Spring is here, and it’s the perfect time to refresh your bookshelves. We tend to rotate our at-hand book baskets and floor shelves with books that are relevant to current holidays, awareness months, and seasons. This gives us an opportunity to look at what books we may be able to donate as well as keep the children’s interest in new topics without much effort while rotating new book picks in our home.
As we got our springtime shelves ready, these five books caught my eye as they are books my children go back and back to, even with their age gap. For reference, the little readers in my home are three and six years old.
Lansing Mom is here to share our tried and true favorites. This post does contain affiliate links that help support our small business but every product is something we love!
What Makes It Rain? by Suzie Harrison
In our house, we try make the most out of all kinds of weather. Some days we venture out, some days we hunker down. For us, learning the why behind the weather has helped shift our perspective. If you have flap lovers, this is the perfect book for your household. These first-questions and answers series is perfect for that “why, why, why” age. We all know the rain and the muck are coming. This book is fun to pull out on those gloomy days and share together.
How Does A Caterpillar Change? by Eric Carle
Eric Carle has been a fan favorite in our household since my son was a toddler. My mother-in-law thankfully kept copies of some of husband’s most loved classics like The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Grouchy Ladybug, which we read here constantly. I recently was able to add another to our collection from a local Michigan bookstore. How Does A Caterpillar Change? is the perfect size for my three-year-old’s book-loving hands and is a great companion in the spring to The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We have many growth cycles from Safari LTD, and I love pairing our butterfly one to give them a hands-on visual while we read this adorable board book.
It’s OK to be Different by Sharon Purtill
As well as the beginning of the start of spring, March is also Disability Awareness Month. I always try to add books to our collection that help with conversations in our home with my children. I am so grateful to other Lansing Mom writers like Alice who spend time gathering these resources for caregivers. One of my childrens’ favorites that was gifted to us is It’s Okay to Be Different. the book highlights many children’s differences, and we have had so many great conversations by reading this book together.
Little Blue Truck’s Springtime by Alice Schertle
Another classic series that has traveled through many stages and ages in my house is the Little Blue Truck series. We have every edition, and my three-year-old actually had a Little Blue Truck themed birthday when she turned three. It is only natural that Little Blue Truck’s Springtime would make its way to our to-be-read pile for our spring reads. I love that this one covers baby animals, and we are able to talk about springtime on the farm. I usually tie it into a visit to Kensington Metropark Farm Center to visit some of the babies there!
How Do Flowers Grow? by Katie Daynes
Another flap book, I know, but my children just love them. I know they aren’t for everyone, but somehow ours remain intact, so I keep buying them. We love bringing our copy of How Do Flowers Grow? to the MSU Children’s Garden, packing a picnic, and reading it in the garden.
Oftentimes I find pairing our favorite books with an experience really cements a topic more for the kids, and when we go to reread it, we can talk about our experience, and they have something to refer back to.
