Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic [Hardcover]

Steven Schnur (Author), Leslie Evans (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

In this companion book to "Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic," the pleasures of spring, from April to Zenith, are captured in twenty-six short poems. New grass and daffodils, hopscotch and kite flying, kittens under the porch and baby birds under the eaves are the subjects of Steven Schnur's evocative verses and Leslie Evans's luminous linoleum-cut illustrations. When read vertically, each poem reveals a playful acrostic, making every handsomely designed page a double treat for the eye as well as a joyous tribute to the season.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-Schnur and Evans have combined their considerable talents to create a picture book that is both innovative and lovely. Done in the form of acrostics, the poems are a visual as well as a literary delight. Their style is simple, yet capable of evoking myriad images and feelings, similar in many ways to haiku. For example, in "Dawn": "Day breaks early now/And quickly/Warms after a cool/Night." The linoleum-cut illustrations are rich in detail and vibrant with spring tones. Easily as successful as this team's previous collaboration, Autumn (Clarion, 1997), this book could be used effectively with any unit on seasons or as a study of literary re-creations in combination with Bonnie Christensen's Rebus Riot (Dial, 1997). It will also spring off the shelf on its own.
Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 2^-5, younger for reading aloud. Similar in format to Schnur's Autumn (1998), this volume features one illustrated acrostic on each page. For instance, the word grass appears vertically in purple, but reading horizontally the lines read "Green leaves overhead, a / Rug of green underfoot, / And the air between / Sweet with the green / Smell of spring." Evans' artwork is outlined in black, making the rich colors appear jewel-like and full of light. Schnur's best acrostics are fresh and imaginative, distilling the essence of the season in a few brief lines and images. An attractive book, sure to be used in many classrooms, sometimes as an alphabet book, sometimes as an evocation of spring, sometimes as a model for student writing. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (March 22, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395822696
• ISBN-13: 978-0395822692
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,067,868 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars book evokes spirit of spring, March 24, 2006

By 

S. McFarland (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic (Hardcover)

The concept of this book--the acrostic--is clever. But it's the beautiful illustrations and the effortless, hiaku-like writing that make this book so appealing. It's a wonderful picture book that truly evokes the spirit of spring.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart acrostic books that introduce topics to little ones, April 4, 2005

By 

K. Whitt "astronomommy" (Wiscsonsin) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic (Hardcover)

These books are entertaining for both adults and kids. We are both wondering what spring item will be represented in the next letter of the alphabet, and how the author will describe that word with the limited parameters. For example, A is:
After days of
Pouring
Rain, the last
Ice and snow finally
Leave the earth.
(See the word April reading down the first lines of the description?)
The illustrations are also very colorful and add a lot to the text.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for Spring, February 25, 2005

By 

buonofortuna - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic (Hardcover)

The ideal book for Spring ! the illustrations make springtime pop out. the color is perfect! every page is a delight.