The sun is shining, flowers are blooming and even Tootsie the tortoise has come out of hibernation - Spring has finally sprung! I've put together a booklist of some Spring hits to read during this light filled evenings.
First Book of Nature!
Discover the world of natural wonder from your very doorstep with these beautiful first books of nature! Both packed full of fascinating facts and information alongside gorgeous illustrations shows us that a whole new world is yet to be discovered.
Picture Books
Little Bear's Spring is a glorious story about just how wonderful the natural world is, and that, sometimes, the unlikeliest of friendships are the best kind, featuring glorious sun-dappled springtime landscapes by illustrator Briony May Smith. And for those spring showers, be sure to check out Aki's equally delightful The Weather Girls! These bold little women are ready for whatever nature throws at them! And on the topic of inspiring little women, Lauren Ace's beautiful picture book, The Girls is a must read for these spring filled days.
Other wonderful spring time reads perfect for little ones include...
Poetry
If you haven't heard about I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree then I cannot recommend this beautiful book of nature poems enough! Filled with familiar favourites and new discoveries, written by a wide variety of poets, including Emily Bronte, Thomas Hardy, William Wordsworth and many more, I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree features 366 nature poems - one for every day of the year, including leap years.
Joseph Coelho's A Year of Nature Poems is equally enchanting is beautiful folk art illustrations by Kelly Louise Judd! And for the older readers be sure to check out the wonderful collection, A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year edited by Jane McMorland Hunter!
Flowers and trees, birds and bees!
Lift the flaps to peek under the flowers, smell the roses, or see what is growing behind the watering can. With bright illustrations and simple and accessible text, this is the perfect first introduction to flowers and plants from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Check out Kew's Lift and Look Bugs as well!
Who is busy in the hive? What is flying around the pond? Who is hiding in the trees? Lift the flaps to peek into a honeycomb, count the beetles, or look for bugs underground.
Nature All Around: Trees is a beautifully, informative book about trees, their life cycles and the important role they play in our world.
Not only is this book visually comprehensive with lush and bright illustrations by Carolyn Gavin, but the text is child-friendly yet warmly extensive, offering tips and questions for the curious minded. Accompanied with activities, maps, and a necessary glossary, Pamela Hickman has taken children into the heart of nature and opened our eyes to just how unique and special trees are whilst encouraging children about ways in protecting our planet.
Whilst I would've loved to have learnt more about trees from all over the world, particularly in Britain, as it's primarily focused on trees native to the US and Canada, Nature All Around: Trees still makes more an excellent resource that will be enjoyed by children of all ages.
Nature All Around: Bugs is out in September which I cannot wait for!
Why is a flamingo pink? Can a parrot talk? Is a bald eagle really bald?
From recognising different bird’s eggs to interpreting bird's family trees to understanding why different species of birds have different beaks and feathers, and why some birds migrate and travel vast distances every year, The Big Book of Birds is a must have for all bird lovers out there.
Including hummingbirds, peacocks, flamingos, bald eagles, secretary birds, albatrosses and red-crowned cranes, this beautiful book will teach children how to spot different birds within a specific variety and explore bird habitats. Whilst inviting young bird spotters to protect birds where they live and make their gardens bird friendly.
Part of the hugely successful series, The Big Book of Bugs, The Big Book of Beasts and The Big Book of the Blue, these colourful books are ones to look at over and over again.
For all you buzzing with questions about our fuzzy little friends, be sure to check out these books! With beautiful pictures and buzz-worthy facts, these books will tell you everything you need to know about nature's hardest worker - the humble honey bee!
Baby animals!
Amazing Animal Babies by Chris Packhan, illustrated by Jason Cockcroft
When I think of spring I think of little lambs and baby piglets and all other British animals coming out to play, but what about all the other baby animals around the world? Well Chris Packham's beautiful, fact-filled picture book is a must read for meeting some of the world's incredible baby animals as they begin their journey through life!
National Trust's nature sticker books are perfect for your little explorers, packed with facts and filled with stickers for those light spring evenings. Alongside Hedgehogs and Hares there's also Robins, Wrens and other British Birds and Beetles, Butterflies and other Minibeasts!
Green fingers!
From Gardening for Beginners to Emily Hudges' beautiful picture book about one little gardener and the love for his garden there's no end to the absolute delights of growing and gardening!
We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines
Illustrated by Julianna Swaney
A beautiful and charming book about the adventures of starting your own family garden! From the first single fern plant to a whole booming, flowery oasis, Joanna Gaines gently chronicles the highs and lows of growing a happy, healthy and successful garden.
From hilarious run-ins with naughty goats, hungry rabbits and sneaky chickens to the magic of sowing your first seeds or in witnessing your first bloom, Gaines shares each of their failures, set-backs, results and achievements so that those reading can learn from their lessons. Creating and tending to your own garden is a genuine pride and joy for many and Julianna Swaney's lush and whimsical illustrations perfectly capture the wonder, curiosity and happiness that come with it.
A gorgeous celebration of nature and nurture, hope and determination, We Are the Gardeners will be treasured by many little green fingered children.
Available via Amazon here.
That's not my...
Baby bunnies, little lambs, cute chicks! The extremely popular That's not my series has you covered this Easter!
Spring time chapter books!
Bloom by Nicola Skinner couldn't have come at a more perfect time! A beautifully written, incredibly original and wickedly funny novel, Bloom is for everyone who has ever felt like they didn’t fit in, and for anyone who has ever wanted a little more colour and wildness in their lives…
Whilst bestselling author, Lucy Strange's Our Castle by the Sea tells a 'poignant and uplifting tale packed with adventure, atmosphere and intriguing characters' set during the second world war. But the strange, ancient legend known as the Daughters of Stone is stirring and one little girl is destined to become apart of it.
Gift Books!
This couldn't possible be a booklist about spring time if I didn't include Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris gorgeous The Lost Words! But for me flower fairies are a must and when I think of fairies I think of Cicely Mary Barker beautiful flower fairies books!
Explorer's and Adventurer's
Become a nature expert and an adventurer with these incredible books that will teach you all the essentials you'll need to know whether you're out in the wild or in the woods. The Lost Book of Adventure which only came out in March this year has already become one of my favourite books of all time. With extraordinary adventures and escapades, expedition advice and survival methods all annotated with enchanting coloured-pencil drawings, this book is literally one of a kind!