- Mariah Wilson
5 Books to Read this Month
It feels like spring is just around the corner in Calgary, and what better way to celebrate than having the Calgary Public Library's services reopen on March 10! We've pulled together some books to get you started on this month's reading goals and get your family excited about spring.
Spring Is Here (2011)
Written and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
"Sniff. Sniff. Sniff. Spring is in the air. Mole can smell it. But Bear is still asleep after his long winter nap. How will Mole wake up Bear so they can celebrate together? When a knock, knock, knock and toot, toot, toot can't get Bear out of bed, Mole cooks up a special treat. Spring fever is catching in this vibrant story of friendship." —Goodreads
Calgary Public Library Link: https://calgary.bibliocommons.com/item/show/716083095
When Spring Comes (2016)
Written by Kevin Henkes and illustrated by Laura Dronzek
"The award-winning, bestselling husband-and-wife team of Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek collaborate for the first time since their acclaimed picture book Birds. Before spring comes, the trees are dark sticks, the grass is brown, and the ground is covered in snow. But if you wait, leaves unfurl and flowers blossom, the grass turns green, and the mounds of snow shrink and shrink. Spring brings baby birds, sprouting seeds, rain and mud, and puddles. You can feel it and smell it and hear it—and you can read it!
Kevin Henkes uses striking imagery, repetition, and alliteration to introduce basic concepts of language and the changing of the seasons. And Laura Dronzek’s gorgeous, lush paintings show the transformation from quiet, cold winter to the joyful newborn spring. Watch the world transform when spring comes!" —Goodreads
Calgary Public Library Link: https://calgary.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1049534095
Lola Plants a Garden (2014)
Written by Anna McQuinn and illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
"This fourth, sweet story about Lola delivers with brightly colored acrylic depictions of an adorable child sharing special moments with her mother, reading books, and patiently waiting for her seeds to grow. Lola's bright, cherubic face shows curiosity, joy, and determination as she completes her project." —Carol Connor, School Library Journal
Calgary Public Library Link: https://calgary.bibliocommons.com/item/show/959383095
A Perfect Day for Digging (2014)
Written by Cari Best and illustrated by Christine Davenier
"Best's lyrical text hums along ("In the spring when the trees unfreeze and the grass grows green and pansies say, 'Please plant me,'"), and Davenier's ink and pencil illustrations burst with color and movement, with Nell and Rusty always in motion, and Norman's static lines becoming more active as he becomes a muddy participant in the play." —Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, School Library Journal
Calgary Public Library Link: https://calgary.bibliocommons.com/item/show/935400095
Rose's Garden (2009)
Written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
"As word of the girl's faith in her garden spreads, children from all over the globe appear 'like seeds carried on a breeze,' and each presents Rose with a bright paper flower, bringing the first splashes of color to Reynolds's wispy, monochromatic art. Soon, Rose is rewarded as real flowers sprout among the paper ones.... The globe-trotting Rose clearly has an adventurous spirit and a strong sense of determination, and Reynolds's fable emphasizes that having faith (and patience) can pay off big." —Publishers Weekly
Calgary Public Library Link: https://calgary.bibliocommons.com/item/show/651997095
If you'd like to support literacy-based programming, please consider donating to our "Cover Your FESA" fundraiser as part of the 25th Anniversary of the Further Education Society of Alberta. Between February 1 and August 15, 2021, all donations received will be matched up to 50% by Shaw Birdies for Kids Presented by Altalink.
Also, stay tuned for a blog post later this week that will mark the 25th Anniversary of FESA's incorporation with a trip down memory lane!
