Spring into Spring with Great Books

Spring has sprung!  Here are ten great books to bring the change of seasons to your classroom shelves.

Millicent and the Wind, Robert Munsch – Millicent is a little girl who lives with her family on a mountaintop, far away from a village.  The wind is her only friend until one day she and her mother make a trip to the nearest town.  After some of the children she meets there tease her, the wind picks one up and tosses him around.  Millicent returns to her mountaintop where, at her prompting, the wind brings her a little boy to play with her.

Mud Puddle, Robert Munsch –  Another great story from Robert Munsch!  Jule Ann has a great back yard to play in.  The only problem is that there is a mud puddle living in it!  Every time she goes outside, the mud puddle jumps on her.  Her mother picks her up and washes her off again and again, till finally, Jule Ann takes charge.  Her attempts to get rid of the mud puddle are sure to have your students laughing!

 

The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Iza Trapani – This classic nursery rhyme is beautifully illustrated with vibrant colors.  The rhyme has been expanded on and the new verses fit in well and are sure to be enjoyed.   

 

 

From Egg to Robin, Jan Kottke – This is a typical Welcome Book, with a beautiful photograph on each page, accompanied by simple text.  This non-fiction book is a great complement to the story books you’re sure to be reading for spring.

Watching the Seasons, Edana Eckart – Another wonderful Welcome Book, complete with the usual color photographs and limited, on-fiction text this book spans the seasons and would make a great addition to your bookshelf throughout the year.

The Rain Came Down, David Shannon – With the same bright, vivid illustrations and simple, compelling text that makes the No David! books such a hit, The Rain Came Down tells the story of a chain reaction that calms down when the rain stops and the sun comes out again.

 

 

An Extraordinary Egg, Leo Lionni – From the classic author of Cornelius, It’s Mine!, and Fish Is Fish comes another wonderful picture book.  Three frogs adopt a “chicken egg” which hatches…an alligator!  Sure that it’s a chicken, they are thrilled that it can swim and they all become fast friends.  This story lends itself beautifully to spring time discussions about animals that come from eggs along with the timeless themes of friendship and differences.

 

The Grouchy Ladybug, Eric Carle – From the award winning author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, A House for Hermit Crab, and Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?, this story tells the tale of a ladybug who can’t seem to do anything but fight with everyone she meets – from the tiniest bug to the eventual whale!  Complete with analog clock times, the story traces the the ladybug’s day – making this book a perfect addition to a unit on time, as well.

 

The Tiny Seed, Eric Carle – Another amazing book from an outstanding author/illustrator, this is a great book to complement discussions about plants.  A group of tiny seeds gets carried along by the wind and face many dangers before the remaining tiny seed finally settles into the ground and completes the life cycle by growing into a flower with its own seeds.

 

Look How It Changes! (Rookie Read-About Science), June Young – Another wonderful non-fiction book, its simple text and color photographs review the four seasons and the changes that go along with them.  With more and more complex text than the Welcome Books Watching the Seasons and From Egg to Robin this title offers a nice balance to your non-fiction.

 

Looking for books for other units?  Check out: Star Spangled Books to Get Your Class in a Presidential Mood, 5 Must Have Books for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Wintery Books Perfect for the Holiday Season and Three Great Non-Halloween Seasonal Books.

What’s on your bookshelves this time of year?  Have a favorite read-aloud for spring?  We’d love to hear from you!