Bibliography
Theme 9: Spring Is Here
The books listed below may be available through publishers, distributors such as bookstores or online retailers, or library systems.
Recommended Books for Browsing
Rabbits and Raindrops
by Jim Arnosky
Putnam 1997 (32p)
A mother rabbit and her bunnies wait out a rainstorm from beneath a dry hedge.
Science
When Spring Comes
by Robert Maas
Owlet 1996 (32p) paper
Captioned photos show the activities and changes spring brings.
Social Studies
Wash Day
by Charnan Simon
Millbrook 1999 (32p) also paper
While their dad naps, two brothers wash floors and rugs and clothes and walls.
Foal
by Mary Ling
DK 1992 (32p)
A foal describes how he grows over a period of weeks and months.
Science
Red Rubber Boot Day
by Mary Lyn Ray
Harcourt 2000 (32p)
A child puts on a pair of red rubber boots to splash in the rain.
Here Comes Spring … and Summer and Winter and Fall
by Mary Murphy
DK Ink 1999 (32p)
A little dog tells what it enjoys doing throughout the seasons.
The Happy Day
by Ruth Krauss
Harper 1949 (32p) also paper
Woodland animals wake from their winter's sleep to discover the first sign of spring. Available in Spanish as Un día feliz.
Classic
Spring
by Gail Saunders-Smith
Pebble 1998 (24p)
Photos and brief text present the changes spring brings to weather, plants, animals, and people.
Science
Spring
by Karen Bryant-Mole
Heinemann 1997 (24p)
Clear text and color photos of everyday things found in spring. Available in Spanish as Primavera.
Social Studies
Lily and Trooper's Spring
by Jung-Hee Spetter
Pebble 1998 (24p)
Lily and her dog Trooper spend an adventure-filled day outdoors in spring.
Recommended Books for Teacher Read Aloud
* Possum and the Peeper
by Anne Hunter
Houghton 1998 (32p)
Roused from his winter nap, Possum sets out to discover what's making the peeping noise that woke him.
Spring Thaw
by Steven Schnur
Viking 2000 (32p)
Poetic prose celebrates the signs of spring on a farm, from buds on maple trees to newborn lambs.
Make Way for Ducklings
by Robert McCloskey
Viking 1941 (68p) also paper
Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings find a safe home in the Boston Public Garden. Available in Spanish as Abran paso a los patitos.
Classic
The Mother's Day Mice
by Eve Bunting
Houghton 1986 (32p) also paper
Three mouse brothers search to find their mother the perfect Mother's Day gift.
Frog Legs
by George Shannon
Greenwillow 2000 (32p)
Active frogs jump, hop, jitterbug, and splash through twenty-four springtime poems.
A Nest Full of Eggs
by Priscilla Belz Jenkins
Harper 1995 (32p) also paper
In the spring, robins build nests, lay eggs, and take care of their newly hatched offspring.
Science
Hopper Hunts for Spring
by Marcus Pfister
North-South 1992 (32p)
Hopper the bunny thinks spring is a new playmate. Available in Spanish as Saltarin y la primavera..
* Curious George Flies a Kite
by H. A. Rey
Houghton 1958 (80p) also paper
Curious George has springtime adventures making friends with bunnies, fishing, and flying a kite.
Emma's Lamb
by Kim Lewis
Candlewick 1998 (32p)
Emma discovers a young lamb needs its mother.
Henry and Mudge in Puddle Trouble
by Cynthia Rylant
Simon 1996 (48p) also paper
Henry and his big dog Mudge share springtime frolics. Available in Spanish as Henry y Mudge con barro hasta el rabo.
Recommended Books for Shared Reading
Dilly-Dally and the Nine Secrets
by Elizabeth MacDonald
Dutton 2000 (32p)
In the spring, Dilly-Dally the duck's neighbors wonder why she hasn't returned to the pond.
Math
Over in the Meadow
by John Langstaff
Harcourt 1957 (32p) also paper
A Caldecott Honor book, this traditional rhyme counts animals and their babies.
Music
The Wind Blew
by Pat Hutchins
Puffin 1993 (32p) paper
A capricious wind keeps people scurrying after their belongings.
Cold Little Duck, Duck, Duck
by Lisa W. Peters
Greenwillow 2000 (32p)
A duck shivers, slips, and slides her way into spring in this rhyming, repetitive story.
Can I Help?
by Marilyn Janovitz
North-South 1996 (32p) also paper
A wolf cub helps his father garden, with mixed results.
When Will It Be Spring?
by Catherine Walters
Dutton 1998 (32p)
A bear cub wants to know when spring will arrive before he naps.
Recommended Books for Phonics Read Aloud
Mrs. Hen's Big Surprise
by Christel Desmoinaux
McElderry 2000 (32p)
Mrs. Hen is sure the large, unusual egg she finds in her garden will hatch into a baby chick.
Wet World
by Norma Simon
Candlewick 1995 (32p) also paper
A girl splashes through a rainy day.
Yolanda's Yellow School
by Kelly Adam Asbury
Holt 1997 (32p)
Yolanda, a girl who attends a yellow elementary school, tells all about her day.