Spring Across America

Children's Literature - Beverly Rice

Spring is arriving all across America. Beginning on or about March 21, spring moves from the southern tips of Florida, Texas, and California to the northern edges of Maine and Washington. Spring means heavy rains, late snows, birds flying north, plant life blooming, and the sounds of newly born wildlife. Each page has full color photographs with informative text to match. An interesting factual picture book about the season that signals new beginnings.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4There are many attractive titles available on the subject: Louis Santrey's Spring (Troll, 1983), and Ron Hirschi's Spring (Cobblehill, 1990), to name a few. Simon's book is for slightly older readers, and its arrangement follows spring's journey (April through June) as it "...flows one hundred miles northward each week." Full-color photographs appear opposite pages of text that describe 14 plants and animals associated with the season, from skunk cabbage, pussy willows, and fiddleheads to grunion, garter snakes, and mayflies. This unique title is a scientific mood piece that provides bits of information about various parts of our vast country and an awareness of its beauty, reinforced by fine pictures.Carolyn Jenks, First Parish Unitarian Church, Portland, ME

Lauren Peterson

nger for reading aloud. Following on the heels of "Autumn across America" (1993) and "Winter across America" (1994), this book focuses on spring, "a season of beginnings, a signal of a renewal of life across America." Although he acknowledges that spring starts on March 21, Simon begins his story in February, when the first signs and voices of spring can be seen and heard. From there, he follows the evolution of the season, skipping around geographically. The richness of his language is exceeded only by the startling beauty of the photographs of seasonal flora and fauna. Younger or less able readers may benefit more from Hirschi's "Spring" (1990), which offers wonderful photography but a less challenging presentation. Older children will find plenty to delight and inform them here.

Kirkus Reviews

On the heels of Autumn Across America (1993) and Winter Across America (1994) in a series reminiscent of Edwin Way Teale's classic adult collection, The American Seasons (1951-1965), comes this lavishly illustrated book by a veteran science writer for children. On colorful text pages that harmonize with handsome full-color photographs (many taken by Simon himself), the spreads feature the characteristic animals or plant phenomena of the season: the spring peeper, robins, bear cubs, spawning grunion, migrating sandhill cranes, fiddleheads emerging from the forest floor. The clear text presents some fundamental concepts (the progression of spring as related to both latitude and elevation, treeline in the mountains determined not only by temperature but also by rainfall) as well as particulars about the various species mentioned. Beautiful and informative.