Spring is here! Rain is falling. Flowers are blooming. Mud and puddles are aplenty.
There are so many wonderful picture books that capture the best of Spring. The youthful energy. The potential of seeds and new buds. The beauty of butterflies and flowers.
Below are some of our absolute favorites.
affiliate links are included below.
In the Spring Books & Activities
Glasswings: A Butterfly’s Story by Elisa Kleven
The colors and dreamy nature of the illustrations burst off the page in this imaginative story about a Glasswings butterfly. Claire, the butterfly, gets swept up into a wind and blown to a big city where her transparent wings will make it hard for her family to find her. Fortunately she finds new friends and flowers to make her feel at home in an urban garden. A sweet story that is richly enhanced by the detailed and rich illustrations of its talented author/illustrator.
Read Also: Butterfly Unit ideas
Every Day Birds by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater
If you are looking for a simple guide to common birds for kids this is completely perfect. With a brief descriptive poem and paper cut illustrations, this book walks you through twenty North American birds. The poetic language moves the book along and makes this nonfiction an excellent read aloud choice. An informative introduction to the world of birds for kids and invitation to head outdoors to see what you can spot.
Sing: Tweety Tweet Tweet from Nancy Kopman
Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr.
Ten Little Caterpillars is informative and engaging. It combines the talents of Bill Martin Jr and Lois Ehlert to create a bright counting book that is perfect for reading aloud. Given the great variety of butterflies in the world, it makes sense that caterpillars be as diverse. This child appropriate non-fiction book offers a wealth of fascinating information about the world of caterpillars staged in a fun counting book format. Lois Ehlert’s illustrations offer their typical depth, brilliance of color, and attention to detail. Together these two celebrated children’s book creators have done it again.
Extension Idea: Ten Little Caterpillars from Teach Preschool
Hatch! by Roxie Munro
A wonderful book about eggs. The pages alternate between an egg and the bird in their habitat. “Can you guess whose eggs these are?” begins each new puzzle. What follows are some clues about the bird that will be revealed on the next page. It is intended for an older audience so it is a book we can grow into, but for now our twins enjoy reading the opening question and then revealing the bird and looking at the habitat. 4+
Also Read: Peep! Chick and Egg Storytime
Nope: A Tale of First Flight by Drew Sheneman
This almost wordless book shares the tale of a baby bird and their first flight. The baby bird has a wild imagination and it makes him nervous about take that first flap. Some motherly love eventually gives him the push he needs. Full of humor and fun.
Author Spotlight: Olivier Dunrea
Olivier Dunrea is the bestselling author of many wonderful books, including the Gossie and friends series of board books. He resides in upstate New York in the Catskills. You can watch a video about how he created his artwork for Little Cub to get an idea of his process: SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE.
Look for his books on the picture book and board book shelves. We have yet to find one we don’t love. His books are perfect for older infants up through preschoolers.
Read more about Olivier Dunrea at www.olivierdunrea.com
Gossie and Gertie
We love the whole Goslings series. There is one for most occasions, but these sweet friends are consistently adorable and fun so you really can’t go wrong. For lack of a more eloquent word – they are just cute.
Find More Spring Activity Ideas on Pinterest!
This post was originally shared as part of our A Read A Day Challenge.
