I’m just a fan of Top 10 lists; there’s something about the efficiency and pretended authority about them that just draws me in. ;o) But it’s a fun, exclusive exercise to think about: if I had to read only 10 springtime books for the rest of my life (oh how sad would that be?!), what would they be? We like to keep seasonal and relevant books on hand in our home and if I had to limit my springtime list to a meager ten, it would include these titles:
 Spring Story by Jill Barklem. If you’re not familiar with the Brambly Hedge stories, you are truly missing out. There is one for each season and a few other bonus stories as well. They are a delight to read and beautifully illustrated.

 Pelle’s New Suit by Elsa Beskow. The sweetest, most simple story of wool from a sheep being made into a suit with the help of the boy all along. Elsa Beskow evokes such a nostalgia for “the simple life.”

 Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. A woman tells her story… and does her part to beautify the world. Cooney is such a talented illustrator, a real artist.

 Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven. Anything from Elisa Kleven is just pure eye candy. In this one, a dreery town wakes the sun up from its slumber…

 Peter Spier’s Rain. A wordless delight. Peter Spier is one of my very favorites.

 An Egg Is Quiet by Diana Hutts Aston. If one is going to limit herself to just ten, she may as well include educational delights as well. One reviewer somewhere pointed out that this book is the type you want to leave lying about for a child to discover, rather than making a point to read it aloud.  Her accompanying titles A Seed Is Sleepy and A Butterfly Is Patient are gorgeous springtime gems also!

 Andrew Henry’s Meadow by Doris Burn. An incredibly innovative, inspiring tale of a young lad who needs a place to have his creative genius appreciated.  I am so happy this is back in print!  Doris Burn is my very favorite…

 Spring Is Here by Lois Lenski. Just an old, classic bit of fun rhyme and excitement about the season. Lois Lenski doesn’t add any profound wonder to this category, but children seem to love the small size of her books and the simplicity in the vintage, early 20th century images.

 Persephone by Sally Clayton. This is a beautiful book to dive into with children. Not only do they get to delight in the story and superb illustrations, they become more culturally literate as they learn about the Greek mythology behind Persephone and springtime.

 And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano. This is a new book and one that I think makes for an instant classic; it’s patient and thoughtful and lovely and everything an early spring book should be.  I am so happy to own it and wrote about it more in depth here.