Top 10 Best Kids Books for Spring

Top 10 Best Kids' Books for

Spring

🌸

Yes, Mine Made the List — (Deal With It)

A totally unbiased, first-person, slightly chaotic roundup by a somewhat frustrated

gardener

Okay, LISTEN. Spring is HERE, the flowers are doing their thing, and

your kid is probably outside eating dirt instead of the perfectly nutritious meal

you just made them. CLASSIC. But you know what? That's fine. That's a vibe.

Because I have a solution, and it involves books. Obviously.

So grab a snack (something from the garden, maybe? HINT HINT), and let's talk about the absolute best kids' books to read this spring — ranked by me, for you, with zero apology.

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1. *Mmm…Marigolds — A Yummy Book for Picky Eaters* by Veronica Saretsky (That's Me!)

Look, I'm putting my book first because it IS first. In my heart. And also alphabetically... okay not alphabetically, but EMOTIONALLY it's number one. I wrote this book because my granddaughter (who loves to garden like me) looked at the veggies I made and said Yuck! Yuck! Yucky! — without even trying them!

We have all been there. So I made a story about mommy deer trying to get her baby to eat marigolds, (YES, DEER DO EAT MARIGOLDS, I have seen it), frustrated gardeners, and the lesson “Try it, you’ll like it”, rolled into a storybook with beautiful illustrations by P. Braga.

And hide and seek ladybugs in the pictures.

And if it convinces even ONE picky eater to try

something new, I'm going to cry happy tears in my garden. Get it from Amazon. Kids love to hold the book so get the hard copy here.

You’re welcome. 🌼

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2. The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

Okay, Eric Carle is a LEGEND and I will not hear otherwise. This man took some colored tissue paper and basically invented childhoods. The Tiny Seed

follows a little seed on its big adventure through the seasons, and honestly? It's a

metaphor for all of us. Tiny. Trying. Eventually blooming. Ages 3–7, but also

ages 35 and having a moment.

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3. Flower Garden by Eve Bunting

This one is SO CUTE it actually makes me want to be a better person. A

little girl and her dad secretly plant a window box garden as a birthday surprise

for mom, and I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying. Sweet, short, and full of spring

garden energy. Perfect for ages 3–6, or anyone who needs a good wholesome

moment today.

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4. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

Miss Rumphius traveled the WORLD and then came home and scattered

lupine seeds EVERYWHERE to make it more beautiful. That is the most chaotic

good energy I have ever encountered in a picture book and I respect it DEEPLY.

This book is gorgeous, timeless, and lowkey life-changing. Ages 5–8, but

honestly just read it yourself right now.

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5. Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by

Kate Messner

Worms. Beetles. Roots. Things happening underground that we don't

even KNOW ABOUT. This book takes kids above AND below the garden soil

and it is wildly educational in the best sneaky way. My favorite kind of learning

— where nobody realizes it's happening until they're already obsessed with

composting. Ages 4–8.

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6. Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

Bold. Graphic. SO MUCH COLOR. Lois Ehlert said "what if a book was

basically a garden explosion" and just... did it. Kids learn colors and plant names

and honestly the illustrations are so good I would frame them. This is a must for

the littles — ages 2–5 — and also for anyone who needs their eyes to feel happy.

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7. The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

Published in 1945. Still slapping. A little boy plants a carrot seed.

Everyone says it won't grow. He waters it anyway. READER, IT GROWS. This

book has the energy of "I told you so" delivered with complete toddler grace and

I find it deeply inspiring. Ages 2–5. Also a good read for anyone who's been told

their dreams won't work out. Just saying.

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8. Spring is Here by Will Hillenbrand

Mole wakes up Bear to tell him spring has arrived and honestly, I feel like

Mole. I am ALWAYS the person going "GUYS. IT'S SPRING. GET UP. SMELL

THE AIR." This sweet little read-aloud has soft watercolor illustrations and big

cozy energy. Ages 2–4, but also perfect for anyone who relates to aggressively

loving a season.

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9. Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert

Yes, Lois Ehlert is on this list TWICE. She EARNED it. Butterflies, die-cut

pages, vivid artwork, a lyrical text that makes you feel like you're floating in a

garden — this is a whole experience. Pair it with a butterfly garden kit for max

spring chaos. Ages 3–6.

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10. In My Garden by Ward Schumaker

A counting book! In a garden! With bees and butterflies and seeds! My

preschool people, this one is for YOU. Gorgeous, vibrant, and educational in that

sneaky fun way we all love. Ages 2–5, and honestly a great way to combine math

and nature before anyone even realizes they're learning. Mwahaha.

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Go Read Something. Then Go Outside.🌻

That's the assignment this spring. Read one of these, get inspired, maybe

try to grow something, maybe eat a marigold petal (they're EDIBLE, I promise,

this is what my book is about). And if your kid is a picky eater and you're losing

your mind a little bit — Mmm…Marigolds is waiting for you. I wrote it for you.

Specifically. You're going to be okay.

Happy reading, happy planting, and may your spring be full of things

that actually grow.

— Veronica Saretsky, author, marigold enthusiast, and person who has definitely watched deer eat marigolds!