SPRING ACROSS AMERICA
by Seymour Simon
On the heels of Autumn Across America (1993) and Winter Across America (1994) in a series reminiscent of Edwin Way Teale's classic adult collection, The American Seasons (1951-1965), comes this lavishly illustrated book by a veteran science writer for children. On colorful text pages that harmonize with handsome full-color photographs (many taken by Simon himself), the spreads feature the characteristic animals or plant phenomena of the season: the spring peeper, robins, bear cubs, spawning grunion, migrating sandhill cranes, fiddleheads emerging from the forest floor. The clear text presents some fundamental concepts (the progression of spring as related to both latitude and elevation, treeline in the mountains determined not only by temperature but also by rainfall) as well as particulars about the various species mentioned. Beautiful and informative. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-10)