12 MOST ANTICIPATED SPRINGTIME BOOKS

We had a blast this winter with some of our favorite winter picture books. We loved wintery nights and snowball ball fights, but as winter ends, we welcome Spring and look forward to chirping birds and cherry blossoms.

Below, we have listed 12 of the best springtime books. Along with some honorable mentions and amazon picks.

OSCAR'S TOWER OF FLOWERS

OSCARS TOWER OF FLOWERS by Laura Tobia is a wordless picture book that’s guaranteed to warm hearts.

When Oscar’s mom leaves for a trip, he stays with his aunt. He misses his mommy very much, but when he notices a withering plant; he decides to plant some seeds to pass the time.

Soon, the apartment was full of seeds that Oscar watered every day. They grew into beautiful flowers, which he gave to each neighbor. Everyone was delighted, and he also made a new friend.

When his mom returned, he couldn’t wait to tell her all about his adventures planting seeds and making new friends.

The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and full of bold, bright colors.

SEEDS

SEEDS by Carme Lemniscates is easily our favorite springtime book for 2020. It starts with the most important sentence in the entire book; SEEDS CARRY THE POWER OF LIFE. It outlines the relevance and importance of seeds and portrays the reoccurring life cycle of seeds and its role in nature. A seed is tiny but can grow in size and quantity.

A smile can also be a powerful seed that can bring joy and happiness.

Seeds can only reap what they carry, so just as there are good seeds, there are also bad seeds.

If you sow good seeds, you’ll reap goodness and kindness.

Whenever I read about seeds, I always think of children. What we instill in them will ensure they grow and develop into someone that’s happy and positive.

This book is delightful, and the illustrations are beautiful and vibrant. Plant a seed this spring and see it blossom. AGE: 2-6

THE STARS JUST UP THE STREET

THE STARS JUST UP THE STREET by Sue Soltis is such a fun book to read.

It features a girl named Mabel and her drive and determination to see the stars.

Mabel loved stargazing, and she loved listening to her grandpa’s childhood stories about meteors and the moon.

She couldn’t see many stars where she lived because there were too many lights, so she thought of other ways to see more.

She asked neighbors to turn off their lights, but very few complied, and she didn’t see as many stars as she’s hoped. Mabel was even more determined when she tried to convince the Major to turn off the street lights, and after some strong convincing, she eventually did.

Soon everyone was outside gazing up at the stars and best of all, the community was together and a tradition started.

THE STARS JUST UP THE STREET is an instant favorite, and it’s perfect for little aspiring astrologist and scientists.

It’s such a wonderful story of inspiration and community. Stars have always fascinated people, and Mabel reminded them of how beautiful they are. Even for just one night.

The illustrations by Christine Davenier are breathtaking and captivating. AGE: 4-8

KAIA AND THE BEES

In Maribeth Boelts KAIA AND THE BEES, Kaia is super brave. She’s not afraid of anything. No spiders or hot pepper. However, she feared Bees.

Her parents are beekeepers and have thousands of bees on their rooftop.

They understood how valuable bees are, but one stung Kaia before, so she did not like them very much.

She bragged about the bees with her friends, but when a bee suddenly appears and freaks her out, they think all her stories about the bees were lies.

Determined to prove them wrong, she agrees to accompany her dad as he checks on the bees. She saw bees of bright orange and yellow, wiggling and crawling around ready to pollinate. Kaia felt brave enough and overcame her fears by hold a thousand bees.

When it was harvest time, they made honey and after learning about how marvelous bees are, Kaia grew to love and cherish them.

Bees play an essential part in pollinating plants for the food we eat every day.

This book portrays the honey-making process and brings awareness to one of natures most valuable insects. AGE: 4-8

MY GREEN DAY

MY GREEN DAY by Melanie Walsh is an everyday book that encourages people to live green.

Green living means making sustainable choices about what we eat, how we travel, what we buy, and how we use and dispose of it.

From free-range eggs and the importance of making compost to line-drying clothes and reusing old clothes to make crafts.

This book is amazing. Going “green” has no age limit. The youngest person can play their part in making our earth cleaner by conserving energy.

This book can be a fun activity book, and children will love the colorful illustrations. AGE 2-8

KHALIL AND MR. HAGERTY AND THE BACKYARD TREASURES

KHALIL AND MR. HAGERTY AND THE BACKYARD TREASURES by Tricia Springstubb is a heartwarming story of companionship and friendship.

Khalil lives in a two-family home with his neighbor Mr. Hagerty.

Though different in age, they both loved similar things such as their backyard garden. They sat and kept each other’s company, helping each other remember things they forget.

They both dug for treasures in the backyard, but found nothing of value until their great minds came up with a plan that benefitted them both and created an even stronger bond.

We LOVE books of friendships between people of different generations. Children inspire and bring out the best in people, and elderly people are blessed with knowledge and wisdom that children can learn.

It encourages respect and thoughtfulness and the value of friendship. The vibrant illustrations by Elahah Taherian are so delightful. AGE 4-6

ONLY A TREE KNOWS HOW TO BE A TREE

ONLY A TREE KNOWS HOW TO BE A TREE by Mary Murphy celebrates everything unique. No one can be anything or do anything that the other can do.

Only A tree can be a tree and only a bird can be a bird because of their unique characteristic.

The earth and the trees provide for us and keep us safe.

There are billions of people on this earth and though we may do similar things, we are differing and special in your own way.

Everything has his own value to the world because only you know how to be you.

This book promotes self-awareness and coupled with bright, cheerful illustrations, this eye-catching celebration to self is perfect for children. AGE 3-6

HIKE

Pete Oswald is no stranger to some of the most magnificent illustrations and his new book HIKE did not disappoint.

It’s a wordless picture book that features a boy and his father as they embark on a hike that further bonds their relationship.

As they leave the city, the anticipation builds with rustic and earthy illustrations. They notice lots of animals and explored nature, while recording everything. The boy even made drawings and collected data.

From melting snow fights, and majestic waterfalls to pristine landscapes, they delve into nature and take the reader with them. As they arrive to their destination, the reader sees the goal of the hike; they plant a tree and take a photograph.

As the suns sets they head back home after creating wonderful memories. The hike is a tradition that the father passed to his son.

Spring is here, and this book is perfect for little hikers and families who want to start a new tradition. The illustrations are captivating, making it one of our favorites for the year so far. AGE 2-6

A WAY WITH WILD THINGS

A WAY WITH WILD THINGS by Larissa Theule has some of the most beautiful illustrations of all our spring books. It features a shy, adorable girl named Poppy. She loves being outside playing with her bug friends and smelling flowers.

Poppy is what some might call an introverted extrovert. She loves being outside, but was very shy around people. She also loved being incognito and would camouflage with her surroundings.

This all changed when Poppy spotted a dragonfly attempting to land on her grandma’s birthday cake. Bursting with excitement, she cheers and it alerts the entire party. It was at that moment she realized the world saw her and there was no need to be shy. Poppy was who longer a wallflower, but a wildflower.

It’s ok to be shy, but sometimes it’s also good to break free from your introverted shell and let the world see you.

The books send a powerful message about opening up, but also self-acceptance.

The vibrant illustrations by Sara Palacios is perfect and captures the essence of the entire book. AGE: 4-8

WHAT'S THAT NOISE?

We head over to the Arctic in Naomi Howarth’s WHAT’S THAT NOISE? Magnus wakes up to a rumbling sound and wonders where it’s coming from. Is it the wind or the sea? He asked all his friends, but no one could figure it out. Even Hare with his long ears didn’t know what it was and Fox, Polar bear, and Owl were clueless.

Finally, Walrus figures out that the noise was coming from Magnus’s tummy. He was just hungry. Children get to learn about these wonderful arctic animals and their habitat.

There are also descriptions of all the animals at the end of the book. The illustrations are vivid with a wintery feel. It is amazing.

THE NEST THAT WREN BUILT

Ever wondered how a bird builds its nest? In THE NEST THAT WREN BUILT by Randi Sonenshine, a bird family prepares a nest for their soon to arrive babies.

Every twig, bark, and moss are gently placed to protect the eggs. The book shows the determination and love they had for their babies. The nest is their home, and they protect it at all costs. Even finding snake skins that ward off predators.

I love this concept because it is like a family awaiting a baby’s arrival and what’s even better, is the glossary at the end of the book with fun facts about wrens.

Children will also love the earthy, springlike illustrations by Anne Hunter. AGE: 4-8

ALBA AND THE OCEAN CLEANUP

ALBA AND THE OCEAN CLEANUP by Lara Hawthorne is bursting with beautiful illustration and a wonderful story, however, it addresses a very powerful message of saving our oceans and ocean life.

Alba is an orange fish who lived in the ocean reef. She loved collecting beautiful things around the ocean floor, but as she grew older; the ocean became dirty with trash and the reef changed. Her friends swam away, and she was all alone.

As Alba searched the ocean for new treasures, she got stuck in a bottle and drifted to the surface. It was there she met a girl named Kaia who rescued her from the bottle.

This inspired Kaia to make changes within her community. They helped clean the ocean and diminished the amount of trash.

This book is absolutely beautiful and brings awareness to the disaster that our pollution cause to our ocean.

We need the ocean because it provides us with water and food.

Children also learn about animals at the end of the book. It’s informative and interactive and perfect for educators and teachers. AGE: 4-8

HAZEL AND TWIG: THE LOST EGG

HAZEL AND TWIG, THE LOST EGG by Brenna Burns Yu is such a beautiful book that portrays the bond of sisterhood and a supportive family.

Hazel and Twig are mouse sisters that loved playing in the meadow. As they played, Twig discovered what they thought was a rock. They soon realized it was a lost, pale blue egg and named it Dandelion.

Worried that its parents are searching, the entire mouse family searched the meadow for the egg’s family. They searched every tree and found eggs of different colors, shapes, and sizes and from many animals but none were pale blue like Dandelion. Hazel then remembered that not all birds live in trees, but some live on the river banks. It turns out that dandelions parents were ducks, and the egg was home. When Dandelion hatched, Hazel and Twig gained a duckling friend and played all day in the meadow.

The bond between the mouse family is immeasurable. They all came together to help someone who needed it, and this is a value that all children should learn. It’s engaging and children can learn Basic Concepts and colors.
The illustrations are magnificent and the mouse sisters are super cute. AGE 4-8

GOODBYE WINTER, HELLO SPRING

Another springtime favorite is GOODBYE WINTER, HELLO SPRING by Kenard Pak. A boy and his dog head out for a walk in the countryside and acknowledge the end of winter. As they walk, they said goodbye to melting snow and disappearing footprints and hello to orange soaked hills and waking animals.

The land warms, and the grass grows. Spring is here and we are saying hello. We love the “hello, goodbye” series by Kenard Pak. His illustrations are always so magnificent, they takes you along on the journey with the boy. AGE: 2-6

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