Kitten Corner: Books for Spring!

The birds are singing, the flowers are sprouting, and the kids’ books are starting to get springy! Here I have six board and picture books that make perfect Spring reads for little ones and parents alike. All of these were sent to me for review by Little Tiger Books, but as always my opinions are my own.

You’re My Little Sunshine, written by Nicola Edwards and illustrated by Natalie Marshall

This sweet book, with gentle rhyming couplets, celebrates love between a child and their adult – there’s no specific relationship like ‘parent’ given, so this would be perfect for any family structure. The artwork is really charming, simple and bold in lovely colours that sit just between calm and bright, and there are clever cutouts and raised elements on each page that add an extra loveliness to the reading experience. This would be a great bedtime read, as it ends with a snuggle, but it’s also perfect for any time you want to remind your little reader of your love!

Who’s Hiding? On the Farm written by Amelia Hepworth and illustrated by Pintachan

We love Pintachan’s bright, fun art style, and this book is no exception! Like previous Who’s Hiding? books, this one has great shaped pages for easy turning, and smaller cardboard flaps that reveal a number of hiding animals – in this case, chicks, to the delight of my bird-loving son! There’s a counting element as each chick is found, and a small amount of peril as they search for their mummy, so you can really get interactive with it – it’s a nice fun read.

Bear and Mouse on the Farm, written by Nicola Edwards and illustrated by Maria Neradova

More farm fun, this time with old favourites Bear and Mouse! While the muted, vintage-style art in these ones isn’t my personal favourite, the series as a whole is a massive hit with my son. Simple text and large sliders on each page make these very interactive, and I think the gentle stories – Bear and Mouse do very normal, recognisable things with no real tension and always have a good time – make the series a winner for a calmer read.

Slide and Seek: Hop, Hop! written by Isabel Otter and illustrated by Sophie Ledesma

Another series I really like. Hop, Hop! is a great new Slide and Seek book, with the usual very bold artwork and fun interactive elements, from sliders to flaps to those rotating circles I never know what to call! On a tour round the forest with Bunny we meet lots of cute animals – obviously the ducklings were a big success. This is great for very little ones, as it’s so striking, but also has a lot of value for older toddlers as there’s plenty to do on each page, with some onomatopoiea to play with as well as those sliders.

One Little Egg, written by Becky Davies and illustrated by Charlotte Pepper

This is aimed at older children, probably pre-schoolers and up, and has a massive amount of information tidbits and flaps on each page. The flaps themselves are fairly small and delicate, so it’s probably one to read together. It explores all about birds, from their different egg shapes and colours to their songs and sounds and the way they live – it’s going to be perfect for my son when he’s a bit older if he still loves birds, though we’re reading it together now so I can help with the flaps! We also have One Little Seed, and like that, One Little Egg is marvellously, thoughtfully put together with a wealth of info for nature-loving kids – it even includes things you can do to help the birds yourself. Really lovely.

Seasons, written by Hannah Pang and illustrated by Clover Robin

Possibly saving the best til last here – this is a magnificent book, really cleverly put together. Cutaway pages reveal how landscapes around the world change across the seasons, making really incredibly beautiful scenes that are a delight to flip through. There are facts on the reverse of each cutaway, so you can find out about the nature and wildlife in the region depicted and what they’re doing throughout the year. It’s not just the turn of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, either – the wet and dry seasons are explored too where that makes more sense, making this feel very global. I love the soft colours of the art and the detail put into the whole book. I definitely recommend this – it would make a lovely gift all the way up through primary school!