Celebrating spring

I thought I'd finally join in on Poetry Friday, rather than just reading from the sidelines. I have an original spring Haiku and a short review of one of my family's favorite picture books.

Spring is finally (nearly) here... birds are constantly dashing about outside my window, the grass turns greener every day, the sun has made a reappearance, as have snowdrops and crocuses, and our temperatures are finally getting back into the double-digits during the day.  It inspired this haiku:

Birds sing and give chase
Leaf buds swell in the sunlight...
Earth bursts into spring

And the picture book... One of the (very few) books that my oldest child has had since birth and still asks to read is On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier. The illustrations are beautiful paper collages that incorporate vibrant colors to illustrate physical features of "the Earth and her creatures."

The prose simply sings... written in a lilting rhythm, it gently introduces children to the wonderful world into which they have been born: migrating animals, cycles of night and day, the cycles of the moon and tides, the sun and stars, gravity, rain, and the atmosphere. The story itself appeals to the very young, and older children enjoy learning more about each of the concepts in the "More about the World around You" section at the end.

As a scientist, educator and aspiring author, I consider this book a tour de force. I was particularly pleased to discover that a portion of the proceeds of book sales go toward an Environmental Learning Center in Florida. Only by teaching our children about the wonders of our world can we hope to preserve them for generations to come. This is another book that I highly recommend for all children, and it makes an excellent gift for those just joining us in the world.

Enjoy spring, everyone! This week's Poetry Friday roundup is at Some Novel ideas.