Growing up in San Antonio, I never quite understood the appeal of spring. When the weather is pretty much the same all year long, “seasons” become more about events and holidays than the temperature outside. February is rodeo season, March is bluebonnet season, April is Fiesta season, and then it’s summer.
After two winters in Iowa, however, I’m starting to appreciate spring so much more. The trees have been bare for nearly five months now. The cold, grey skies really do start to play tricks on your emotions. Spring represents hope, renewal, and new life.
We’ve recently begun planning our spring garden and looking for signs of spring outdoors. Our mourning dove pair has returned to the area, and tulip stems are starting to peek up out of the ground.
We’re also bringing out our favorite spring books for read aloud time.
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Spring Books: Fiction
One of the most well-known spring books is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Children of all ages love the sweet story of a caterpillar who eats and eats and eats…and finally transforms into a beautiful butterfly. If you’ve read the book hundreds of times, try this fun video featuring the author himself:
Spring Joy by Liesbet Slegers
Spring Thaw by Steven Schnur
Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit by Il Sung Na
Hooray for Spring by Kazuo Iwamura
When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes
Mouse’s First Spring by Lauren Thompson
And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano
Mud by Mary Lyn Ray
Maple and Willow Together by Lori Nichols
Don’t miss our favorite rainbow-themed books! {Click here.}
Spring Books: Non-Fiction and Field Guides
A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Aston is one of our favorite nature books. It can be read at any time of year, but it usually fits in well with our garden-planting time.
Seasons: Spring
Spring Across America by Seymour Simon
How a Seed Grows by Helene Jordan
Big Yellow Sunflower by Frances Barry
Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman
Tell Me, Tree by Gail Gibbons
Trees, Leaves and Bark by Diane L. Burns
The Usborne Outdoor Book