
The robins haven't arrived here, but very soon I hope to see plenty of them hopping about in our yard. Then I'll know for sure that spring has finally arrived. The robin is Wisconsin's state bird and for that reason it has always been one of my favorites.
"Robin sat on the windowsill of the little cottage. With his plain brown belly pressed against the windowpane, he watched everything that Lady Winter did. "Oh no!" he cried. "Sister Spring mustn't sleep forever! What will we do without spring?" - How Robin Saved Spring by Debbie Ouellet, illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli.
How Robin Saved Spring
The story begins with two powerful sisters, Lady Winter and Sister Spring, who reside together in a little cottage. It's wintertime and Lady Winter wants to keep it that way forever. Her perfect world is one covered in snow and ice. When the time comes for Sister Spring to wake up, Lady Winter knits a magical white blanket and places it over her sister so that she will continue to sleep. The creatures in the forest learn of Lady Winter's actions and desperately want spring to arrive. They band together and each take a turn trying to wake up Sister Spring, but Lady Winter proves to be a formidable foe. If you've ever pondered why a ladybug has spots, how a skunk got his stripe, why the maple tree gushes sweet sap, and about that red-bellied robin, you should read this fascinating tale.
My daughter found the story extremely engaging, and the telling also presented an interesting teaching opportunity for me. Separating fact from fiction is hard for preschoolers and they are naturally inquisitive. She really wanted to know why robin has a red breast. Reading How Robin Saved SpringHow Robin Saved SpringDoes the robin truly say, UP, UP? If you want to listen to a robin's cheerful song, cheerily, cheeriup, cheerio, cheeriup visit BirdJam to hear a splendid recording and read more about the call.by Debbie Ouellet; illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli. Macmillan (March 2009); ISBN 9780805069709; 32 pages (Book from our own personal collection)
BirdJam - Sounds of the American Robin
Related Links:
Debbie Ouellet - Author Website
Nicoletta Ceccoli - Illustrator Website
This week's Feed Me Books Friday theme at The Adventure of Motherhood is Spring and Easter. Link up your favorites there. I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links.

























