We are celebrating spring and hoping to encourage the warm weather to seep its way in with Sing in the Spring by Sheree Fitch and Deb Plestid.

Sheree Fitch is the Canadian queen of poetry. You are probably already well aware of her delightful poems and books such as Mabel Murple and this new story in verse is another fun and whimsical story all about the changes in the seasons. I love how the story starts at the end of winter, when the ground is still blanketed with snow. The story is so true to a good Canadian spring with the warm days followed by the cold, false spring and second winter as underground things begin stirring. There is a lovely refrain through the whole story to remind readers to sing in the spring, to sing for the plants and the animals and all the little miracles we are treated to throughout the season.

Sheree Fitch captures the wonder of a good old spring exploration and I appreciated how the whole story ebbs and flows. Some verses rhyme and some don’t. Some verses are written as concrete poems, taking on the shape of the subject. The variety of the poetic verse makes this a fabulous book to share not just with the youngest of readers but also those who are older, perhaps studying poetry.

This story is especially delightful thanks to the gorgeous illustrations by Deb Plestid. Her incredible quilt work illustrations completely capture all the sights and feelings of the spring time. Readers will be awestruck by the detail and the precision in the fabric and needlework. The work reminds me of the beautiful quilts my grandmother and aunties make.