Book Review: My Favorite Season is Spring
My Favorite Season is Spring by Patrice Dianne Wilkerson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a charming little book! I couldn’t help noticing that Susie, her mom, and her teacher are all drawn as rather ordinary people, with slightly rounded bodies, commonplace hairdos and biggish noses. But their happiness and confidence is what turns them into superstars. I hope children reading this book feel a sense of acceptance and self-worth after spending time with such approachable characters.
I like that Susie doesn’t hesitate to smile and raise her hand in class to answer the teacher’s question. It’s clear that Susie feels comfortable and confident in school. Children will no doubt pick up on this positive, empowering classroom scene, and perhaps feel better about going to school themselves. Never underestimate the power of gentle encouragement.
Though very short, just a dozen pages long, the book is filled with lighthearted drawings of natural scenery, birds, bees, bugs, butterflies… I just realized the letter B has a natural theme! There’s a teaching moment right there. Brooke Beaver’s artwork is simple, colorful, and cheery. The font is bouncy-cute but still quite legible for young children learning to read.
I have an early memory of being very young, struggling to read The Carrot Seed, an older classic learning-to-read book. I’d study every illustration, noticing little things that felt important to me. I knew every detail of that little book. I made it mine. This is something children do with beloved books. I grew up with a love of gardening and nature, in part thanks to that simple little book.
I can already imagine little kids latching onto My Favorite Season Is Spring in that same way. Susie’s pink shoes with prominent laces might inspire a child to want to learn to tie their shoes. A child who’s nervous around bees might be receptive to learning more about their function in nature thanks to these happy little guys doing loop-the-loops. The left-handed boy in the classroom is certainly going to be a favorite of southpaws like me!
Don’t think that the tiny details of life aren’t being noticed. They are. If you see your child spending lots of time with a certain book, try not to interrupt them. A detail too small for a grown-up to notice just might be making a big impression on a hungry little mind.
Lori Alden Holuta
Lori Alden Holuta lives between the cornfields of Mid-Michigan, where she grows vegetables and herbs when she’s not writing, editing, or playing games with a cat named Chives.
