Kevin Henkes is the author of Junonia, Sun & Spoon, Bird Lake Moon, and the Newbery Honor Books The Year of Billy Miller and Olive's Ocean. He also writes and illustrates picture books, and among his many titles are the national bestsellers Little White Rabbit, My Garden, Old Bear, A Good Day, and Kitten's First Full Moon, for which he was awarded the Caldecott Medal. Mr. Henkes is also the creator of a series of books starring mouse characters, including the Penny books for beginning readers, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Chrysanthemum, and Owen, for which he was awarded a Caldecott Honor. Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin. Laura Dronzek is a painter whose work has been exhibited nationally. Her picture books include Moonlight, by Helen V. Griffith; the acclaimed Birds, by Kevin Henkes; and White Is for Blueberry, by George Shannon. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
Henkes and Dronzek once again perfectly capture the quiet wonder of the natural world, as they did in Birds and Oh! ...Dronzek's vivacious acrylic illustrations, their bright colors emphasized by the thick black outlines, complement Henkes's spare but lyrical prose. A must-have, joyful seasonal title for the youngest listeners. -- School Library Journal <strong>(starred review)</strong> Lyrical and elegant in its simplicity, this is an enchanting celebration of the season to pair with Oh!, the paean to winter created by this same husband-and-wife team. -- Booklist <strong>(starred review)</strong> In a gently rhythmic text and lush, vibrant paintings, this husband-and-wife author-illustrator team ushers in spring, capturing the season's sights, sounds, and surprises. ...This joyful reflection is as welcome as spotting the first brave crocus. -- Horn Book <strong>(starred review)</strong> Dronzek's cozy paintings combine the simplified shapes of plants, creatures, and children...Henkes is honest about spring's more trying moments, weaving themes of waiting and patience throughout...Readers, especially those who live in regions that experience the full range of changing seasons, will warm to this catalog of familiar joys. -- Publishers Weekly A read-aloud dream, the meticulous text catalogs Spring's awakenings and its characteristic weather. ...Dronzek's thick-lined, bright acrylics are as simultaneously wry and joyous as the text...Henkes and Dronzek make waiting almost as much fun-if not more so-than the payoff. -- Kirkus No harm comes to the bunnies, birds and kittens in Laura Dronzek's deliciously colorful paintings for `When Spring Comes,' a gentle picture book written by Kevin Henkes. ...From brown to green, from eggs to birds, from seeds to flowers, seasonal changes transpire sweetly in these pages. -- Wall Street Journal Henkes creates a childlike and child-friendly cadence with the rhythms of his writing, and the robust, thickly outlined art carries plenty of kid appeal as well. ...Expect this to see heavy use in classrooms and library story hours. -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books