Hi, and welcome! Here are some small reads for spring. These Small Reads Roundups appear first in my Small Reads monthly e‑letter for educators. Subscribe here! My plan is to include only things that are easily accessible to you–if you find a link that’s no longer working, please let me know–thank you :>)
Picture Book Readalouds
You can visit my Readalouds page to see other videos of librarians and teachers sharing these books.
Snowman-Cold=Puddle excerpt, plus writing prompt
Poems by Laura
Click here to open a printable .pdf mini-poster version of this first poem!
This variation below is by the Poetry Friday community. Click on the image to read more about it.
Old Bear, New Year (a rondeau redouble)
The darkness shrinks. The sun plays peekaboo.
It breaks the endless gloom of winter’s drear!
I shrug off hibernation’s residue—
It’s time I rose and met another year.
I fell asleep alone, but cubs are here!
How they arrived I haven’t got a clue.
One wild night and now…a souvenir?
The darkness shrinks. The sun plays peekaboo.
My front porch has a million-dollar view:
My favorite back-scratch birch and clover dear.
A lake–a mirror–glistens, navy blue.
It breaks the endless gloom of winter’s drear.
I’ve grown so thin I almost disappear!
A baby elk or rabbit’s overdue.
My stomach growls—it knows that dinner’s near.
I shrug off hibernation’s residue.
This world is not the autumn that I knew.
Spring forces me to be a pioneer.
There’s ground to cover—new weight to accrue.
It’s time I rose and met another year
Bright April makes its annual debut.
The buzz of bees is music to my ear.
My matted fur reflects the sun’s tattoo.
I lumber off, explore this new frontier.
The darkness shrinks.
–Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved
Scarlet in Late Snow (limerick)
With a flutter and flurry of wing,
Cardinal announces, “Spring!”
He’s the hopeful red heart—
a flash of fresh start.
Even nature appreciates bling.
When the honeybee enters its hive,
he jitterbugs, then does a jive.
His honeybee dance
is a map to the plants
whose nectar will keep bees alive.
If you enjoy this roundup, please share it with your educator friends–thank you! And don’t forget to subscribe to my Small Reads e‑letter. Subscribe here!