M E R I D I A N     M A G A Z I N E

Books for Four Seasons to Read All Year Long
By Holly E. Newton

Spring has sprung and this season of new life is growing, blooming and hatching. Here are picture books about the seasons, and especially the rebirth of the earth during this sometimes rainy and stormy time of year. Most of these books are for ages 4 through 8.

North Country Spring, by Revve Lindbergh, is a rhythmical celebration of all the northern parts of the country. The ice breaking apart, the geese beginning to head back, the leaves popping out and the bears waking up are just a few signs of spring coming to the colder parts of the continent. Liz Sivertson captured the essence of the changes with her dazzling paintings.

Spring also brings rain. April showers bring May flowers. Who Likes Rain?, by Wong Herbert Yee, is an interactive poetry book with simple questions about all of nature and enjoying the rain. The answers are cleverly found at the turn of a page. Mr. Yee also painted the sweetest pictures for this small sized book.

Another book that celebrates the water cycle is A Drop of Water, written and wonderfully illustrated by Gordon Morrison. A young girl is looking at a drop of water and as you turn the pages, the origin of the water, from high up in the mountains down to the meadow, is described. This story will have your little one amazed at all there is to appreciate from the water that surrounds us. The last pages of the book are full of information about the animal and plant life the author has placed in the different regions where the water is found. This book would be good for all ages.

Another book that is good for all ages is Can It Rain Cats and Dogs?: Questions & Answers About Weather, by Melvin and Gilda Berger, and illustrated by Robert Sullivan. Spring also brings about some very strong winds and sudden drops in temperature. This book explains the importance of such changes to help understand weather, especially during the springtime.

A favorite wordless illustrator has a new book out — Rainstorm, by Barbara Lehman. This is another wordless adventure, just like her other outstanding book, Museum Trip. The lonely child, as he sits in his huge expensive house waiting for the rain to stop, finds a key that will lead to an unforgettable adventure.

Spring also brings about gardens and new plant life. Up, Down, and Around, by Katherine Ayres, is a simple rhyming story that cleverly describes which plants grow deep in the soil and which grow mostly above the ground. Nadine Bernard Westcott, the illustrator, is one of my favorite illustrators because I love her bright and vibrant colors and her delightful depictions of people.

In the Garden: Who’s Been Here?, written and illustrated by Lindsay Barrett George, has two children investigating their garden as they pick vegetables from deep within the flowering plants. The intense and brilliant colors of the little critters they find will practically jump off the page.

And speaking of bright colors, Butterfly Butterfly: A Book of Colors, by Petr Horacek, is so brilliant that even the marbleized butterfly on the cover is completely backed by a shiny metal sheen. Horacek is another favorite illustrator/author of mine. He has his signature die cuts found throughout the story as a young girl explores grass and dirt in search of this beautiful butterfly. She discovers different types of insects as she examines the ground and sky. There’s quite a nice surprise waiting for the reader at the end of the book!

Days of the Ducklings, by Bruce McMillan, is a photo non-fiction story about how a young girl helps to save the Eider duck from leaving the island off the coast of Iceland. The photos are beautiful and the story of keeping these baby ducks from flying away is quite remarkable.

The last three books are about the 4 seasons. Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights, by Debbie S. Miller, with picture perfect illustrations by Jon Van Zyle, will teach you more about the northern most seasons than just about any book on the market. It begins with summer solstice and the top part of every opened spread shows the times of sunrise and sunset as well as the average temperature. The animals depicted are all animals that survive the brutal winters. Every page after the first takes you through the seasons with the top portion showing a shifting sun.

Today and Today, by Issa, and gloriously painted by G. Brian Karas, is a celebration of the seasons with beautiful and simple word structure of haiku. The few words used are packed with the embodiment of each season. “The spring day - lingers - in the pools.”

And the last book is an emergent reader book that helps the newer reader learn about the seasons. Busy Busy Moose, by Nancy Van Laan, and illustrated by Amy Rusch, is another story about Moose but as he goes through the year, the reader will also notice the seasonal changes that takes place.

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