When Spring Comes: An Easter And Springtime Book For Kids
What’s inside...
Watch the world transform when spring comes! In a starred review, School Library Journal called this delightful picture book 'A must-have, joyful seasonal title for the youngest listeners.' In this beautiful book for young children, Caldecott Medalist and Newbery Honor author Kevin Henkes uses striking imagery, repetition, and alliteration to introduce basic concepts of language and the changing seasons. Acclaimed artist Laura Dronzek's lush paintings depict the transformation from cold winter to vibrant spring. Before spring, the landscape is barren with dark sticks for trees, brown grass, and snow-covered ground. As the season changes, leaves unfurl, flowers blossom, grass turns green, and snow recedes. Spring also brings baby birds, sprouting seeds, rain, mud, and puddles, offering a sensory experience of the season that can be felt, smelled, and heard. The Horn Book praised the book as a 'joyful reflection as welcome as spotting the first brave crocus.' The four books 'In the Middle of Fall, Winter Is Here, When Spring Comes, and Summer Song' complete a beautiful quartet of seasonal-themed picture books, perfect for introducing the seasons and ideal for story time and bedtime reading.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
2-4
Length
40 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What changes do you notice in nature when spring arrives?
How do the characters in the book feel about the coming of spring?
Can you think of your favorite springtime activity after reading the book?
What does springtime symbolize for the characters, and what does it mean to you?
How does the book's description of spring compare to what you see outside?
Tip: Role play these questions
Use expressive reading to convey the excitement of spring’s arrival, as depicted in the book.
Encourage your child to draw or describe their favorite spring scene inspired by the book.
Discuss personal family traditions or activities during spring to connect the story to your child’s experiences.
Point out the illustrations of springtime changes in the book, and compare them with what you see in your environment.
Ask your child to predict what might happen next in the story or in the next spring season based on the cues from the book.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Change and Renewal
Explanation: The book 'When Spring Comes' illustrates the transformation from winter to spring, showing how landscapes and life change with the seasons.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to embrace changes in their own lives, understanding that each season brings new opportunities for growth and discovery.
Example Lesson: Patience
Explanation: As the book explores the gradual shift from bleak winter to vibrant spring, it teaches the importance of waiting patiently for changes to occur.
Real-World Application: This helps children grasp the concept of patience, encouraging them to wait for natural progressions, whether waiting for plants to grow or for weather changes.
Example Lesson: Observation Skills
Explanation: Through detailed illustrations and descriptions, children are encouraged to notice the small changes that herald the coming of spring.
Real-World Application: Kids can apply these observation skills in real life by exploring nature, noticing seasonal changes, and learning to appreciate the smaller details of their environment.
Example Lesson: Joy in Simple Things
Explanation: The narrative brings a sense of wonder and happiness found in simple elements of spring like melting snow, blooming flowers, and the return of animals.
Real-World Application: This lesson helps children find happiness in their daily lives by appreciating simple pleasures and the natural world around them.
Example Lesson: Cycle of Life
Explanation: The book touches on themes such as birth and renewal, depicting life cycles through plant and animal examples.
Real-World Application: Children can understand the concept of life cycles, helping them appreciate the natural order and their part in the environment.