wordless adventure, just like
her other outstanding book, Museum Trip. The lonely child, as he
sits in his huge expensive house waiting for the rain to stop, finds
a key that will lead to an unforgettable adventure.
Spring also brings about gardens and new plant life. Up,
Down, and Around, by Katherine Ayres, is a simple
rhyming story that cleverly describes which plants grow deep in
the soil and which grow mostly above the ground. Nadine Bernard
Westcott, the illustrator, is one of my favorite illustrators because
I love her bright and vibrant colors and her delightful depictions
of people.
In the Garden: Who’s
Been Here?, written and illustrated by Lindsay Barrett
George, has two children investigating their garden as they pick
vegetables from deep within the flowering plants. The intense and
brilliant colors of the little critters they find will practically
jump off the page.
And speaking of bright colors, Butterfly
Butterfly: A Book of Colors, by Petr Horacek, is so
brilliant that even the marbleized butterfly on the cover is completely
backed by a shiny metal sheen. Horacek is another favorite illustrator/author
of mine. He has his signature die cuts found throughout the story
as a young girl explores grass and dirt in search of this beautiful
butterfly. She discovers different types of insects as she examines
the ground and sky. There’s quite a nice surprise waiting
for the reader at the end of the book!
Days of the Ducklings,
by Bruce McMillan, is a photo non-fiction story about how a young
girl helps to save the Eider duck from leaving the island off the
coast of Iceland. The photos are beautiful and the story of keeping
these baby ducks from flying away is quite remarkable.
The last three books are about the 4 seasons. Arctic
Lights, Arctic Nights, by Debbie S. Miller, with picture
perfect illustrations by Jon Van Zyle, will teach you more about
the northern most seasons than just about any book on the market.
It begins with summer solstice and the top part of every opened
spread shows the times of sunrise and sunset as well as the average
temperature. The animals depicted are all animals that survive the
brutal winters. Every page after the first takes you through the
seasons with the top portion showing a shifting sun.
Today and Today,
by Issa, and gloriously painted by G. Brian Karas, is a celebration
of the seasons with beautiful and simple word structure of haiku.
The few words used are packed with the embodiment of each season.
“The spring day - lingers - in the pools.”
And the last book is an emergent reader
book that helps the newer reader learn about the seasons. Busy
Busy Moose, by Nancy Van Laan, and illustrated by
Amy Rusch, is another story about Moose but as he goes through the
year, the reader will also notice the seasonal changes that takes
place.
Click
here to sign up for Meridian's FREE email updates
© 2007
Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
|
