Last update: March 2024
Spring is such an exciting season. Nature has escaped winter’s icy grip and is bursting with new smells, colours and sounds. Every day in spring there is more to discover and see! Spending time outside is a wonderful way of experiencing spring and so is reading lots of spring picture books. Below is a list of my children’s favourite picture books. Feel free to add you favourite books in the comments section below.
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For Very Young Children (Ages 0 to 5+)
Abracadabra, It’s Spring! (Seasonal Magic) by Anne Sibley O’Brien
Alakazam! Presto chango! Just like that winter transforms into spring. This rhyming spring story has bifold pages that flip over and show winter changing to spring. Magical illustrations. A family favourite!
And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano
A calm story about a young boy planting seeds and waiting for them to grow. Simple text paired with gorgeous illustrations brings this story to life.
Bloom Boom! by April Pulley Sayre
Boom Boom! is a kaleidoscope of blooms. This book is filled with photos of beautiful spring flowers paired with simple text.
Busy Spring: Nature Wakes Up by Sean Taylor
A heartwarming story about a father and his two children exploring spring changes together. Beautiful illustrations bring this story to life.
Dr. Seuss’s Spring Things by Dr. Seuss
A cute Dr. Suess board book about spring things. Great for babies or young toddlers.
First Notes of Spring by Jessica Kulekjian
Juniper the skunk is ready to join First Notes of Spring musicians. She auditions with her strong sticks and thumpity toadstool but unfortunately it doesn’t go so well. Feeling down she drags her drum away into the forest only to discover the first beats of spring! A beautifully illustrated and playful book about the sounds of spring.
Flower Garden by Eve Bunting
A simple rhyming story about a young girl and her father planting a window box garden for her mother’s birthday surprise. A lovely reminder that gardens can grown everywhere, even in window boxes high above the street.
Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring by Kenard Pak
The transition from cold winter nights to warms spring days is brought to life with gorgeous illustrations. This book is part of the Goodbye Hello series which also includes Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn and Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter. A family favourite and part of our book library.
Little Bear’s Spring by Elli Woollard
Bear cub wakes up in early spring, finds a special rock and sets out to find a playmate. The various animals Bear meets are too busy to play because spring is on its way, but Bear’s rock is not a rock… what could it be? This story is filled with beautiful rhyming verse and illustrations. Another family favourite.
Little Blue Truck’s Springtime by Alice Schertle
Yoo-hoo spring! Little Blue Truck explores spring changes on the farm in this fun lift-the-flap board book. This book is part of the Little Blue Truck series.
Mouse’s First Spring by Lauren Thompson
Mouse and Momma go out to play on a windy spring day. Along the way they discover a butterfly, snail, bird and more. A simple book filled with sounds words and bright springtime illustrations. Part of the Mouse series that also includes Mouse’s First Snow, Mouse’s First Fall and Mouse’s First Summer.
Pippa and Pelle in the Spring Garden by Daniela Drescher
Sweet little gnomes explore their spring garden together. Adorable illustrations make this board book absolutely precious.
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
Every year a mother and child plant a rainbow. They plant bulbs and order seeds in the fall. In the spring they watch bulbs sprout and plant seeds and seedlings. Then they watch their rainbow grow! A lovely book about colours and flowers.
Spring by Gerda Muller
A lovely wordless board book filled with vibrant spring pictures by well loved Netherlandish artist Garde Muller (born 1926).
Spring in the Forest by Rusty Finch
A lovely lift-the-flap board book about spring changes in the forest.
Spring is Here: A Bear and Mole Story by Will Hillenbrand
Spring is here and it’s time to wake up. Mole tries to wake Bear up without much luck. A sweet and simple stories filled with sound words (onomatopoeias) and colourful illustrations.
Spring Stinks: A Little Bruce Book by Ryan Higgins
Don’t let the title of this book fool you! Spring stinks is a funny book that follows Ruth the rabbit as she shares smelly springtime smells with Bruce the bear. Some spring smells are nice, and others not so much…
Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons by Il Sung Na
A beautifully illustrated story about what different animals do when winter arrives. Birds fly south, bears have a long nap, and turtles swim to warmer waters but some animals stay in the snow. Sweeet and lyrical, this book is gentle introduction to how different animals respond to winter.
The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall
Rhyming verse about a honeybee buzzing, flying, gathering, dancing, chewing and building. This book is filled with warm illustrations and offers a lovely introduction to what a honeybees do.
Wake Up! Wake Up! by Nancy Davis
A lift-the-flap board book that follows ladybug, bunny, chick and butterfly as they wake up in the spring. Simple and fun for babies and young toddlers.
Worm Weather by Jean Taft and Matt Hunt
Drip, drop it starts to rain. Wiggle, squirm worms come up out of the ground. A delightful story about two young children and earthworms playing in the rain.
For Young Children (Ages 5 to 8+)
A Nest Is Noisy by Dianna Hutts Aston
A great information book about nests that’s filled with colourful illustrations. This book is part of the Nature Books series. This series is a favourite in our home.
A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long
A great information book about seeds that’s filled with colourful illustrations. This book is part of the Nature Books series. This series is a favourite in our home.
A Walk Through the Woods by Louise Greig
A poetic story with gorgeous paper cutouts that invite the reader deeper into the woods as the creatures wait for the sun to rise and spring to come.
Good-bye, Winter! Hello, Spring! by Kazuo Iwamura
A sweet rhyming story about winter leaving and spring arriving. Translated from Japanese and filled with beautiful illustration by Kazuo Iwamura.
Happy Springtime! by Kate McMullan
“All winter, the days grow a little bit longer, the nights grow a little bit shorter until.. the day becomes exactly as long as the night. On that day we say Happy Springtime!” A colorful springtime story about celebrating spring.
In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb by Marion Dane Bauer
“March comes with a roar. He rattles your window and scratches at your door.” A fun rhyming book about the transition from winter to early spring. A family favourite for celebrating the start of spring.
It’s Springtime, Mr. Squirrel by Sebastian Meschenmoser
Mr. Squirrel helps Hedgehog win the heart of a lady hedgehog but all is not as it seems. Charming story filled with whimsical pencil illustrations.
Little Homesteader: A Spring Treasury of Recipes, Crafts and Wisdom by Angela Ferraro-Fanning
“In the Little Homesteader: A Spring Treasury of Recipes, Crafts, and Wisdom, young readers can try their hand at various spring-themed projects as well as learn interesting seasonal wisdom, and nature-related facts along the way.”
Excerpt from amazon.com (Newly released March 22, 2022)
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are looking for a place to settle down in the busy city of Boston. After laying eight eggs by the Charles River, Mrs. Mallards decides that the Boston Public Gardens would be the perfect place to raise her chick, but how will she get them there safely? A sweet story about ducks making their their way in a bustling city.
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Miss Alice Rumphius wanted to see faraway places, settle by the sea and make the world more beautiful. She did all three. After settling by the sea she started a little lupine garden and got the idea of spreading lupine seeds over fields, hillsides, along highways, country lanes, hollows and along stone walls. This story is inspired by the life of Hilda Edwards.
Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson
A lovely interactive book about planting flower seeds (zinnias) and watching them grow. From the author of Tap the Magic Tree, Plant the Tiny Seed is just as magical.
Poppleton in Spring by Cynthia Rylant
Join Poppleton pig on three spring time adventures. Part of Cynthia Rylant’s popular Poppleton series.
Robins! How They Grow Up by Eileen Christelow
A great book about the life cycle of robins explained in a comic book panels. This non-fiction book is filled with great information about robins, a well loved birth in North American often seen as the harbinger of spring. Note: While this book is geared towards children ages six to nine, one juvenile bird is swooped away and eaten by a hawk. Sensitive young readers might find this part distressing.
Singing in the Rain by Tim Hopgood
A picture book with the lyrics of Singin’ in the Rain by Gene Kelley and brought to life with beautiful illustrations.
Spring for Sophie by Yael Werber
Sophie wonders when spring will arrive. Her mother and father encourage her to use all five senses to search for signs of spring. A sweet book that would go along well with a Signs of Spring Nature Walk.
Spring Parade by Camelia Kay (Author), Allyn Howard (Illustrator)
Here comes spring! Follow along with Mama and Baby Bunny as they explore spring.
The Big Book of Blooms by Yuval Zommer
A beautiful information book about blooms! From flower anatomy to learning about different types of flowers, this book is a great reference book for a child’s home library. This book is part of the well loved Big Book series.
The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker
Originally published in 1981, this book is a complete collection of Cicely Baker’s beautiful fairy books. This collection includes: Flower Fairies of the Spring, Flower Fairies of the Summer, Flower Fairies of the Autumn, Flower Fairies of the Winter, Flower Fairies of the Garden, Flower Fairies of the Trees,
Flower Fairies of the Wayside, and A Flower Fairy Alphabet
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
The city is a brown dreary place, but Liam makes a surprising discovery on a abandoned railway: a small patch of plants. Liam cares for the plants and soon the small garden grows and expands. A enchanting story about making the world a more beautiful place.
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
Set during the great depression, young Lydia Grace moves to the big city to live with her Uncle Jim. Her grandma packs seeds in her suitcase and Lydia Grace grows them to bring joy to those around her. Told in a series of letters written by Lydia Grace, this heartwarming story is about kindness and generosity.
The Reason for a Flower: A Book About Flowers, Pollen, and Seeds by Ruth Heller
A simple book about flowers, pollination and the reason for flowers. First published in 1983.
The Thing About Spring by Daniel Kirk
Rabbit is feeling sad that winter is leaving, but Bird, Mouse and Bear help Rabbit see that spring is full of wonderful surprises. A lovely book about friendship and spring changes.
The Spring Equinox by Ellen Jackson
This book describes the different ways people around the world and throughout history celebrate the spring equinox.
What to Look For in Spring by Elizabeth Jenner
A tiny book packed with interesting things to look for in spring. From skillful stoats to orange-tip butterflies, this non-fiction book is part of the What to Look For… series which also includes summer, autumn and winter.
What’s Inside a Flower? And Other Questions About Science & Nature by Rachel Ignotofsky
A richly illustrated information book about flowers: where they grow, how they grow and why they are important. A really lovely book that’s worth having in your home library.
When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes
If you wait, spring will… turn grass green, make a seed grow, push green shoots through the dirt. Colourful illustrations bring spring changes come to life in this lovely book.
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal
An exploration of what can be found above and below a garden throughout the seasons. This book is part of the popular Over and Under Series.
