New kids' books that put a spring in my step!

Spring is doing its annual dance on the streets of downtown Corvallis, and every day I gaze longingly out of the windows of Grass Roots.  Oh, how I long for the sunshine everyday!  For the trees to leaf out in green brilliance... for it to be warm enough in the morning to induce me to ride my bike to work... for the opportunity to eat my lunch outside every day.  Sigh, it all sort of makes me wish I was a kid again, back in the Midwest where spring was a much-anticipated explosion of warmth after a long, cold, and bleak winter.  Since the reality is that I will never be a kid again (and hopefully never live in the Midwest again), I have decided to revisit my childhood, and springtime thoughts, in books.

I was ever-so-charmed when the book Farm, by Elisha Cooper, arrived on my cart of books to shelve.  The cover of the picture book features a watercolor illustration of a rooster, and a simple farm in the background as I remember them back in Illinois.  "Look!  A John Deere tractor!" I exclaimed as I turned the pages.  "Look!  DeKalb corn signs!" my heart practically sang.  The story is an informative and gentle trip through the seasons on a Midwestern farm, and I think the illustrations are just lovely and sweet.  I am definitely considering adding this one to my own library.
(ISBN 0545070759, $17.99)

Spring also makes me think of bunnies bouncing in the yard.  Bunny Days by Tao Nyeu features three cozy and imaginative stories of six little bunnies and their neighbors Bear and Mr. and Mrs. Goat.  The bunnies find themselves the victims of unfortunate mishaps, but Bear always seems to find a solution.  In the end everybody has tea together, and I am happy to see that Bear is a great knitter of scarves.  Is there nothing Bear can't do?
(ISBN 0803733305, $16.99)

April approaches and with it will come Earth Day's 40th anniversary on the 22nd.  While Corvallis is one of the most earth-conscious places I have ever lived (yeah, did you see I'm from the Midwest?  Earth-friendly, not-so-much...), not every place in the country is as fortunate.  The city of Islip, New Jersey, for example, produces almost twice as much garbage as the national average.  In fact, in 1987, Islip was at the center of a media frenzy regarding the "Garbage Barge."  Jonah Winter and Red Nose Studio has recreated and fictionalized the story in Here Comes the Garbage Barge.  In this colorful book, Cap'm Duffy St. Pierre travels far and long to find a place to deliver his barge full of garbage.  It's told with humor and truly amazing illustrations.  It is a great story and book for kids and adults alike!
(ISBN 0375852182, $17.99)

Ahhh...now that I've had my story time for the day, I believe I'm ready for a nap under a blossoming tree.  Unfortunately, it looks to be a bit damp for that today.  I hope real spring comes soon...

In the meantime, I'll see you at the bookstore--

Pamela.