Children's Literature @ NYPL

The Umbrellas are up and the Rain Boots are on...

It's raining, it's not—it's cold, it's hot—finicky weather aside, forsythia and birdsong ensure that spring is, in fact, here to stay. What better time to witness nature's cycle of rebirth than in the city's many parks and waterways.

Whether planning to start a garden or just a walk around the neighborhood, Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: a Book of Changing Seasons by Il Sung Na (Knopf), or The Spring Equinox: Celebrating the Greening of the Earth by Ellen Jackson (Millbrook) might be just the place to start for little ones.   

For a bit more adventure, a trip to see what Pale Male and his mate are up to might be in order:  Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City by Janet Schulman (Knopf).  

To discover how another family is shaking off the affects of a harsh winter, you might want to tune in to the Raptor Resource Project's Decorah Eagle Cam. This live recording of baby eaglets that have just hatched in Decorah, Iowa is not to be missed. Baby eaglets do sleep a lot, and Decorah is in the central time zone, so some patience is required.  Some books might be needed to hold your attention in between feedings: Animals in Flight by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page (Houghton Mifflin).    

The Bald Eagle Returns by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent (Clarion)  

Fly Eagle Fly!: An African Tale retold by Christopher Gregorowski and illustrated by Niki Daly (Margaret K. McElderry Books). 

Enjoy the season, and don't forget to check in with your local librarians, they will know just what to pull off the shelves for you.