Spring has finally sprung in Boston and we are so excited to see flowers, sunshine, and even (the occasional) spring showers. Aside from celebrating the appearance of tulips and lilacs, this week we're raising a book to the 98th anniversary of Children's Book Week. So in a nod to the arrival of this hopeful season and to readers everywhere, here are a few of my favorite books to read aloud at this time of year.
And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano and Erin Stead perfectly captures the agony and amazement of growing plants in the early springtime. The waiting! The wondering! The worrying!
Fogliano's beautiful text, an ode to green thumbs young and old, comes alive with Stead's neat rendering of the perils of planting. The playful story (beware of bears!) is a year round favorite for this reader but feels especially satisfying now that green is creeping back into the cityscape.
The Night Gardener by Terry and Eric Fan deserves a place on this list primarily for the beautiful shades of green within its pages. But if you come for the color, stay for the mysterious story about a town where the trees are being sculpted into delightful creatures overnight.
The delightful shapes and the mystery behind the person responsible for the topiaries will enthrall readers of all ages.
For little readers who prefer baby animals to flowers, the Gossie & Friends series by Olivier Dunrea provides an almost endless source of reading joy.
The little goslings in Dunrea's bright and colorful illustrations caper about in various treasured boots and hats, play constantly, and inspire laughter!