“Before Spring comes, the grass is brown. But if you wait, Spring will turn it green and add little flowers.” Page by page, Henkes highlights the small changes that come as winter turns to spring, returning again and again to the phrase “if you wait … ” Rich acrylic paintings feature two young children out in the natural world, experiencing and observing all spring has to offer—the hatching birds, sprouting seeds, rain and puddles, bees, and boots. There’s also a surprise snowfall, because spring “changes its mind a lot.” And when spring finally arrives for good, waiting for summer can begin. This perfectly paced and elegantly illustrated celebration of seasonal changes is right on target for young children, with its sense of wonder at the world outside. (Ages 2–6)

The award-winning, bestselling husband-and-wife team of Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek collaborate on this beautiful picture book celebrating the arrival of spring.

Before spring comes, the trees are dark sticks, the grass is brown, and the ground is covered in snow. But if you wait, leaves unfurl and flowers blossom, the grass turns green, and the mounds of snow shrink and shrink.

Spring brings baby birds, sprouting seeds, rain and mud, and puddles. You can feel it and smell it and hear it—and you can read it!

Kevin Henkes uses striking imagery, repetition, and alliteration to introduce basic concepts of language and the changing of the seasons. And Laura Dronzek’s gorgeous, lush paintings show the transformation from quiet, cold winter to the joyful newborn spring.

Watch the world transform when spring comes!