And Then It’s Spring does a rather good job at drilling this idea home. I know that in the past teachers have done assignments that involve raising seeds with the idea of teaching children about how plants grow, but it seems to me that there’s just as much to be said for teaching kids that under normal circumstances all good things come to those that wait. When kids can just hop on the internet and within less than a minute be connected to the sites they want and need then the idea of something taking not just days but weeks is capable of blowing their furry little minds. Though it varies from child to child, immediate satisfaction is something our day and age strives to give us in everything from grocery shopping to movie selection. Actually it is, but tell that to anyone under the age of fifteen (to pick an arbitrary age).

I'd like a framed picture of just that bear. I love the rabbit watering the carrots and the tortoise watching the seeds, and my very favorite-the bear wearing the flower pot on his head. On the other hand, Stead's illustrations are very, very nice. It's a lovely poem, but they don't understand it. But something about the wording here just doesn't work for kids. I tried to make them like it, I really did. They stare at the pictures (which are lovely I do love those) and then they stare at you and wait for something to happen. And after attempting to read it aloud to classes of kids, I do not love it even more. And then you turn one more page and it's the end.

And then you turn one more page and it is spring. And then you turn another page and suddenly there are bears in your garden and you are more confused than ever. And then you turn another page and it talks about birds and you're confused. And then you turn the page and it is still brown. You open the book and read the first page about brown.

And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano