Submitted by Ms. Melissa!
In the picture book Making a Friend a girl makes a friend out of snow and watches him fade away. She soon discovers that he exists in the rain, ocean, streams, fog, frost, and leaves. “What you love will always be with you” even when it vanishes and can no longer be seen. In her book author Alison McGhee speaks of the seasons and the changing of time. It can be interpreted in many ways: to explain the water cycle, seasons, or the passing of a loved one. Soft illustrations by Marc Rosenthal compliment the rhyming verse. See this book listed in our catalog
Seasons
Bear Has a Story to Tell
Submitted by Ms. Tess!
Bear Has a Story to Tell is the latest from the magnificent duo of Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead, creators of the award winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee. It’s a wonderful book to share with your little one this autumn, as the weather grows colder, and the leaves begin to fall. Bear is about to go down for his long winter nap, but first he has a story to tell. Unfortunately, most of his friends are busy preparing for the fast-approaching winter. Frog needs to find a warm place to hibernate. Duck needs to fly south. Mouse needs to gather seeds. Bear helps all his friends, but doesn’t get to tell his story. When warm weather returns, Bear is excited to finally tell his story! He welcomes all of his friends, one by one, to the balmy spring of their shared forest. Once they are all settled and ready to hear Bear’s story… he’s forgotten it! “It was such a good story,” he laments. Can Bear’s friends help him remember or come up with a new one? (You bet they can.) Bear Has a Story to Tell is a lovely, and gently illustrated, story about changing seasons, and helping friends. See this book listed in our catalog
And Then It’s Spring
Submitted by Ms. Catherine!
Erin E. Stead’s beautiful illustrations and Julie Fogliano’s simple text are a perfect combination in And Then It’s Spring. A young boy painstakingly plants seeds for a garden while the ground is still brown. He waits and worries that birds will eat the seeds, or that bears will come and stomp the ground, as they can’t read the sign that asks people to not stomp as seeds are trying to grow. But soon the ground becomes a hopeful brown. And soon after that, the ground starts to hum with a green sound. Perhaps spring is just around the corner. Stead’s georgeous illustrations are a story in themselves. Adults and children will love examining the pictures to see what the different animals are doing and what plants the young boy has planted. The straightforward text is simple enough that beginning readers may want to read this to their grown ups. And everyone will delight when spring finally arrives! See this book listed in our catalog
Everything I Need to Know Before I’m Five
Submitted by Ms. Allana!
Everything I Need to Know Before I’m Five by Valorie Fisher. This is a truck full of knowledge presented in a fun and captivating way. From numbers to shapes, opposites, colors, seasons, and more, you could spend hours with a young one exploring the pages of this delightful book. The amazing photography shows an array of animals, objects, people, and actions, which will help young children of a preschool age learn and discover a world of every day things. Little and big, open and shut, and empty and full are some of the words explored in this eye-catching work. You can also look at pictures of different types of weather. This could be a complete treasury of what you need to know by the time you’re five! See this book listed in our catalog
Little White Rabbit
Submitted by Ms. Carol!
Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes is a story about a little white rabbit who goes on an adventure on a beautiful spring day. Rabbit hops through green grass and wonders what it would be like to be green. He pictures himself green like the frogs, turtles, and grasshoppers. He hops along and wonders what it would be like to be tall like a tree. He imagines himself standing as tall as a fir tree. He even wonders what it would be like to be a rock and imagines himself being very still and not being able to move. Rabbit has quite an imagination. Rabbit wonders many things but he doesn’t have to wonder who loves him as he arrives home to his mama. This is a cute story with beautiful spring illustrations. See this book listed in our catalog
Those Darn Squirrels!
Submitted by Ms. Brenda!
Those Darn Squirrels! by Adam Rubin tells the story of Mr. Fookwire and his bird-loving, squirrel-disliking dilemma. Mr. Fookwire was a grumpy old man. He didn’t like much of anything, but he loved birds. He loved to paint pictures of them as they flew around in his back yard. When he realized that winter was fast approaching, he decided to feed the birds so that they would stay for winter. Mr. Fookwire built beautiful bird feeders, and filled them with yummy seeds and berries. Birds came from all over to feast in his back yard. But the birds weren’t the only creatures interested in those yummy seeds and berries. The squirrels wanted to get in on that action. Did you know that squirrels are very intelligent animals? The illustrator, Daniel Salmieri, shows us, in great detail, how creative squirrels can be. They are crafty little guys. They can map out plans of attack, and devise catapults to send them over buildings. They have Mr. Fookwire shaking his fist and yelling “Those Darn Squirrels!” each time they empty his birdfeeders. When the birds fly south for the winter, Mr. Fookwire is sad and lonely. The squirrels feel sorry for him. They hold a meeting and decide to give the old man a present to make up for all the seeds and berries they have eaten. They also decide to try to cheer him up. You won’t believe what these silly squirrels decided to do, but I think it will make you smile along with Mr. Fookwire! See this book listed in our catalog