When Spring Comes

by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock

A young girl dreams of the arrival of spring, with the blossoming apple trees and the music of tree frogs that accompany warm weather, but she soon learns to also appreciate the magic of winter.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1993

About the author

My sister, three brothers, and I grew up on a Vermont dairy farm in a region known as the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, USA, where my Scottish ancestors settled almost two hundred years ago.

Our lives revolved around our church, our community, and the hard work of farming. Along with milking and feeding the animals each morning and evening, there was the work of each season: maple sugaring, plowing, picking stone, planting, haying, corn-cutting, harvest, cutting wood.

While my parents lives were consumed by farming and providing for their children, they managed to pass on much more to us. My mother, a teacher, instilled in us a love of books and reading, and a curiosity about everything, while my father, besides being an excellent athlete, has also encouraged our interest in the natural world, whether it was identifying birds, trees and wildflowers, or pointing out constellations on a starry night.

My book As Long As There Are Mountains is based on my childhood and my love of the farm, the land, and the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.

Reviews

[Cheryl]

I'm not sure how many of the geographically bound details will be relevant to kids using the OK library where I found this, for example maple sugaring, but the idea of living simply in nature is still relevant anywhere. Rural Vermonters and rural Oklahomans alike can still run through the pasture barefoot.

Still, I found it to be a mostly slight story, and I don't know which of you will like it well enough that it's worth hunting down a copy from ILL. Still, if your library does have it, and you like nature, or pioneer stories, or picture-book historical fiction, it's worth a look!

[Caitlin]

What a fun spring book! :) But... there are pieces that make it seem more like a winter...

[Danielle Robertson Robertson]

Published in 1993 but reminds me of Home on the Prairie

[Tess Adone]

The artistry of this picture book draws the reader into scenes.

[Books Kids Like]

A young girl gazes out the window on a world encased in winter. She begins dreaming of spring and all of its splendor. She imagines maple sugaring time when they eat sugar candy with donuts and pickles. Her long underwear and shoes will go in the trunk, and she'll be able to wade in the stream and catch tadpoles. Father will take her fishing. She will gather lilac blossoms and fiddlehead ferns with Grandma. Spring brings planting and taking the cows to pasture. In the middle of her reverie she hears sleigh bells. Putting on her woolens she goes off with her father as he smoothes the roads with his snow roller. After dinner they go for a sleigh ride and stop to look at the stars. Then she wonders if when springs comes the stars will be as bright as, the air as clear, and the night as wonderful as they are in now.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Michelle]

Beautifully illustrated, Warnock brings all the sensuality of early spring to the reader. One little girl sees and smells and eats and hears and feels spring completely. I love this part as any kid will find it wonderful: I'll run barefoot through the fields, and Mama will make me wash my feet before I go to bed. This story has it all: stars, graveyards, sugary biscuits and Canada Geese.

[Miriam]

I think this book was really good!!

[Cheryl]

Stacey Schuett's illustrations lift this up over nicely told memories of a girl's rural life... probably 1800's.

[SouthWestZippy]

Wonderful warm family story. Beautiful illustrations.

[Rani]

When #Spring comes, there are many fun things a girl can do with her #family in and around the #farm. In the meantime, there are ways to #enjoy #winter too. #PictureBook #YoungReaders