A Field Guide to Spring
For ages 6+
Very enjoyable natural science for young children with delightful poetry, craft activities, experiments and more.
By Gabby Dawnay, illustrated by Dorien Brouwers (Thames & Hudson, 2024)
This first of a new series all about the seasons by this much-loved London-based Children’s author is an absolute delight. The stunning artwork by Dorien Brouwers, a World Illustration Award winner, draws your eye to its place on any bookshelf, or on a tabletop display - open it to find inside poetry, hands on kid-friendly activities, and wonderfully narrated information about all things Spring by bestselling author and poet, Gabby Dawnay.
I’ve got time for anything written by Gabby! I bet you’ve got at least one of her books in your collection at home or at school, or in your local library. Together with illustrator, Alex Barrow, their ‘If I Had a ….’ picture book series has been bestselling in bookshops around the world for a number of years now, and it’s still going strong, with a new one publishing every year, most recently ‘If I Had a Polar Bear’ (Thames & Hudson, 2023). Gabby is a very busy lady, she’s also got another in her popular ‘5 Minute Stories’ series publishing this year with ‘5 Minute Ocean Stories: True Tales From the Sea’ illustrated by Mona K (Magic Cat Publishing, June 2024) followed by a mini library board book set in July that is literally TOO CUTE!! I could go on… she is a powerhouse of awesome Children’s literature!!
After collaborating together in my Moon Lane days, I had the absolute pleasure of finally meeting Gabby in real life today at her book-based author event at the Turner Contemporary, Margate. Celebrating ‘A Field Guide to Spring’ was an absolute joy. I took my just-turned-9 yr old son along with me, armed with a big bag of Gabby’s books for signing, on a sunny sea-breezy afternoon to the iconic Turner art gallery, which for us Thanet locals is an absolute Godsend, especially for children’s creative events.
Sat around a circular table beside the huge windows looking out over the ocean, we arrived to find Gabby creating a some Spring artwork on the wall until everyone had settled. Many had purchased their books with the tickets so it was great to see the children and their adults really engaged in listening to Gabby while looking through their new books. I took my review copy along too.
With all the children being creative, thanks in part to the team at the Turner supplying piles of paper and more than a rainbow full of colouring pencils, Gabby asked the kids to say the first word that comes into their minds when they think of Spring… we had some fabulous answers from birthdays to dog-walking on the beach, to butterflies and blossom. The children could then add their own illustrations to Gabby’s artwork on the wall if they wanted to. There was absolutely no pressure on anyone, it was a lovely supportive atmosphere, and Gabby was very kind and encouraging - always super interested to hear anything anyone had to contribute.
One of the most exciting parts of the workshop was watching my son get creative by drawing what Spring means to him, which was part of Gabby’s process of supporting the children to write their own original Spring poems. I felt so proud and happy watching him work away, caught up in the moment. Afterwards, we all listened to the children reading out their poetry, to much applause and smiles, then Gabby read us one of her poems from the book - ‘Spring is Singing - A poem to read under a tree’. So lovely!
Catching up with Gabby at the end of the event about all things bookish was an absolute treat. I got to learn more about the inspiration behind this new book (which will be followed by ‘Autumn’ later this year), and was quite moved by the story she relayed to me about a school locally to her whose leadership worked to lift up the schooling experience for the kids by acquiring adjacent land through a Crowd Funder and planted a tree for every pupil… now they have their own beautiful woodland to explore, feel peaceful and playful in, and most importantly are able to feel free and safe in nature. I had wondered why there was a credit to a Louise Black, Deputy Head and Forest School Leader in the back of the book alongside the author and illustrator. Now I understand. Amazing!
Much like this new series, many of Gabby’s (most of, if not all) books have a conscious message for children about the benefits of nature and the importance of nature for us all, that we all belong together in a beautiful world that must be looked after. If you get a chance to pick up this lovely book, you’ll enjoy poems about mud, trees, birds, flowers, and more. There are activities using all the senses that are just perfect for home educators, nursery and school teachers, or even parents looking for some nature/STEM-based activities to do in the school holidays. It’s almost pocket sized, but it’s certainly a great size for a backpack (kid’s or adult’s) when out for a walk during a day trip, or on holiday, even when holding your binoculars and looking out your bedroom or living room window. Use this as your introduction to topics like the water cycle, or the lifecycle of a tadpole to frog, even the elementary science of rainbows. It’s got it all!
+ If you do spot that Gabby Dawnay is doing an author event near you, I’d highly recommend popping along…
Praise
Like a bird or flower identification book, this field guide notes the features of the season. The author encourages children to make nature their friend by being curious, creative, and kind... The book encourage use of the senses and note opportunities for readers to learn something, notice their feelings while in nature, or just be part of it all. The bulk of the book focuses on signs of spring and where to find them... Several poems will tickle readers' ears [and] lots of activities are sprinkled throughout... Brouwers' realistic, watercolor-esque illustrations are rendered in light blues, greens, and yellows... An ode to spring that will have readers getting out in nature.-- Kirkus Reviews
Ad - review hardback copy provided by the publisher
“OMG Nicci - I’ve just read this and am a bit welled-up - thank you so much for all your kind words. It was just so brilliant to meet you - and [your son] was a star!”
