Slice of Life Story Challenge #20 - and then it's spring

 My focus this month is to explore writing invitations, mostly through newly published picture books, but possibly some other mentor texts as well.

And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead


Lots of beauty in the simplicity of this book. Gorgeous illustrations! I LOVE Donalyn Miller's suggestion about putting the quote "Please do not stomp here-- there are seeds and they are trying" on her classroom door!

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Writing invitation: Interestingly, this entire book is almost only one sentence. Either recreate a one sentence picture book  (lots of amazing authentic mechanics knowledge required here - think Jeff Anderson) or write about the beginning of a season.

   I'm breaking my theme topic a bit by using an older picture book as a mentor text here, but as soon as this day hit, and I took a walk in 60 degree weather on the first day of spring, how could I NOT think of this picture book?!

   The Steads are one of my favorite picture book writers/illustrators, and this book is one that survived the great classroom library purge when I changed roles from a classroom teacher to a consultant last year.  I just couldn't part with it (and all their other books).  It's part of my permanent children's lit library, and I brought it out today.  The thing I love about it is that it is beautifully illustrated, but TIME is beautifully captivated.  That brink between seasons...the closure of one time and the anticipation of another is so much a part of life.  Spring seems to embody that completely!

     Today was the first day of spring.  It's been a long winter, and as I've grown older, winter has been less and less appealing!  Especially since we don't even get much snow in Cincinnati anymore - it's mostly many gray days of cold rain.  So when spring starts to emerge - tiny signs of irises, daffodils, hellebores, lily of the valley, and other perennials, straining to see the light of day...it's hopeful!  I can't wait!  The tiny signs of spring smells - warm rains, mud, leafing trees and plants.  The sounds - redwing blackbirds, mockingbirds, returning geese, spring peepers (frogs). People and dogs who seem to come out of nowhere.  Everybody breathing in...enjoying the longer days, the lifted spirits, the renewed energy.

   Thank you , spring.  Thank you for the promises, the hope, the renewal. The do-overs, the start-agains, the we-can-do-this-betters. The redemption (my favorite literature theme).  The winters of ours lives are there for a reason.  We get to hibernate and reflect.  Curl up and retreat.  But if spring didn't come, we'd be lost.  Spring means we get to hope and know things will always be better around that corner...

 

“and the brown,
still brown,
has a greenish hum
that you can only hear
if you put your ear to the ground ...
and close your eyes”
- Julie Fogliani
and then it’s spring

 Illustrated by Erin E. Stead