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Spring
Newly back in print, this series of board books without text lead the young child through the seasons of the year in fun, active pictures. Playing with lambs, sowing seeds, painting Easter eggs and watching baby birds.
12 pages, Board Book
First published August 1, 1994
1 person is currently reading
135 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 1, 2021
A reread today 8th April 2019 and today 1st May 2021.
This is a board book with beautiful illustrations and no text. Spring flowers, sewing seeds, cavorting lambs, rainbows and ducklings. A wonderful book for young children, this series was a favourite of my daughter’s to look through, as soon as she could sit up a hold a book. We love the fact that it shows what's happening in nature at spring time and shows children playing outdoors and doing seasonal activities. We really enjoy Gerda Muller's illustrations, they are beautiful and always are accurately observed when it comes to the natural world. Planting seeds, looking after young animals, making Easter decorations and watching birds and their young. Highly recommended to small children who love nature and outdoor play.
This is a board book with beautiful illustrations and no text. Spring flowers, sewing seeds, cavorting lambs, rainbows and ducklings. A wonderful book for young children, this series was a favourite of my daughter’s to look through, as soon as she could sit up a hold a book. We love the fact that it shows what's happening in nature at spring time and shows children playing outdoors and doing seasonal activities. We really enjoy Gerda Muller's illustrations, they are beautiful and always are accurately observed when it comes to the natural world. Planting seeds, looking after young animals, making Easter decorations and watching birds and their young. Highly recommended to small children who love nature and outdoor play.
June 13, 2022
Dutch picture-book artist Gerda Muller’s utterly charming wordless tale is devoted (as the title obviously suggests) to Spring (and there are in fact three other books, representing Summer, Fall and Winter respectively).
Muller’s artwork follows a young child through various activities on a traditional (European) farm, from feeding the animals to painting traditional Easter eggs (and even showing a scene where the little girl is needing to stay in bed one day due to a bit of a cold). And while I usually do prefer textual over wordless picture books, well, Gerda Muller’s illustrations for Spring really do not at all require a text, showing with their flowers, seeds, cavorting lambs, rainbows, foals, ducklings etc. a wonderful springtime book for very young children, but of course also suitable for slightly older children to practice independent storytelling and/or guessing games, delightful, colourful and truly a celebration of spring and a goodbye to winter! Highly recommend and most definitely five stars for both my adult self and my inner child (and I am definitely looking forward to the the other three of Gerda Muller’s seasonal board books which I am certainly expecting to be as magical as Spring has been).
Finally, even though I totally think that with Spring, Gerda Muller has created a wonderful and magical seasonal gem, I do feel that I should point out that the pictures featured are very Western European in scope, with a traditional farm such as would be found in countries like Holland, Northern France or Germany and obviously also showing a Caucasian family, nothing at all wrong with this (and in my opinion even to be expected considering that Gerda Muller is Dutch), but this does mean that in Spring there is not really any visual ethnic diversity to be encountered (even though I do very much believe the many activities the little farm girl engages in and experiences in this book are indeed universally redolent of springtime and thus sweet and fun pictures for all young children everywhere).
Muller’s artwork follows a young child through various activities on a traditional (European) farm, from feeding the animals to painting traditional Easter eggs (and even showing a scene where the little girl is needing to stay in bed one day due to a bit of a cold). And while I usually do prefer textual over wordless picture books, well, Gerda Muller’s illustrations for Spring really do not at all require a text, showing with their flowers, seeds, cavorting lambs, rainbows, foals, ducklings etc. a wonderful springtime book for very young children, but of course also suitable for slightly older children to practice independent storytelling and/or guessing games, delightful, colourful and truly a celebration of spring and a goodbye to winter! Highly recommend and most definitely five stars for both my adult self and my inner child (and I am definitely looking forward to the the other three of Gerda Muller’s seasonal board books which I am certainly expecting to be as magical as Spring has been).
Finally, even though I totally think that with Spring, Gerda Muller has created a wonderful and magical seasonal gem, I do feel that I should point out that the pictures featured are very Western European in scope, with a traditional farm such as would be found in countries like Holland, Northern France or Germany and obviously also showing a Caucasian family, nothing at all wrong with this (and in my opinion even to be expected considering that Gerda Muller is Dutch), but this does mean that in Spring there is not really any visual ethnic diversity to be encountered (even though I do very much believe the many activities the little farm girl engages in and experiences in this book are indeed universally redolent of springtime and thus sweet and fun pictures for all young children everywhere).
May 3, 2022
I'm so happy I was able to obtain this from ILL and while it's still spring. Yay! I wish I'd had all of these when my children were younger. As it is a wordless picture book, I can imagine talking about the illustrations, or making up a story to accompany them. They are so expressive and immersive. If I had any quibble, it's that it starts and ends rather abruptly without much context. Is the child visiting a friend or family member's farm? It seems the child is there with her/his father and then there is another man working on the farm and another child on the farm, too? We just start with the child playing with the sheep, and end with the child watching birds. On the other hand, it's nice to just feel suddenly immersed in the action and I completely enjoyed seeing all the lovely activities the child engages in on the farm -- it would even be nice for Easter as the children are seen decorating eggs in one scene. Everything just feels warm and fuzzy and hopeful -- just like spring! So I do definitely recommend these and will try to get the other seasonal titles as the seasons change.
April 7, 2019
One of a set of four board books from Dutch picture-book artist Gerda Muller, each one depicting a different season of the year, this charming wordless tale is devoted (as the title suggests) to Spring. The artwork follows a young child through various activities on her (or his?) farm, from feeding the animals to painting Easter Eggs. On one particularly lovely two-page spread, father and child walk through a green meadow, a rainbow in the sky above them...
The four books in this collection have all been presented to an English-speaking audience (I won't say they've been translated, since they are wordless) as individual board books by the Edinburgh-based publisher, Floris Books. It's interesting to note that they were also combined in 1995 into one book by the New York-based Dutton Children's Books, as Circle of Seasons , with text added Lucia Monfried. Having not read the Monfried picture-book, I cannot comment upon it. As for Spring, it is a sweet, lovely little book, one I would recommend to anyone looking for board books about the season, as well as to those who enjoy wordless picture-books.
The four books in this collection have all been presented to an English-speaking audience (I won't say they've been translated, since they are wordless) as individual board books by the Edinburgh-based publisher, Floris Books. It's interesting to note that they were also combined in 1995 into one book by the New York-based Dutton Children's Books, as Circle of Seasons , with text added Lucia Monfried. Having not read the Monfried picture-book, I cannot comment upon it. As for Spring, it is a sweet, lovely little book, one I would recommend to anyone looking for board books about the season, as well as to those who enjoy wordless picture-books.
April 22, 2008
This is one of the more beautifully illustrated board books I have seen. And my daughter loves it. There are so many stories to be imagined on each page. I am looking forward to reading the books for the other 3 seasons.
September 8, 2009
Beautifully illustrated seasonal board book. It contains pictures only, and they absolutely delight my toddler.
January 17, 2012
My little one loves this book.
Currently reading
March 10, 2012LOVE these books.
November 3, 2013
This is a gorgeous book to enjoy and to use to teach about the seasons. Best of all, when we reach the picture where the girl is cuddling the bunny rabbit, the reader always gets a hug from Ll :)
March 25, 2018
A lovely picture book with beautiful Spring illustrations to discuss.
March 20, 2024
"Spring" by Gerda Muller is like a burst of sunshine in book form! With its vibrant illustrations and cheerful scenes, this book brings the joys of spring to life in the most delightful way possible. From frolicking lambs to blooming flowers, every page is a colorful adventure that will have both kids and adults smiling from ear to ear. While there isn't a strict storyline, who needs one when you can simply get lost in the whimsical world Muller creates? It's the perfect book to read on a sunny day or to bring a little bit of springtime magic into any season. Warning: may cause an uncontrollable urge to go outside and start a springtime scavenger hunt! ;-)
Sharing also a few tips on how to “read” the book as it’s wordless:
1. Engage with the Illustrations: The illustrations in "Spring" are rich and detailed, so take your time to explore each page with your child. Point out different elements like flowers, animals, and children playing, and encourage them to describe what they see.
2. Create Your Own Story: While there isn't a traditional narrative in the book, you can still create your own story based on the illustrations.
Ask your child questions like "What do you think is happening here?" or "What do you think will happen next?" This encourages creativity and imagination.
3. Talk About Spring: Use the book as a springboard for conversations about the season. Discuss how plants grow, why animals come out of hibernation, and what activities people enjoy in springtime. You can also talk about any personal experiences or memories you have related to spring.
4. Bring the Outdoors Inside: If possible, take the book outside and read it in a natural setting like a park or garden. This can enhance the sensory experience and make the book come alive for your child.
5. Extend the Learning: After reading the book, engage in related activities like planting seeds, going on a nature walk to look for signs of spring, or doing spring-themed crafts. This helps reinforce the concepts introduced in the book and allows for hands-on learning.
Have fun with "Spring" and let your child's curiosity lead the way!
Sharing also a few tips on how to “read” the book as it’s wordless:
1. Engage with the Illustrations: The illustrations in "Spring" are rich and detailed, so take your time to explore each page with your child. Point out different elements like flowers, animals, and children playing, and encourage them to describe what they see.
2. Create Your Own Story: While there isn't a traditional narrative in the book, you can still create your own story based on the illustrations.
Ask your child questions like "What do you think is happening here?" or "What do you think will happen next?" This encourages creativity and imagination.
3. Talk About Spring: Use the book as a springboard for conversations about the season. Discuss how plants grow, why animals come out of hibernation, and what activities people enjoy in springtime. You can also talk about any personal experiences or memories you have related to spring.
4. Bring the Outdoors Inside: If possible, take the book outside and read it in a natural setting like a park or garden. This can enhance the sensory experience and make the book come alive for your child.
5. Extend the Learning: After reading the book, engage in related activities like planting seeds, going on a nature walk to look for signs of spring, or doing spring-themed crafts. This helps reinforce the concepts introduced in the book and allows for hands-on learning.
Have fun with "Spring" and let your child's curiosity lead the way!
Want to read
March 18, 2022wordless
November 20, 2008
this is a book with no words that you make up a story as you go along. love her artwork!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews