Spectacular Spring: All Kinds of Spring Facts and Fun

by Bruce Goldstone

Spring is a season of beginnings, from blooming flowers to active animals. People spend more time outdoors, days grow longer, and umbrellas pop open as the weather shifts from snow to rain.

There's so much to see and do in spring―and this book will prepare you for all of it! With vivid photographs, lively explanations, and creative craft ideas, Bruce Goldstone presents all the fascinating facts that make spring so spectacular.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Nature, Animals, Childrens, Science, Environment

48 pages, Hardcover

Published February 27, 2018

About the author

Bruce Goldstone is the author of several books, including 100 Ways to Celebrate 100 Days, Great Estimations, Greater Estimations and The Beastly Feast. He has worked in educational publishing for nearly twenty years. Growing up in Ohio, Bruce fell in love with reading and the magic of words, and even back then he knew he wanted to be a writer. Books have always been an important part of his life, from buying used paperbacks to his first job, shelving books as a library page. He now lives in New York City with a plethora of pets including one dog, three parakeets, and an aquarium.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/bruceg...

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know that this is a comprehensive exploration of spring as the book is billed on the back cover, but I do know that it covers quite a lot of territory when it comes to spring. Relying on photographs and photo collages to complement the straightforward text, the author celebrates a season that it seems just about everyone is glad to see arrive. From the sunny opening pages filled with lush greens, yellows, and just a hint of orange all the way to the final pages that contain spring-related activities such as rain sticks and mud painting, this book holds readers' attention. Of course, the author is careful to provide information about how days are longer and nights are shorter and temperatures start to rise a little when winter turns into spring, but he also includes nifty sections on how umbrellas work, the colors of the rainbow, and how spring feels, smells, and even sounds. For those who love those spring flowers and look forward to snowdrops, often the very first blooms to appear, there's a veritable flower garden gallery here with tulips, azaleas, rhododendrons, and daffodils, among others, on display. The book even provides readers with information about seeds and how they travel from one place to another. There is mention made of farmers planting crops, spring celebrations, an even how spring means a lot more likelihood that animals will be spotted since they start moving around more. Science classroom libraries will find this book just as essential with the variety and intensity with which it covers the territory as the previous companion books, Awesome Autumn and Wonderful Winter. I ended up impressed and ready to go out and enjoy the signs of spring that are appearing in my backyard.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

With simple text, this book explains for preschool, children and early elementary students what they can expect during the spring season, such as plants growing, flowers blooming, baby animals being born, rainy weather, and rainbows. The final two pages offer 5 activities and instructions. A good introduction for young children.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not a story book, and it almost is better for teachers than students. The book includes a wide variety of "spring facts and fun," but is not structured for a read aloud, and is more resource-based/informational. However, kids may find the bright, multiple photographs on each page to be fun to flip through, and teachers will find a lot of inspiration for spring lessons. The text, in addition to not being suitable for a read-aloud, is also a bit above the preschooler's head. I would suggest reading it bit by bit, as it's set up to detail a different aspect of spring on each page.

It's an interesting concept for a book, and I realized that it's simple organization could be a resource for teachers, as they could just choose one of the qualities of spring (such as "the shapes of spring," including umbrellas and flower petals, or "how do baby birds hatch?") and build lessons around it. I especially loved "the sounds of spring," and can imagine a really energetic, fun lesson built around making thunderstorm and baby animal sounds in the classroom!

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goldstone, Bruce Spectacular Spring by Bruce Goldstone, 24 pages. NONFICTION. Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2018. $18.

This book features large pages with tons of bright photographs of everything spring. It goes into light details about seeds, flowers blooming, weather, baby animals, and much more. It also features pages about what spring looks, feels, smells, and is shaped like.

This is the perfect book to share with K-2nd graders. It could be used as a read-a-loud or a great jumping off point for unique and thought provoking activities- what does spring feel like? What is it shaped like? This series of season books is my favorite so far and would be my first to recommend to teachers. Its cover is appealing as well and might see circulation on its own with young readers.

EL(K-3) –ADVISABLE Stephanie, Elementary School Librarian & Author
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yesterday morning the exchange of chickadees' conversations and the buzzing of insects serenaded my furry friend and me on our morning walk. Hours later in the evening the view during a thirty minute drive had altered considerably. The change was stunning and unbelievable with shades of green and patches of color spread over the landscape. It was as if a magic wand had been waved over everything. A group of five deer scampered across the road. Later a lone doe casually walked in front of the car and stopped to watch.

Each day the changes expand and are more startling. This morning the arrival of returning Sandhill cranes was announced with their signature bugling. Spectacular Spring: All Kinds Of Spring Facts And Fun (Henry Holt And Company, February 27, 2018) written and partially illustrated by Bruce Goldstone acquaints readers with an array of seasonal sensations.


My full recommendation:http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this upbeat book about springtime, Bruce really delivers what is promised in the subtitle:

"All Kinds of Spring Facts and Fun"!

Colorfully composed photos answer questions like these:

* How do umbrellas work?
* How does spring feel?
* What does spring smell like?
* What shape is spring?

Wonderful creativity and imagination inform this seasonal tour. FIVE STARS yet again to Bruce Goldstone.

[Miss Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this picture book. I like the other two nature picture books Bruce Goldstone has written as well: AWESOME AUTUMN and WONDERFUL WINTER. I like that the books are beautifully illustrated with vibrant pictures and fun and easy facts are sprinkled throughout. In the back of the book are easy spring craft ideas kids can do.
Can't wait for SUPER SUMMER

[Michele Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've seen about the season! I love how it shows how things change within the season (instead of over the course of all the seasons).