Best Spring Read Alouds for Kids

Introduce your children to the wonder of the spring season with good spring read alouds. These favorite children’s picture books about spring give young kids important life skills and knowledge. After you read aloud some of these books, then try the fun spring scavenger hunt!

Why is it important for kids to learn about spring?

In spring, kids discover new, budding plants and the birth of cute baby animals. And after a long winter, spring is a wonderful time to get back outside, too. Take nature walks and observe the new life popping up all around us that you’ve read about in these books. Maybe even set up a bird feeder and observe the birds in your backyard!

Also, the change of season is a good time to talk about what items of clothing to wear for different kinds of weather–rain, warm, cold, mild… My kids loved changing clothes for different weather. In fact, several of the spring read alouds on this list address what to wear for different types of weather.

Of course, the best way to learn about spring is to observe. One year, I gave my kids digital cameras and had them take photographs of signs of spring. That made the learning active and engaged them for hours. You can take this spring scavenger hunt, a clipboard, and some pencils and go exploring anytime and any place.

Consider a spring sensory bin with one of these fun ideas!

Practice numbers and creativity when you download these Color by Number Spring pages!

Now let’s dive into the good spring read aloud books!

Spring Read Alouds for kids

Picture Books About Spring

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring by Kenard Pak
Evocative text and gorgeous illustrations show a boy and his dog first standing in the dark of a snowy winter day then walking in nature, noticing small signs of spring such as the chirping of birds and the melting brook. Use this book to teach compare and contrast.

Baby Loves Spring by Karen Katz
Lift the flaps to discover the best parts of spring: baby robins, butterflies, worms, frogs in puddles, and more spring signs!

A Spring Stroll in the City written by Cathy Goldberg Fishman, illustrated by Melanie Hall
Observe and count from one to ten things you’ll see in spring — straw sombreros, eggs in a bowl, matzo boxes, and more. Sweet pastel illustrations show multicultural scenes with diverse characters. I really love the springy, colorful illustrations in this spring read aloud!

Let It Rain by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Just a few words per page, this cheerful book captures the ambiance of spring — planting a garden, listening to the singing birds, having a picnic, and so forth. A perfect choice for preschool readers.

One Springy, Singy Day by Renee Kurilla
“Stretchy yawny wide awake at dawn-y.” It’s a vivid verb, action-filled day showing a diverse group of kids who play and read, eat, and imagine until the end of the day which is “soapy scrubby bubbles in the tubby.” What a charming spring read aloud.

Snowman – Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations written by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Micha Archer
Look at spring in a completely new way! This book writes “equations” that will inspire readers to see the unique possibilities in writing like this. I suggest using this spring read aloud book as a writing prompt to integrate STEM with literacy.

Mouse’s First Spring written by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Buket Erdogan
It’s a spring day. Mouse and Momma go outside to play. They’ll notice clues to signs of spring: something glittery and flittery (a butterfly,) something feathery and plump (a bird) a butterfly, and more. A darling spring read aloud for toddlers.

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb written by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully
Kids won’t soon forget this old saying when they see March, a lion, roaring at the door, stomping mud across the floor. The lion makes a total mess — until the soft breezes blow and new trees bud, which makes the lion sneeze….and fall asleep.

First Notes of Spring written by Jessica Kulekjian, illustrated by Jennifer Bower
Mr. Moose doesn’t like Juniper the badger’s percussion sounds or the booms, rings, hums, and whoos of other animals. Even so, Juniper discovers other animals who make music, too — a woodpecker’s tap-a-tap, a beaver’s clap-a-clap, and a rabbit’s thumpity thump. Together, they welcome spring with a wildly exuberant musical celebration, surprising and delighting Mr. Moose, who joins them, too.

Everything Spring by Jill Esbaum (National Geographic Kids)
Who doesn’t love the impressive photographs in National Geographic’s publications? This spring read aloud picture book is no exception. Lyrical poetic text shares about springtime animals like chicks, bunnies, ducklings, and other baby animals.

Until Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes
“If you wait,” wonderful things happen in spring. “A seed grows” . . . and “there will be buds and bees and boots and bubbles.” If we wait. Vibrant illustrations and lyrical text show the sights of spring like leaves and blossoms, as well as the sounds and other surprises. This is the perfect spring read aloud!

When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons written by Julie Fogliano, illustrations by Julie Morstad
Although this sweet spring read aloud book of poems covers all four seasons, it’s worth reading for the spring poems alone. I just adore how Fogliano captures the fun and whimsy of spring using dates as the titles for each poem. I particularly LOVE how the poet captures the essence of  child’s natural wonder.

Picture Book About Spring Baby Animals

Cheep! Cheep! with Big Flaps to Lift! by Sebastian Braun
Welcome springtime with baby animals. Lift the sturdy flaps to find who is hiding! You’ll reveal baby ducks, a baby donkey, a kitten, a chick, and a baby goat. Great for ages 1 – 3 to learn about animals and their babies.

Spring in the Forest by Rusty Finch
It’s spring! Follow a mama deer and her fawn through the woods. Lift the flaps as they meet friends and notice all the singing birds, blooming flowers, puddles of rain, and a rainbow in the sky. So sweet!

Spring is Here (Bear and Mole Stories) by Will Hillenbrand
Mole knows spring is in the air. He does everything he can to wake his friend Bear from his winter hibernation like knocking, trumpeting, and tickling. Finally, Mole cooks Bear a huge breakfast. It works! Bear wakes up to announce spring is here, only to find his friend Mole fast asleep. A fantastic story of friendship with a spring theme.

Spring Read Alouds: All About Plants

And Then It’s Spring written by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead
The illustrations perfectly capture this story of patience and transformation. A young boy and his dog watch the dull landscape and hopefully plant a seed. Slowly the pair watch and wait as the brown changes to a very possible sort of brown to a brown with a greenish hum “that you can only hear if you put your ear to the ground and close your eyes.” And then, finally,  it’s green! Reading this gives you a feeling of zen-like bliss.

Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson
By the same author of Tap the Magic Tree and Touch the Brightest Star, in this spring read aloud book, kids get to use their imaginations to read and touch, rub, press, shake, and clap to help plant a garden. All the seeds need are water, rain, and sunshine to grow and you get to help.

Busy Spring Nature Wakes Up written by Sean Taylor and Alex Morss, illustrated by Cinyee Chiu
A sister and brother join their dad in the garden, where they notice signs of spring –– the birds building nests, the bee flying by, the tadpoles swimming, and as they do, the kids pretend to play and sing like the birds and frogs. Six more pages of back-matter talk about spring, including the animals and growing things, ending with ideas for how you can help birds and other growing things.

Mole Finds Hope written by Glenys Nellist, illustrated by Sally Garland
Little Mole feels sad. His mother suggests that he needs hope. She shows him where hope is hiding in a seemingly dead bulb that she says will soon become a beautiful daffodil. She shows him the bare tree and asks him to visualize the little green buds that will appear soon. As they continue observing the world and visualizing the hopeful possibilities, we see what will happen soon —spring!

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