Between the sunshine and cloudbursts the last few weeks, Spring is well and truly underway in Southern Oregon. Everywhere you turn, there are blossoming trees, birds’ nests, surprise rainbows, and green, green, green! It is a time of year full of energy, hope, and rejuvenation, and artists in all media have taken inspiration from Springtime to create joyful works.
Today we’re celebrating picture books that capture the essence of Spring, as treasures to share with a beloved young person and as works of art. Whether today is perfect for a picnic or for curling up on the couch, you can’t go wrong with a stack of picture books.
One of the best things about appreciating picture books as works of art is that there is such a range of styles and mediums to experience. Picture book art can be made with watercolors, photography, pen and ink, pastels, oil paints, collage…and on and on. Some artists go for realism, some lean into impressionistic styles. Others use cartoons or minimalist art, and all of it serves the story.
In fact, the famous Caldecott Medal is awarded to the artist of the “most distinguished American picture book for children” published each year. It is an award for art, but even more specifically, it recognizes the importance of picture book art in conveying the story of the book. The art is considered in conjunction with the book’s text (if there is text), attuned to how, when done well, the text and illustrations can each make the other more effective, but it focuses on the impact, execution, and originality of the illustrations above all.
And even better, picture books are art created for interaction, that can be enjoyed by one reader, a pair of readers, or a whole room of Storytime participants. They are built to be returned to, pored over, committed to memory, and used as jumping-off points for imagination. Some are intended to inspire movement or be put to music. Favorite picture books have a way of becoming part of the way we understand the world, infiltrating shared family language and coming to mind at important or emotional moments.
A few favorites from a survey of JCLS staff include:
Bloom Boom! by April Pulley Sayre uses vivid photographs of spring flowers coming into blossom to build anticipation for Springtime.
Old Bear by Kevin Henkes follows a bear who dreams of the turning of the seasons while he sleeps the Winter away and wakes into a riot of springtime color that feels like a dream come true.
Worm Weather illustrated by Matt Hunt, uses energetic illustrations to depict happy children and happy worms, all enjoying a rainy day.
An Egg is Quiet, illustrated by Sylvia Long, is reminiscent of scientific illustration, with detailed realistic paintings of eggs and the many creatures that hatch from them.
Plant the Tiny Seed, by Christie Matheson, uses watercolors and playful text to create an impossible-to-resist invitation to shake, tap, and wiggle the book as part of the storytelling.
The list goes on, so please enjoy our Perfect Picture Books for Spring, this season and all year round. The lovely thing about a work of art, be it picture book, painting, photograph, or orchestral work, is that you can return to them again and again to find the spark of spring, even in the depths of Winter.