And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano

And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano

Illustrated by Erin E. Stead

32 pages - Roaring Book Press

Pub. Date - February 14, 2012

4.5 out of 5 stars

     Sometimes waiting on spring can feel like forever, especially when the colors of winter are all around. Brown, brown, brown everywhere you see. In And Then It’s Spring, a young boy and his loyal dog wait patiently and sometimes not so patiently for their garden to grow. The boy doesn’t understand why the seeds that he has planted won’t grow. Maybe some bears stomped on the seeds? Or some hungry birds found the seeds and decided they would be a perfect snack? No matter what the reason may be, the garden just is not growing. But maybe with a little time, plus some rain and sunshine, things will start to grow?
     And Then It’s Spring is a great resource to explain to children how the beautiful things that spring brings need time to grow. Through sparse text, children will be able to understand that gardening and growing take time, but with the help of rain and the sun, flowers and plants will sprout soon. First time author Julie Fogliano teams up with 2011 Caldecott Medal winner Erin E. Stead to create a striking and sweet story about the changing seasons. This is Stead’s first work since winning in 2011 for A Sick Day for Amos McGee. She uses woodblock printing techniques and pencils to create her stunning illustrations. As the story progresses the scenery and color scheme that Stead uses slowly become lighter, bringing in the slight changes of an oncoming spring.

      I pretty much had a geek out moment when I ran across this book. I love A Sick Day for Amos McGee. Love. That was my Caldecott pick for 2011, so it and Erin E. Stead will always have a special place in my heart. I love the simplicity and overall beauty of her art, which is clearly represented in And Then It's Spring. I would love for this to win the Caldecott for 2013 (I know it is early), but given her 2011 win, I don't think it will happen. Speaking of early front runners for Caldecott, check out Extra Yarn. That is (as of right now) my pick for 2013.

Ooooh and it even has its own book trailer!

Caldecott Pick....

Here is my 2012 Caldecott Medal Pick

Grandpa Green by Lane Smith

Since I am on a winning streak (A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead) I am confident in my choice.

Here are a few images why this should be the next Caldecott winner....

Oh, and I pretty much think Lane Smith is a genius. I wanted Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale of a Girl who Floated to win for 2010.

I haven't really read anything that I would pick for Newbery, so I won't voice an opinion on the award. Though I have heard amazing things about Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

Dr. Seuss' Birthday - Reading Material

March 2nd will be the 107th Birthday of Dr. Seuss. To celebrate and honor Dr. Seuss my SLIS school will be reading to a local elementary school in Tuscaloosa. I wasn't able to participate last year, but I have decided that since I have the day off I'm going to make the drive to T-Town.

I've picked a couple of my personal favorites to take a long:

Mary Has A Little Lamp by Jack Lechner
Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman
Princess Hyacinth: The SurprisingTale of a Girl who Floated by Florence Parry Heide
It's A Book by Lane Smith
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (Since it would be nice to have at least one Dr. Seuss book)

Honorable Mentions (They didn't make the list mainly because they are currently checked out....)
The Stonecutter by Demi
Princess Justina Albertina by Ellen Dee Davidson
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Animals should definitely NOT wear clothing by Judi Barrett
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett (Its a classic, but I'm sure they have already heard this one and I want to expose them to other titles.)


What would you recommend?