Spring has arrived on my blog. Each week the girls most read books have had a little sprinkle of Spring reads and todays post is gathering them all together and sharing recommendations that we have all enjoyed.
It is beautiful to witness change in our garden and the girls are really enjoying spotting all the bright colours appearing. This blog post is a real celebration of spring and nature.
Now, lets begin with two board books.
Springtime by Jane Foster.
Those of you who follow me on online will know that this board book has been well read in our home. Baby absolutely adores this book. Jane Foster’s books have always caught our eye during library visits and it was there that my girls were first introduced to Jane Foster’s stylish and retro feeling illustrations.
Springtime does not disappoint and is filled with gorgeous illustrations on an array of colourful pages. The uncomplicated but fun illustrations combined with a thick, board book format makes it a super read for Baby’s one year old ickle hands. A great introductory Spring book for young readers.
Tales From Nature- Rabbit by Magali Attiogbé
This undeniably cute looking read oozes scrumptiousness and has been enjoyed by both my little ladies. The gentle pastel colours and peep hole detail were an instant hit and the following of rabbit makes for a simple but engaging story.
Each double page presents more of an insight into nature and the cleverly cut pages add more depth to each natural scene. The peep holes certainly add a fun element for little hands to explore and give a little peek at what could be coming next. The book is a super introduction to nature and makes an ideal book to explore when looking at seasons.
Elsie by Nadine Robert and illustrated by Maja Kastelic
A book that has all the spring feels and doesn’t that cover alone just make you smile?
Young Elsie often gets lots of advice from her six siblings. Being part of a large family can be tricky at times and Elsie often seems to be the one who has different ideas from her siblings.
One sunny Sunday they all go fishing and it’s through this trip that they all learn things about one another. While Elsie’s siblings are insistent on the type of bait that should be used, Elsie has her own ideas. In fact many of her ideas are unique to her siblings. Elsie surprises her siblings when she chooses to put a buttercup on her hook. Surely that won’t work?! Guess who successfully catches a fish?
With its cheery, vintage feel illustrations this book is a treat but also highlights that’s its ok to be innovative with your ideas and though those around you may not agree, one can just politely disagree, as does Elsie.
In Blossom by Yooju Cheon.
In Blossom is a beautifully illustrated read capturing an unlikely friendship. The book immerses readers into blossom prettiness. The consistent use of limited colours gives focus to the blossom as though the readers are outside admiring it also. The simple storyline makes the book accessible for younger readers like my 3’year old. Also, readers who may find brighter colours and text heavy books overwhelming will enjoy this calming read.
You can see more of this book in a review I previously completed here on my blog, In Blossom.
Catch That Egg! By Lucy Rowland and illustrated by Anna Chernyshova.
It is clear to see that the illustrations by Anna Chernyshova are just adorable and have a little vintage feel to them. Each page is brimming with colour and all on a fine Spring day. Hurrah! The story is based on a rabbit named Floppit. Floppit’s large feet seem to cause a lot of chaos in this story and as a result everyone on the farm is too busy to play. Poor Floppit! Drama emerges as Chicken’s egg rolls away and it is down to Floppit to save it. Will he be able to Catch That Egg?
This is such an upbeat rhyming read exploring feelings with happy Spring illustrations.
Bee and Me by Alison Jay.
Bee and Me is a brilliant wordless picture book. My whole household absolutely adores this book. This read requires time as it is bound to encourage lots of conversation and questions with your little ones. I have previously reviewed this book which you can find here. Alison Jay’s work is an absolute delight, I’m sure you’ll love it too.
The Magic Garden by Leminscates.
This read is beautifully completed by Carme Lemniscates who not only shares a story about Chloe and her magical garden but also includes a non-fiction guide at the end of the book answering questions like Why do Fireflies Glow?
It is claimed that Chloe lives in a magic garden and that she doesn’t know it. The branches on the trees sway gently, attempting to show off but she takes no notice and doesn’t even see the tree. However, everything changes when the wind begins to whisper to her and from there Chloe’s eyes are opened to her beautiful surroundings.
Different times of day are explored and a variety of animals and insects are looked at including spiders, bees and snakes. It is a gentle reminder to young ones to observe their surroundings but it is also a great foundation for further exploration about nature, seasons , habitats and animals. The artwork through out the book is brilliant and is sure to inspire pictures using darker greens and printing. A great read reminding children that there is beauty all around is we just need to look carefully.
The Story Orchestra – Four Season in One day by Kate Cotton and illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle.
This is a superb book that celebrates all the seasons. Follow one girl, her dog and her apple tree as they explore the different seasons. Not only that, each page also plays a clip of Antonio Vivaldi’s music, The Four Seasons. Stunning. Jessica Courtney-Tickle is an amazing illustrator. Her work is just so detailed and pretty and the entire book seamlessly blends together with the accompanying music.
The book begins with an introduction to the little girl Isabelle who young readers will see in her bedroom but come the next page her adventure begins and she is in the season of Spring.
The text is detailed so this may seem a longer read for some three year olds. The writing encompasses observations, smells, sounds and touch and is a reminder of all the things that one can spot during the varying seasons. The use of Vivaldi’s music is a brilliant way of introducing classical music to young ones and would be a great book to use in a school setting. Both my girlies think this book is super and at the end of the book there is a glossary of musical terms which encouraged lots of discussion about music with my eldest.
It Stars With a Seed by Laura Knowles and Jennie Webber.
My girls and I first came across this book in the library some time ago. You may recognise author and illustrator Laura Knowles and Jennie Webber as not so long ago I completed a review on one of their latest books The Coral Kingdom.
It Starts With a Seed is a stunning book. It shows young readers quite simply and elegantly how something as small as a seed can grow in to a beautiful, tall tree. It takes young readers on a journey through the seasons and shares which animals make trees their home. The illustrations are set against a clean white background and the natural palette of colours are so striking. Everything about this book is beautifully presented.
The flowing rhyming stanzas are great to share aloud and at the end of the book all the text is shared as one piece of text. The vocabulary used is varied and refreshing and although the occasional word used is more suited to older children, it a great way of introducing new words to young ones.
I hope I have inspired you and your little ones to read a book or two from this collection. If you have a young bug enthusiast, you may also enjoy this blog post all about bugs.
Disclaimer: Majority of the books included in this post were sent from publishers. All words and opinions are entirely my own. This post contains affiliate links.