This is the ultimate list of Spring Picture Books! We've read and enjoyed every single one. Get a free printable book list below!
Summer is my favorite season. However, if you ask me any time between January and March, I'm so over Winter that I'll pledge my wholehearted devotion to all things Spring.
Bring on the sunshine! I'm so ready for brighter days, warmer temperatures, and all the hope and promise that comes with the budding flowers and trees. Hooray for Spring!
Today, I'm bringing you a curated list of our favorite Spring Picture Books. Spring Picture Books are the most fun because they're so bright, colorful, and happy. Just what I want to be reading after a long winter.
The list is long because I've been enthusiastically welcoming Spring after twelve Winters of parenting young children indoors. There are some long time favorites on here and a some brand new Spring Picture Books just hitting the shelves. On the upside though, this is the only list you'll need if you're looking for Spring Picture Books!
If you want to have even more fun welcoming Spring, be sure to check out my Spring Picture Book Bingo game.
Free Printable Spring Book List
Our Favorite Spring Picture Books
And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano
This is at the top of the list because it's my most favorite of the Spring Picture Books. This, waiting and wondering if the seeds I planted will actually grow, is exactly what I feel like every Spring.
A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox by Wendy Pfeffer
And this is second on the list because it's almost my most favorite. It's a non-fiction book all about Spring that is so incredibly well done. We read it every year at the Spring equinox. The illustrations in this one are so bright and colorful too!
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
A young boy takes a walk in the rain one day and finds some dying plants near a railroad. He decides that they just need a gardener, and he's just the boy for the job. The illustrations in this one are perfection!
We Planted a Tree by Diane Muldrow
This adorable book tells the simple, poetic story of two families across the world from each other planting a tree. It's beautiful!
When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes
I'm a huge Kevin Henkes fan and this book is just as wonderful as his work always is. It's pretty much a perfect depiction of the season.
Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes
Really, that precious white rabbit illustration on the cover is reason enough to get this book. It's adorable!
Egg by Kevin Henkes
We discovered this book last year when we did our Mock Caldecott. It easily made it on to our favorites list!
My Garden by Kevin Henkes
And one more Kevin Henkes book, just for good measure! This isn't an ordinary garden though - this is a garden that grows things like chocolate rabbits.
Everything Spring by Jill Esbaum
A great non-fiction look at Spring from National Geographic. Stunning photographs and everything you'd ever want to know about Spring.
Bloom Boom! by April Pulley Sayre
I love all of April Pulley Sayre's books! This one is full of the most incredible photographs of flowers blooming in Spring. It's a feast for the eyes!
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Elhert
A classic must read Spring book that details the process of growing flowers from beginning to end. I love these bright, bold illustrations so much.
The Little Rabbit by Nicola Killen
We saw this sweet Little Rabbit at Christmas, and now she's back to being adorable for Spring and Easter too.
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
This is exactly what it says it is, the diary of a worm. He's not so different from an average kid - he lives with his parents, goes to school - but, he never has to take a bath!
999 Frogs Wake Up by Ken Kimura
It's Spring time in the swamp, but when the 999 Frogs wake up, they're alarmed to find out that no one else is awake yet. The illustrations in this one are superb!
An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston
I love this whole series of books - every one of them is a work of art. This one is a gorgeous look at the wide world of eggs.
A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston
Another gorgeous book, but full of interesting information about seeds and plants too!
A Nest is Noisy by Dianna Hutts Aston
All the nests you can imagine are in this book! Did you know even oranguatan's make nests?
The Sun Egg by Elsa Beskow
I absolutely adore all Elsa Beskow books. They're just so sweet. This one, about a sweet little elf who thinks she finds a Sun Egg. This is one of the first one's the kids always love to read when we pull out our Spring Picture Books basket.
Pelle's New Suit by Elsa Beskow
Pelle needs a new suit and this sweet little book takes us through the whole process, starting with his little lamb who grows the wool for him.
What Will Hatch by Jennifer Ward
This is a great one for really young readers (we have the board book format). Try and guess what's going to hatch from each pretty egg.
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
One of my all time favorite picture books! Miss Rumphius wants to make the world a better place and planting flowers, it turns out, is just the right thing to do.
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
Another one of my very favorite picture books. If you put your mind to it, you can plant a garden just about anywhere.
The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco
Patricia Polacco knows how to tell a wonderful story. This one, about a girl and her grandpa and their hunt for a bee tree is a lovely read.
Wangari's Trees of Peace by Jeanette Winter
This is the true story of Wangari Maathai and how she came to win a Nobel Peace Prize by planting nine seedlings in her own backyard. A beautiful book!
Red Sings from Treetops by Joyce Sidman
This is a gorgeous collection of poems about the seasons by Joyce Sidman. It's not just Spring, but the Spring poems are beautiful.
Singing in the Rain by Tim Hopgood
This is a fun, brightly illustrated book is based on the lyrics from the classic Broadway number (it comes with a cd with the music too).
Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson
I love Christie Matheson's interactive picture books! This is such a fun one to read with your kids. Plant the tiny seed and see what happens when you turn the page.
Worm Weather by Jean Taft
Yes, Spring is full of worm weather! The illustrations in this one are Fantastic!
Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel
Everybody already knows about this wonderful book, this is just a reminder to read it during the Spring months. It's good every single time.
Seed to Plant by National Geographic Readers
I love these National Geographic books and so do my kids. This one takes you through the growing process of a little seed from beginning to end. Well done!
Outside Your Window by Nicola Davies
This one isn't strictly a Spring Picture Books, but rather, a full walk through the seasons and beauties of nature. But it's still one that we always read in Spring - gorgeous illustrations.
Mama, Is it Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure
It's not summer yet. You have to go through Spring first. And there' s no one better to walk you through it than Nikki McClure - one of my all time favorite artists. We LOVE this book.
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
This book is so clever, so well done! I love the artwork and how beautifully it illustrates what happens below the dirt while we just see what happens above.
Rain by Linda Ashman
If that fantastic cover hasn't already sold you, let me just tell you this: there's really no cuter book about a Rainy Day than this one.
The Honeybee by Kristen Hall
All about the honeybee in the most beautifully illustrated book. It's also a beautifully written picture book about bees. A must read for Spring!
When the Wind Blows by Linda Booth Sweeney
Living here in Albuquerque, windy Spring days are the norm. So, I had to include a windy day book and this one is a delightful read.
The Weather Girls by Aki
This one covers all four seasons, but every time I read it, I feel like it's all building up to Spring. Plus, this is a favorite of my kids because there's a page that names all of the sweet little weather girls and they love to sit and debate over which one they want to be when they play.
Mud by Mary Lyn Ray
We don't see too much mud in Spring where I live, but I know that for many people mud is an inevitable part of the season. This is a fantastic muddy book that's a pleasure to read.
A Stick is an Excellent Thing by Marilyn Singer
Another book of nature poems that celebrate outdoor play. I love to pull this one out in the Spring because my kids have been cooped up indoors all winter long and sometimes need a little outdoor play inspiration.
Spring is Here by Lois Lenski
Spring is such a cheerful time of year - birds singing, sun shining, kids playing outside again. This book captures all the joy of the Spring season.
Spring Song by Barbara Seuling
Maybe it's because I grew up reading and loving books like Watership Down, but I'm always a sucker for a good rabbit story. This right here, is a charming rabbit story. Enjoy!
I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt
This is a brand new book that's sure to make your kids giggle. It was love at first sight here. Best of all, my kids wanted to sit down and draw worms for a good 30 minutes after we read this one. Picture book winner!
A Little Book About Spring by Leo Leonni
You already know Leo, right? This is a new board book about Spring with all of his charming illustrations.
Spring by Gerda Muller
This is an old favorite at our house. We have all four of her season books and I've been reading them with my kids since they were born. They're wordless, which means you can tell the story of Spring however you'd like, and the illustrations are wonderful.
Sakura's Cherry Blossoms by Robert Paul Weston
I was lucky enough to live near Washington, D.C. for several Springs in college and it was such a treat to go see all the cherry blossoms. Every Spring, I remember what it felt like to walk beneath all of those beautiful pink flowers with the monuments in view. So, I can't make a Spring Picture Books list without including some cherry blossoms.
In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb by Marion Dane Bauer
This is the perfect book to introduce both Spring and the age old saying to your kids. Plus, the water color illustrations in this one amaze me every time.
Flowers Are Calling by Rita Gray
Read this one just because it's gorgeous. That's really the only reason you need.
How to Grow a Friend by Sarah Gillingham
This is such a sweet book. Turns out growing a friend has a lot in common with growing a flower.
The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin
I actually like everything that Grace Lin writes. This book is about a Chinese-American girl who wishes her garden were full of flowers instead of "ugly vegetables," but she's going to find out just how great those ugly vegetables really are.
Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
And last, but never least, this charming classic that's a must have in every family library. It wouldn't be Spring without the ducklings.
What are your favorite Spring Picture Books?
Tiffany says
I'm SO excited to see this! Thank you! I have a much harder time finding spring books that I love than any other season and I'm thrilled to add these to our list. Another favorite of ours not listed here is "Muncha Muncha Muncha."
somethewiser@gmail.com says
Yay! I'm so glad that this is helpful to you. And I'm adding Muncha Muncha Muncha to our library list right now - thank you for the recommendation!
Ryan | Dad Suggests says
This is fantastic! I need And Then It's Spring, Rain!, and The Honeybee - simply because they are illustrated by some of our favorite illustrators. That's all I need to know! Are they as good as they look?
Allison says
Yep! All 3, but especially the Erin Stead - it's my favorite on the list. Enjoy!