Books to Celebrate Spring from the Ottawa Public Library
/The Ottawa Public Library is back to share their top 10 most notable 2019 books for young kids. This month’s post is by Ann-Marie Miller, Supervising Librarian, Children’s Department, Ruth E. Dickinson Branch of the Ottawa Public Library.
Wake Up! poem by Helen Frost; photographs by Rick Lieder
This rhythmic poem imagines a spring day and the luscious nature photographs take us there. Baby birds, frogs, fawns and more will surely delight and the poetry challenges us to wake up and take note of these wonders. Captions for each photograph are given under thumbnail pictures in the final pages.
Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm by Jonathon London; illustrated by Andrew Joyner
A rollicking day in the spring rain with friends, Duck and Hippo. Duck has an umbrella but is Hippo too big to get under it? Will he be able to ride down the stream in it? Will he be able to hold onto it when the wind comes along? No matter what befalls the duo, they stick together to end the day with a warm cup of tea.
Little Blue Truck’s Springtime by Alice Schertle; illustrated by Jill McElmurry
The little blue truck and his friend toad are on the road once more. On this beautiful spring day who will they see along the way? Open the flaps to find all of the cute little baby animals on the farm. Your little ones will go back to this story again and again.
Early Readers
It’s Spring! by Samantha Berger and Pamela Chanko; illustrated by Melissa Sweet
First Robin arrives to announce that spring is here and then each animal rushes to tell the next. From the new Story Play series, this story is told in rhyming text suitable for the beginning reader. There are questions throughout to prompt discussion and a two-page spread of related activities on the endpapers.
Pig and Goose and the First Day of Spring by Rebecca Bond
On the first day of spring, Pig sets out to have a picnic and meets a new friend, Goose. The story of their day together is told in three little chapters as Pig tries to fly, shares her picnic and invites Goose to join her friends for their spring party. A delightful tale suitable for grade one or two.
Mouse Loves Spring by Lauren Thompson; illustrated by Bucket Erdogan
Mouse and Momma go exploring on one windy spring day and meet up with a butterfly, a snail, a bird and many more forest friends. The simple, repetitive text and delightful illustrations will encourage your beginning reader.
Early Novels
Heartwood Hotel: Better Together by Kallie George; illustrated by Stephanie Graegin.
The Heartwood Hotel is having a festival – the Spring Splash. There is a competition for the cutest egg, a talent show for the insects, a race to find the best blossom and a big finale planned. At the festival finale the owls swoop in and Mona, the mouse, must try to save the staff and guests. An engaging story with sympathetic characters and plenty of action for your grade two or three reader.
Stink: Hamlet and Cheese by Megan McDonald; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
This time, the popular Stink, has no plans for Spring Break so his friend Sophie invites him to join her at Shakespeare Camp. On the first day, Stink finds he is the only boy in camp! Will this one-sided group ever put together the play planned for the last day of camp? With oversized font and humorous illustrations, this is a great story for the grade two or grade three crowd.
Batcat and the Seven Squirrels by Eric Walters; illustrated by Kasia Charko
Would seven motherless baby squirrels and a homeless cat all in one backyard spell trouble? Not this time as the cat, called Batcat, adopts the babies and joins in the quest to raise them. A heartwarming story drawn from the childhood experiences of the author. The large well-spaced font and the black and white illustrations make this book a solid choice for those just stepping up to novels.
Children’s Novels
Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech
Sharon Creech is a master of the heartwarming story and this book is a great introduction to her list. Winslow is a pitiful, motherless, miniature donkey born on Uncle Pete’s farm and brought home to Louie wrapped in a blanket. Winslow’s mother has fallen ill and cannot care for him. Louie has a disastrous track record as a pet owner. Yet Louie is determined to save Winslow and, with his friend Nora’s help, he just might be successful.
Vanished: A Framed! Novel by James Ponti
Florian has a particular knack for noticing small details. He names it TOAST – The Theory Of All Small Things. Florian and his friend, Margaret, use TOAST to solve big mysteries. They are so successful with this that they have been engaged by the FBI as Special Agents. Their assignment is to find out who is pulling pranks at the prestigious private school which the President’s daughter attends. A thoughtful, but still adventuresome, mystery. Check out Framed by the same author with the same characters.
Elephant Secret by Eric Walters
For those who love animals, this story is set in an elephant sanctuary where Samantha and her Dad care for their herd. Many of their number have come from unfortunate circumstances. When the newest baby comes along, it is not exactly what they were expecting. They have a secret to keep and their territory to defend – even when a generous benefactor comes along. What begins as an idyllic nature story becomes a rousing adventure. Suitable for those in grades five or six.
Non-Fiction
Spring after Spring: How Rachel Carson Inspired the Environmental Movement by Stephanie Roth Sisson
When Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring in 1962 she inspired the modern environmental movement. Here we learn how Rachel grew up loving the natural world, eventually becoming the biologist who changed how we think about the impact of pesticides on nature. An interesting introduction to this field for those in grade four and beyond.
