Spring, Bottoms, and More Great Kids’ Books!

Jack Wong is still relatively new to picture books. His debut last year — When You Can Swim — was one of my favorite books of the year, and this gorgeous homage to gardening and growing things is just as visually stunning. A young boy wonders how his big sister can know so much as the two take a spring walk, seeing blooming trees and smelling fragrant magnolias, and planting a garden in their yard. He picks out weeds from the vegetable garden, wondering why some plants are weeds and others not, and why some plants are considered vegetables and other edible plants, like wild dandelions, aren’t. His mother cooks fiddleheads for a meal, and the boy goes to sleep that night with many questions. It’s a lovely picture book.

This lyrical and vibrantly illustrated picture book celebrates spring by following three children as they walk through a meadow and a forest. They observe bees (“Little Buzz”), rabbits (“Long Ears”), fawns (“Big Eyes”), and more, encouraging all they see to wake up. The author and illustrator previously collaborated on the bedtime picture book Woodland Dreams. Both have a similar nature theme, lilting verse, and colorful illustrations.

In this early chapter book for transitional readers, Bo and his class need to decide what to plant in the school’s community garden. Initially, the kids fight over what to plant. Bo goes to his grandfather as he works in the barber shop for advice, and a client recommends growing vegetables, which are needed in a shelter the man volunteers at, and Pop-Pop tells him how their ancestors brought okra from Africa. At school, Bo shares what he learned, and the class comes up with a plan for the community garden that they can all agree on. I really love this series for young readers. The chapters are sparsely worded with a lot of illustrations.

This fantastic middle grade novel is about a very important spring event for theater kids — the spring musical. This is set in the same middle school as Melissa and Rick, and Green, a nonbinary student, is also a member of the school’s Rainbow Spectrum club. Green is excited about the spring musical, but less enthused when they learn the school will be performing The Wizard of Oz. They worry casting will follow gender binaries, so the Rainbow Spectrum club writes to the director, who agrees that any student, regardless of gender, can play any part in the play. Green really wants to be the Tin Man, but sadly does not get the part. Meanwhile, Green also worries about their first crush, starting their period, and how to express their gender identity. Thankfully, Green has supportive friends and family.