And Then It's Spring

By Julie Fogliano, Erin E. Stead (Illustrator)

A boy plants seeds, waiting for brown to turn green.

5.8/7 Bookroo experts·3.9/5 Goodreads · 4,871 ratings

32 pages· 177 words· Est. 2 min read-aloud

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Bookroo's summary

A young boy and his dog plant a garden, hoping to transform the brown winter landscape into vibrant spring. As they wait, doubt creeps in—will their seeds ever sprout? Discover the magic of patience and nature's promise as the world slowly turns green.

From the publisher

Simple text reveals the anticipation of a boy who, having planted seeds while everything around is brown, fears that something has gone wrong until, at last, the world turns green. By the Caldecott-winning artist of A Sick Day for Amos McGee.

Awards

Ezra Jack Keats Award (2013)

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 32
Words: 177
Reading age: 4–7
Audience: Picture
Lexile: AD600L

Themes & topics

Books about gardening Books about spring Books about science and nature Books about seasons

What readers & critics say

Reviews

5.8

out of 7

4.3

“This book shows how winter can linger as we anticipate the new life that spring brings. It touches on colors: brown and green, which adds a nice touch. It also teaches that we need rain and sunshine to bring about the new life of spring.”

Mom of Boys

Trusted reviewer

7.0

“This book pairs beautiful illustrations with sweet, never-too-wordy text for a great little story about patience, hope, and seasons. It really checks every box for me. It's funny, it has a perfect words-to-page ratio, it's great for learning about something (how plants grow, how seasons change), and it has a soft message--nothing too didactic. It's pretty enough to display, but we can never keep it on the shelf long between readings.”

Lauren Hancock

Trusted reviewer

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