Spring is almost here! I don't know about you, but this is my favorite time of year. I love having the warmer weather return, but also love to see all the flowers start sprouting from the ground. And, with Spring comes my annual "Welcome in Spring with a Good Book" feature, where I feature all the new children's books that have recently released, as well as upcoming releases. If you follow my blog, then you know that I love books, especially ones that I can share with my two girls. Now that they are reading on their own, it opens up more possibilities for books to review, as they can now put in their requests for books that have been on their radar to read, and it also gives me an excuse to get in a few extra snuggles with them, as we sit together at bedtime to share a couple books together. I love seeing my girls get excited about books, and share their favorite parts when they are done with a book. And, thanks to the 50+ books I have slated to feature, with the list growing, we are all loving the books, and can't wait to share our thoughts and more about them with you all. So, get ready to learn about all some great children's books that will make for great bedtime reads, to pack for upcoming April vacation travel, or even add to your child's Easter basket.
To kick of my annual "Welcome in Spring with a Good Book" feature, I am going to be featuring a handful of recent and upcoming releases from Sterling Publishing, with some offering giveaways, so that my readers have a chance to win some of these great books to share with their kids. The first book I will be sharing is an upcoming, April 2nd release, titled "Growing Season," written and illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffler. Be sure to read until the end as I will be giving away a copy of this book. :-)
"El and Jo are the shortest kids in class, and they’re inseparable. But what happens when Jo starts to grow and El doesn’t?
On the last day of school, their teacher asked every child to pick a plant to care for over the summer. All the other kids reach over El to grab their plant, and she has to take the very last one: a tiny, flowerless aster. At first, she’s disappointed. But as summer progresses, the aster begins to bloom—and so does El!
GROWING SEASON (April 2019) by Maryann Cocca-Leffler explores the joys and challenges of friendship and growing up."
About the Author:
Maryann Cocca-Leffler is the award-winning author and illustrator of more than 60 children’s books, including What I Love About Christmas (Sterling); Let It Snow, Let It Fall, Let It Rain, and Let It Shine(Scholastic), a series with combined sales of more than two million copies; and A Vacation for Pooch, which was a Best Children's Books selection from Bank Street College of Education in 2014. Maryann’s book Janine was inspired by her daughter, and together they developed a corresponding website, janinesparty.com, with a mission to help change public perception of children with disabilities. She lives in Amherst, NH. Visit her at MaryannCoccaLeffler.com.
---
My Thoughts:
Recently my youngest daughter had her annual physical, and found that she had sprouted. She was so excited as she was now big enough to ride the rides this upcoming summer at the amusement parks. As my daughter was celebrating this growth spurt, my oldest daughter was sad. Not only was she 15 months older than her sister, but she was also shorter. People always call her petite, a peanut, or tiny, and I can see that that bothers her. I try and remind her that her time with come with a growth spurt, and that she will not be tiny forever. My Mom has even showed her photos to show her that she is tiny like I was at her age. It wasn't until I entered 6th grade that I started sprouting and getting taller. I was always the shortest kid in school, and always ended up in the front of everyone in class photos. I, too, thought to myself that I would always be tiny. But, in time, I found myself getting taller, eventually being able to ride "big kid" amusement rides.
When I first received this book, I knew just the person who would appreciate this book...my oldest daughter. I sat with her and read the story to her, and said that we should get a plant for her to take care of from the local nursery. It would be a fun mother-daughter date, and then we could come home and find a place in her room to keep it. We talked all about plant care, and even picked her up a cute watering can, which she decorated with stickers. Over the past couple of months, my daughter has been caring for her plant and documenting its growth. She is doing this not just for homeschooling, but also to see that with a little care, the plant is slowly growing and blooming, just like she is. In addition to measuring the plant's growth, we have also been measuring my daughter at the end of each month. Just last month she grew 1/2 an inch, which made her light up with excitement. She can't wait until the end of March to get measured. She is an inch away from being the minimum height for rides, and is hoping by her July birthday that she will be big enough, to join her little sister on the rides. But, if she is not, she is not going to get discouraged, as she knows in time she will be taller, and can't rush her growth. She is enjoying being tiny as it has its perks -- she can fit into her favorite clothes longer, and squeeze into small areas, unlike others. :-) So, those are pluses! :-) And, this book really did help her see that everyone has their own "growing season" -- both people and plants.
If you have a late bloomer who is discouraged about being smaller than their friends and fellow classmates, or are just looking for a cute book to share as you and your children welcome in spring, that ties in the plant life cycles (see the end of the book for more information about the different types of plants -- annual, perennial, biennial and tender perennials), this is the perfect book to pick up and share. Both of my girls loved this book, especially my oldest. They also loved all the illustrations of the beautiful flowers, and are now itching for spring to arrive to see their perennial gardens to sprout in the yard.
--GIVEAWAY--
Thanks to the kind folks at Sterling Publishing, one lucky Inspired by Savannah reader will have a chance to win a copy of this new children's book, to share with that special child in your life. To enter, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I was sent a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
I love winter because I live in FLorida and we finally get a break from the 90 heat and humidity
ReplyDelete