As this issue of Canadian Teacher Magazine goes off to the printer, we are experiencing wet, cold spring weather here on the West Coast. I grab every sunny hour to escape the house and take myself into the garden to enjoy the awakening happening there.
Sing in the Spring! (Nimbus Publishing 2022)—a celebration of the new season, springing from the talent of Sheree Fitch and Deb Plestid—is an antidote to my weariness of the continuation of winter conditions.In the pages of this quintessential picture book, Sheree’s lyrical text reflects my joy in the new season perfectly: the hummingbirds are returning, the frogs’ chorus is ringing out, seeds are sprouting, trees are blossoming. A recurring song punctuates all the signs that winter is over and spring is really happening.
Hum, hum, keep humming on
Hum, hum our hum-along song:
Bring in, ring in, sing in the spring
Sparkly light on everything!
Accompanying Sheree’s observations of the Canadian landscape’s awakening are fantastic quilted fabric illustrations, each one capturing a spring scene. Every page deserves a thorough examination of the magic that Deb Plestid has created through her fabric art. Underground scenes depicting the soil nurturing new life, closeups of pollinators among emerging blossoms, clothes drying on a sun-drenched clothesline, and chicks chirping in the backyard all richly depict the wonders of the new season.
Have fun with your students with this wonderful book!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Diana Mumford
Diana is the Editor at Canadian Teacher Magazine.
This article is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Spring 2023 issue.
