Anyone who has experienced a long, cold winter is familiar with the hopeful titular plea, “Is it spring?” “Yes” is the answer provided by the flowers, budding branches, and birds in the blue, blue sky. “Yes, it is spring.”
Picture Book
Poems for Every Season: A Year of Haiku, Sonnets, and More
A handsome volume translated from the Dutch offers poems in many forms for every season as well as ample inspiration for classroom use. A petal-filled haiku on a two-page spread bursting with lush greenery awakens readers to spring; on the following page, a knobby-kneed lamb and a rondel about new life signal March’s arrival.
Our Lake
A visit to a special place is both a challenge and a comfort for two grieving brothers. The younger of the two, the narrator, follows his older sibling as they hike up a rocky path that ends on a bluff overlooking a serene, blue lake.
Every Monday Mabel
“Monday is the best day of the week (according to Mabel, at least.)” Her Monday morning routine includes dragging a chair out of her bedroom, through the house, and out the front door. Each of her family members has their own perspective on Mabel’s Monday activity.
Ablaze: The Story of America’s First Female Smokejumper
Deanne Shulman’s childhood love of nature became a passion for fighting wildfires with the U.S. Forest Service when she was an adult. The work was physically and mentally arduous, but Deanne excelled as a member of wildland crews and hotshot crews, working twenty-four-hour days in extreme heat.
Our Mothers’ Names: Love in Many Languages
An Indian American girl whose family speaks Malayalam at home explains that she calls her mother Amma, the Malayalam word for mother. Some of her classmates and friends have different words for mother or mom or mommy, from their own family languages.
Blue Sky Morning
“Wake up, Eunny! It’s a beautiful, blue sky morning.” A quiet, second-person narrative gently encourages small moments of mindfulness during a Korean girl’s weekday morning routine.
I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive
“[W]hen winter comes / and hunger thrums / and danger hovers overhead—” it’s roosting time for the murder of American crows that narrates this poetic informational picture book.
This Year, a Witch!
Eager to put the “utterly adorable” costumes of Halloweens past behind her, the young narrator of this picture book has her sights set on a scary getup. “This year, a witch!” Yes, gone are the days of pink bunny onesies and oversized mouse ears. This year, she’s been growing out her “witchy locks,” “whipping up spells,” and teaching herself to speak to animals.
Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa
“Up and down the crooked spine of the / Andes goes Alberto, playing an epic / game of paka paka con la papa, / potato hide-and-seek.” A delightful picture book about Peruvian scientist Alberto Salas describes his travels around the Andes collecting potatoes.