Put a Little Spring in Their Step with Great Books That Celebrate the Season

 

 

As I look out my window today, I notice that the world is predominately grey and white. If I close my eyes, however, I can picture it in springtime. There, in my mind's eye, I can turn the world into anything I want. This is what I want: trees decorated with tender new leaves, gardens dressed in riotous colour, birds flitting in and out of view, and a baby animal or two frolicking in the warmth of the sun. To hold onto this springtime world  a little while longer, I have two choices. I can either keep my eyes closed or I can open a book by Kevin Henkes. And when parents, tired like me of the grey-and-white world of not-yet spring, were looking for books to recreate spring's magic for their children (and I suspect themselves), I would take them to the shelf in the store that boasted his beautiful books. 

 

My Garden is narrated by a precocious little girl with a lively imagination. At first, we see her mother's garden, the one our narrator helps weed and water daily. As we turn the pages, however, we take a tour of the garden of her imagination where sunflowers can have plaid centres, weeds never grow, nothing ever dies, vegetables are invisible, and unlikely treasures can just pop up. By combining the real with the imagined, My Garden, invites the reader to admire the beauty of nature and the limitlessness of the imagination. With its watercolour illustrations and honest approach, it is perfect for children between the ages of three and six.

In Little White Rabbit, a baby bunny romps through his first spring day. Just as a child might, he finds himself wondering what it would be like to be the many things he sees. In order to experience the colour green, he imagines himself being it, and turns that colour. When he sees a tree, in order to understand what it would be like to be that tall, he becomes that tall. And when he notices butterflies flitting about, he imagines himself flying. Using the curiosity and innocence of childhood, Henkes presents the two- to five-year old with the magical elements of spring in a way she can understand and celebrate.

Birds, Henkes's exquisite collaboration with Laura Dronzek, captures the colour, beauty, and swift unpredictability of our feathered friends. And in true Henkes style, this whimsical offering surprises us by asking the reader to imagine what a cloud would look like if it were shaped like a bird, or to imagine what a tree full of birds would look like after the tree yelled "surprise". Not only does it describe the beauty and habits of birds, it offers the wonder of them and is also perfect for the two- to five- year old.

So, join me, won't you, and brighten this chilly winter day with a sunny book from Kevin Henkes.

http://www.kevinhenkes.com/

 

 

 

 

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http://www.kevinhenkes.com/