Spring into Reading: Picture Books to Welcome the Season with Your Kids
Updated: Apr 11
Spring is a magical season full of new beginnings, growth, and renewal. It's the perfect time to introduce children to the beauty of nature and the changing of the seasons through books. Reading can help spark their imagination, inspire their creativity, and develop their love of learning. So grab a picnic blanket, head outside, and dive into some of the best springtime reads for kids! Whether you're looking to entertain, educate, or enjoy quality time with your little ones, these books will surely delight and inspire.
I Begin with Spring: The Life and Seasons of Henry David Thoreau
by Julie Dunlap
Formatted like a nature notebook, this exploration of seasonal changes in Thoreau’s day is also a visual story of his life and times and a gentle introduction to climate change.
I Begin with Spring weaves natural history around Thoreau’s life and times in a richly illustrated field notebook format that can be opened anywhere and invites browsing on every page. Beginning each season with quotes from Thoreau’s schoolboy essay about the changing seasons, Early Bloomer follows him through the fields and woods of Concord, the joys and challenges of growing up, his experiment with simple living on Walden Pond, and his participation in the abolition movement, self-reliance, science, and literature.
The book’s two organizing themes―the chronology of Thoreau’s life and the seasonal cycle beginning with spring―interact seamlessly on every spread, suggesting the correspondence of human seasons with nature’s. Thoreau’s annual records of blooms, bird migrations, and other natural events scroll in a timeline across the page bottoms. The backmatter includes a summary of how those dates have changed from his day to ours and what that tells us about the science of phenology and climate change.
Emily Writes: Emily Dickinson and Her Poetic Beginnings
by Jane Yolen
As a young girl, Emily Dickinson loved to scribble curlicues and circles, imagine new rhymes, and connect with the natural world around her. The sounds, sights, and smells of home swirled through her mind, and Emily began to explore writing and rhyming her thoughts and impressions. She thinks about the real and the unreal. Perhaps poems are the in-between.
This thoughtful spotlight on Emily’s early experimentations with poetry offers a unique window into one of the world’s most famous and influential poets.
Usborne Complete First Book of Nature.
Almost all children are fascinated by living things. This book will help them towards a greater understanding and appreciation of the plants and animals around them. The beautifully detailed, informative illustrations will appeal not only to younger children, who will enjoy the experience of sharing the books which an adult but also to older children, who will find that the book provides them with a colorful introduction to serious nature study.
A Beatrix Potter Treasury
This beautiful jacketed hardcover treasury brings ten of Beatrix Potter's most famous tales. The tales trace the life of Beatrix Potter from her first publication in The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902 to her later tales set around her farm, Hill Top. A wonderfully illustrated introduction provides background on Beatrix Potter and the people and places that inspired her writing.
The Little Gardener
by Emily Hughes
A little gardener goes into a deep, long sleep wishing he had help. His beautiful zinnia inspires two children to care for the garden. He discovers his garden has transformed into a beautiful, blooming landscape. Promotes caring for the environment, perseverance, and kindness.
Rain!
By Linda Ashma
A grumpy man and an enthusiastic boy wake up to rain with very different attitudes. They cross paths at a cafe, where an act of kindness from the boy helps brighten the man’s day. Promotes optimism, kindness, perspectives, and a positive attitude.
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt
by Kate Messner
Discover the different worlds above and below the earth. Up above, you will find plants, vegetables, fruits, and leaves. Down below, we see all the animals who make their home in a garden.
The Great Eggscape!
by Jory John (Author), Pete Oswald (Illustrator)
The Great Eggscape is when the Good Egg and his pals escape their carton and drop into the store for a morning of fun, enjoyed by everybody.
Well, almost everybody.
Can I Play Too? (Little Senses)
By Samantha Cotterill
Friendship--and trains!--take center stage in this gentle, inviting story about paying attention to other people's feelings. A perfect book for kids on the Autism Spectrum and/or with ADHD/ADD.
Two boys' fun train-track-building project takes a turn when one of the boys obliviously insists on only doing things his way. Their disagreement spells disaster for the train and the friendship until a kind teacher steps in and explains how to tell when a friend is feeling happy, frustrated, or angry. . . and how to ask for a do-over.
Compromising and paying attention to how other people are feeling can be challenging for any kid, but especially for kids on the autism spectrum. Samatha Cotterill's third book in the Little Senses series provides gentle guidance and adorable illustrations to help kids navigate the twists and turns of friendship and working together.
Clifford's Happy Easter (Classic Storybook)
Clifford loves to help Emily Elizabeth, but his big red paws break eggs instead of painting them. Luckily, Clifford helps Emily another way -- in her dreams! A bucket of Easter egg dye creates the most colorful Clifford adventure yet and prepares Emily for an unforgettable holiday.
From singing holiday songs to playing favorite games, this first introduction celebrates all of Passover's beautiful festivities and traditions. The loving and lovable family of Hanukkah Lights, Hanukkah Nights, comes together once again to celebrate Passover. They sing songs, say prayers, eat special foods, and play a special Passover game. Young readers will delight as the simple text and playful illustrations introduce them to all the traditions of this joyous and important holiday.
Little Bunny's Sleepless Night.
by Carol Roth
Little Bunny, an only child, is so lonely that he cannot sleep, so he asks his friends Squirrel, Skunk, Porcupine, Bear, and Owl if he can stay with them, only to discover that his bed is best!
The Spring Book
by Todd Parr
The Spring Book captures a variety of moments that encompasses this season. From rolling down hills or dancing in the rain to celebrating mothers and honoring heroes everywhere, Todd Parr shows readers with simplicity and universal accessibility the delights of Spring.
