Abracadabra, It's Spring!: A Picture Book

by Anne Sibley O'Brien, Susan Gal (Illustrator)

In the picture book Abracadabra, It’s Spring! , author Anne Sibley O’Brien and illustrator Susan Gal “use delightful rhymes and brilliant illustrations to take readers on a magical journey of seasonal changes” ( School Library Journal ).

Sun shines on a patch of snow.
Hocus pocus!
Where did it go?

Winter turns to spring in this lyrical book that celebrates the magic of nature and the changing seasons. Eleven gatefolds open to re-create the excitement and surprise of spring’s arrival, revealing what happens when snow melts, trees bud, flowers bloom, birds arrive, and eggs and cocoons hatch. Finally, it’s warm enough to pack away winter clothes and go out and play!

“Rhymes, magic words, and gatefolds celebrate the transformations of spring . . . Gal combines charcoal and digital collage for a beautifully smudgy look, and details on close inspection, a fly’s transparent wing displays a paisley pattern.” — Kirkus Reviews

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Nature, Animals, Fiction, Magic

24 pages, Hardcover

First published February 16, 2016

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a hit all around in this house. The nephew loves open-the-flap books and this is an amazing example of open the flap. It is about the magic of spring and how all the sudden the green simply pops out and all the miracles of spring that abound.

The set up is look at it in winter, there are no leaves on the trees, then she uses a magic word like abracadabra, she has a different one for each page, and then you open the flap and see the beautiful leaves on the trees. It is a beautiful quick book to read.

This made everyone in the house happy. The kids were completely engaged.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5* art
5* poem

Yes, I probably like this more than Squirt does, but I love it. It's a fun play on words, and the illustrations are beyond beautiful - ravishing colour (I wish I could buy a print of one of these pages - honestly, they could be a cure for depression) - Susan Gal is an amazing artist. Anyway, the magical surprise of Spring is fully conveyed on every level. I love reading this to Squirt. He enjoys the colours and lifting the flaps to see how the world changes.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations with fold-out pages, decent rhyme scheme and fun magic words. I see this being a big hit with most tots, and even my six-year-old really enjoyed it.

[Ms. Jeane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book would be a big hit with the storytime kids for Spring storytime but I actually had a really hard time engaging them in it until I started telling them to throw magic at the book and them turned the page while I said the magic words. I'm not sure why kids didn't relate to it otherwise.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the Art work!! the rhyming was cute. only drawback is this book will need special handling by the user, almost every page is a large flap open spread! the littles who this is designed for will tear it easily. :(

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the artwork! The flap pages add a layer of engagement that wonderfully surprising and should go over well with children and parents alike.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so beautiful!!

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through a series of large flaps, this picture book demonstrates the transformation from late winter into spring. From the very first page, snow melts away to show bare ground as rabbits watch in wonder. Green shoots become crocuses. Bare branches burst into soft pussy willows. Birds fly, nests are built, eggs hatch. Even children change their clothes and head outside into the warm day. This is a magical way to introduce small children to the wonder of seasonal change.

The gatefold flaps in this book are sturdily built and are the size of the full page, thus less likely to rip and tear. The entire book focuses on magical words, each one leading to opening the flap and revealing an amazing transformation as spring arrives. The effect works really well with the poetic wording of the book also adding to the wonder on the page. The rhyming is done well and the vocabulary while child friendly will also allow some growth for small children.

The illustrations by Gal have a gorgeous natural feel to them. They were done with charcoal and digital collage which keeps the roughness of the paper and charcoal and adds the feeling of watercolor or other paints. It’s very effective and captures the ethereal nature of spring as it passes.

Bright and engaging, this picture book will be a great pick for springtime story times. Appropriate for ages 1-3.

[betanine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is fantastic in this book. I could see prints being hung as posters in a child's bedroom. I personally stumbled trying to read this book and didn't realize it was a rhyming book until half way through. Perhaps another read will increase my appreciation of the text. The boy loves unfolding of the pages to see what is hiding.

We spent time looking at the pictures in this one. More so than we spent on the story. A couple of times the boy wanted to unfold the page more than he wanted to hear the story.

This is a beautiful book with a good story that probably will get easier on to read with each subsequent reading.

[Christine Turner]

Spring -- Juvenile fiction.
Nature stories.
Seasons -- Juvenile fiction.
Sun shines on a patch of snow.
Hocus pocus!
Where did it go?
Winter turns to spring in this lyrical book that celebrates the magic of nature and the changing seasons. Eleven gatefolds open to re-create the excitement and surprise of spring's arrival, revealing what happens when snow melts, trees bud, flowers bloom, birds arrive, and eggs and cocoons hatch. Finally, it's warm enough to pack away winter clothes and go out and play!

[Amanda Geske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous book exploring the transition from winter to spring. Would be a wonderful read-aloud, since each page comes with an exciting magical phrase to Alacazam! you into a magnificent, colorful fold-out illustration. After reading others' reviews, I'm grateful to be part of a library system that will circulate fold-out books, since this is a treasure.

[Olivia S · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very visually impressive book, although it might be difficult to make out the pictures from further away. Lots of nonsense words, which I think kids would enjoy. Lift the flaps-type fold out pages that transform the landscape from winter to spring. Details of pictures would work well for asking questions and having discussions with kids. Not sure what age I would use this for. Will ask someone.

[Great Books]

Celebrate the season with this enchanting book! Each page includes magic words before revealing a trick of Mother Nature's. With rhyming text and fun words this book is sure to conjure laughs and cast a spell on readers.
Reviewer # 21

[Laura Salas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful picture book about spring! "Lacy blossoms--here comes a breeze. Whish and whoosh! Confetti trees!" Vibrant art, unusual rhymes, and a quick-tumbling meter capture the ever-changing magic of spring.

[Peggy Archer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hocus-pocus! Lift the flap to find the magic! The author uses different magical terms to show the transformation of winter into to spring. This is a beautiful picture book on many levels. Nice rhythm and rhyme and illustrations bring the story to life!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations. A nice, simple story, good for story time.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really pretty with big flaps. Might be fun for spring story times in spite of small size. Recommended for ages 2-4.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, would be great for story time. Not sure the "magic" words are necessary-- I totally get why they're there-- but maybe take away from it?

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with fold-out pages; great illustrations.

[Julie Flake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each spread has a *magic spell* word, and many fold outs. Very pretty and nicely done.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I appreciated what the book was trying to do, in teaching the reader about the transitions from one season to another, this book appeared to be lacking something.

[Halli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a huge hit in preschool storytime today! Beautiful illustrations, magic words, big flaps-it's perfect for sharing.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite storytime book for spring! Art is vibrant, perfect for large group readalouds. Rhyming word revealed with opening of fold-out page. Gorgeous!

[Jennifer Miera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magical words introduce the changes of spring in this colorful picturebook.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glorious illustrations and charming text will make you want to live inside the pages. Each page unfolds to reveal more wonders. A great story time read with youngsters.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and I think the rhymes are clever. The page turn is a great surprise and it's short enough for toddler time (maybe).

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whimsical illustrations accompany "magical" transformations from winter to spring.

[Robin Raines-Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bright colorful interactive illustrations! You will learn some great Magic words too. Sweet story.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aw, this was really light and sweet and fun and colorful...