In harmony with the change of season, SMALL-FOLK owner Anna has picked her favourite springtime stories for ages 1 to 12+. Ranging from educational teachings about seeds and an easy introduction to gardening, to coastal tales and Easter egg hunts, Anna has chosen one book for each age range to be enjoyed by children and caregivers.
In-store we have introduced a Book of The Week area where you can view our ongoing favourite read picks, if you are visiting us in South Devon.
What do you love about spring? What are your favourite springtime activities/things to do?
Anna: What I love about springtime is seeing gardens starting to come to life with blooming flowers and more colour. Being able to be outside more with our children, Heath and Fearne, is always something I look forward to and together we plant seeds (with the help of the books mentioned below!) and enjoy more light after the months of rainy, shorter days.
How do you choose the books you do? What are the credentials?
To choose any of the books we stock here at SMALL-FOLK I always go by interesting or educational content, mixed with amazing illustrations in a variety of different styles created using different media techniques and methods. Most of the stories I choose have a good message too with a positive and inspiring takeaway.
Specifically for spring, what are the things you love most about what these books teach or share?
I love browsing books focused towards nature that teach kids about seeds, planting flowers and food, the cycles of the year and of course all of the animals that can be found around the world.
Anna's Top Children's Books For Spring:
Springtime children’s book best suited to 1-3 years:
Spring - Gerda Muller
A wordless book, perfect for the younger ‘reader’. They can look at it themselves and enjoy the imagery, beautiful colours for springtime vibe. Spring - Gerda Muller can also be used as a storytelling aid by caregivers to illustrate stories they can make up, the lack of words is a real bonus as they can make up different stories to go along with the illustrations. This 'Spring' book is part of a beautiful series; there is a book for every season of the year.
[Image from: Wordless Wednesday: Spring by Gerda Muller – Three Books a Night]
Springtime children’s book best suited for 3-5 years:
The Great Egg Hunt (100 Eggs to Spot) - Rachel Piercey, Freya Hartas
The Great Egg Hunt (100 Eggs to Spot) by Rachel Piercey and Freya Hartas is a seek and find book with 20 eggs to find on each double page spread - there are 5 spreads in total! We have sold this book every year since it came out 3 years ago. It is Easter themed so a real favourite to celebrate all that Easter Day brings and is suitable I’d say for between 2 and 8 years; definitely an enjoyable read by all. I really love Freya Hartas’ illustrative style too, she really brings a beautiful style to this and many other books.
Springtime children’s book best suited for 5-7 years: Chronicle Books A Seed is Sleepy - Dianna Hutts Aston, Sylvia Long
Our Book of the Week pick from last week, A Seed Is Sleepy is a non-fiction book all about seeds. It features some great illustrations which bring alive the text about seeds; how they function, how they are asleep then burst into life. It is very cool! Dianna Hutts Aston has created a series of books along this line which each feature charming full-colour drawings by Sylvia Long. You can see a preview of this book on our Instagram and Facebook.
Springtime children’s book best suited for 7-12 years: Little Gestalten Easy Peasy - An Introduction to Gardening for Kids
I think this non-fiction book is suitable for 7-12 years plus. Easily readable with a more in-depth introduction to gardening for kids, spring is a great time to get into the activity of gardening and to learn about all the different elements it entails. Little Gestalten Easy Peasy - An Introduction to Gardening for Kids is a perfect tool of encouragement to get young ones into gardening. There is something for everyone here too, not just those with gardens, so it is nice to read about how different people can grow things in various ways; in confined spaces, balconies, window sills etc!
Springtime children’s book best suited for 12+ years: Abrams & Chronicle - Tales of the Sea - Maggie Chiang
Tales of the Sea - Maggie Chiang is an anthology of folk tales about the sea from lots of different countries. As the weather continues to get warmer we are thinking more about heading to the coast, so it is nice to have a book to accompany these trips. Highlighting another unique and lovely creative style, Maggie Chiang really brings each tale to life with impactful illustrations throughout this book.
