Finding Spring by Carin Berger

Finding Spring by Carin Berger. Greenwillow, 2015. 40 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 0-8

Recommended for: Ages 0-8

Maurice the bear just wants to find spring. He’ll hibernate once his mission is complete. He finally makes a glorious discovery, scoops up some “spring” into a ball to take home to his den, and settles comfortably in for a nice, long sleep. Sadly, when he wakes up in the spring, his “spring ball” has melted! Oh no! Maurice thinks spring is now missing! Retracing his steps carefully in an attempt to find spring again, he discovers the real deal on top of Big Hill.

Gentle text set against artistic collage illustrations in a soft palette offer a lovely depiction of both winter and spring. Young readers and listeners will readily identify with Maurice’s disappointment when his snowball melts even as they chuckle over his mistake. This is a quiet book that will be a good fit for quiet preschoolers and kindergartners, especially those who enjoy pouring over detailed illustrations or attempting to reproduce their own illustrations (get out the scissors and construction paper!). While there is no mention of a Creator, this book nonetheless celebrates the loveliness of creation and the seasons that the Lord continually orders.

Cautions: none

Overall Rating: 4 (out of 5)

• Worldview Rating: 4
• Artistic Rating: 4

Categories: Picture Books, Science, Bedtime Books
Cover image from Amazon