Spring is here written and illustrated by Taro Gomi. Chronicle Books, 1999. ISBN 978-0-8118-2331-9 (board book)
Summary: Gomi's story begins in spring with a new calf. As the snow melts, and plants begin to grow, the season changes to summer with green, green grass and thunderstorms. Summer turns into fall and harvest time, which leads into winter and snow. As winter fades into spring, the young calf reappears, but has changed and grown over the course of a year.
With cheerful artwork and very simple text, Gomi has captured the beauty of each of the four seasons, and has included many small details in the illustrations that are worthy of examination and discussion.
Critical Evaluation: Gomi's art can be appreciated on multiple levels. For babies who are still working on focusing and color perception, the bold swaths of highly contrasting colors will capture their attention. For toddlers, the movement depicted in the artwork as well as the vibrant coloring of the illustrations will draw them in. Additionally, the children, adults, and animals that are depicted in each two-page spread will help young readers develop a more personal connection to the passage of the seasons.
As toddlers develop into pre-schoolers, they may notice another level of possibility in the illustrations. Are all of these scenes of landscapes and individuals taking place on the back of the calf? Is that waving grass and ripening grain actually the calf's fur? Gomi encourages creative imagining with the open-ended nature of his artwork.
The pattern of cycling back to where the story began, in spring, can be very reassuring to young children, especially during repeat readings. Knowing where the story is going, and arriving at a familiar place is soothing, and can be very beneficial when incorporated into a bedtime routine.
Awards: Bologna Graphic Prize Winner
Why Included? Gomi's illustrations are lovely from a graphic design perspective, and can be appreciated by people of all ages.