IS IT SPRING?

Henkes answers the question on everyone’s lips and within everyone’s hearts each winter.

“Is it spring?” Some signs indicate yes: the flowers down the street, the buds on the trees, the birds in the sky. But wait! An opposing opinion comes from the wind, “turning icy and sharp.” The gray clouds swoop in, and the sleepy animals stay in their homes. “Is it spring?” A late snow bedecking the tulips gives a resounding “No, no, no!” “Will it ever be spring?” This time the affirmative comes from the very sun itself, “warming the wind and melting the snow and calling the animals out of their dark homes.” “Yes! Yes! Yes!” Henkes leans into the frustration experienced by both children and adults yearning for green grasses and balmier days. Relying on minimal yet well-chosen words and elegantly crafted art, he beautifully evokes the betrayal many feel when snow unexpectedly returns; the pinks, purples, and greens that appear in scenes of flowers, grasses, buildings, and benches are often obscured by thick layers of snow. Henkes deftly allows color to work its magic on readers’ emotions; even the shifting hues of the page backgrounds behind the titular refrain are well chosen.

Masterfully captures that nebulous time when spring feels simultaneously imminent and worlds away. A seasonal triumph.