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The Beautiful Spring

by George Cooper

"I was here first," said the snowdrop: "look!"

"Not before me!" sang the silver brook.

"Why," cried the grass, "I've been here a week!"

"So have I, dear," sighed a violet meek.

"Well," piped a bluebird, "don't leave me out!

I saw the snow that lay round about."

"Yes," chirped a snowbird, "that may be true;

But I've seen it all the bleak winter through."

"I came betimes," sang the southwind, "I!"

"After me, love!" spake the deep blue sky.

"Who is it cares?" chimed the crickets gay:

"Now you are here, let us hope you'll stay."

Whispered the sun, "Lo! the winter's past:

What does it matter who's first or last?

Sky, brooks, and flowers, and birdies that sing,

All help to make up the beautiful spring."

A Child of Spring

by Ellen Robena Field

I know a little maiden,

She is very fair and sweet,

As she trips among the grasses

That kiss her dainty feet;

Her arms are full of flowers,

The snow-drops, pure and white,

Timid blue-eyed violets,

And daffodillies bright.

She loves dear Mother Nature,

And wanders by her side;

She beckons to the birdlings

That flock from far and wide.

She wakes the baby brooklets,

Soft breezes hear her call;

She tells the little children

The sweetest tales of all.

Her brow is sometimes clouded,

And she sighs with gentle grace,

Till the sunbeams, daring lovers,

Kiss the teardrops from her face.

Well we know this dainty maiden,

For April is her name;

And we welcome her with gladness,

As the springtime comes again.

Dandelions

by Frances E. W. Harper

Welcome children of the Spring,

In your garbs of green and gold,

Lifting up your sun-crowned heads

On the verdant plain and wold.

As a bright and joyous troop

From the breast of earth ye came

Fair and lovely are your cheeks,

With sun-kisses all aflame.

In the dusty streets and lanes,

Where the lowly children play,

There as gentle friends ye smile,

Making brighter life's highway

Dewdrops and the morning sun,

Weave your garments fair and bright,

And we welcome you to-day

As the children of the light.

Children of the earth and sun.

We are slow to understand

All the richness of the gifts

Flowing from our Father's hand.

The Gladness of Nature

by John Greenleaf Whittier

Is this a time to be cloudy and sad,

When our Mother Nature laughs around,

When even the deep blue heavens look glad,

And gladness breathes from the blossoming ground?

There are notes of joy from the hangbird and wren,

And the gossip of swallows through all the sky;

The ground squirrel gayly chirps by his den,

And the wilding bee hums merrily by.

The clouds are at play in the azure space,

And their shadows at play on the bright green vale,

And here they stretch to the frolic chase,

And there they roll on the easy gale.

There's a dance of leaves in that aspen bower;

There's a titter of winds in that beechen tree;

There's a smile on the fruit, and a smile on the flower,

And a laugh from the brook that runs to the sea.

And look at the broad-faced sun, how he smiles

On the dewy earth that smiles in his ray,

On the leaping waters and gay young isles,

Ay, look, and he'll smile thy gloom away.

Poetry Study - Notes and Questions

Discussion:

1. What season is described here? 2. What are the signs that Nature is glad? How do all these things affect the poet? How do

you sometimes feel on a cold, rainy day?

3. What signs of gladness are mentioned in the first two stanzas?

4. Which of these have you seen in springtime? 5. Have you ever seen clouds that seemed to chase one another?

6. What is meant by "a laugh from the brook"? 7. What does the poet say the sun will do for us? 8. Do you think spring is "a time to be cloudy and sad"? Why?

9. Why do city boys and girls like to visit the country?

10. Commit to memory the stanza that you like

best.

11. Pronounce: wilding; azure; isles; ay

Phrases for Study

gladness breathes, frolic chase, blossoming ground,

aspen bower, gossip of swallows, titter of winds, azure

space, broad-faced sun.

About the Author

John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892) was born near

the town of Haverhill, Massachusetts, not far from

Hawthorne's birthplace. He had very little opportunity

for education beyond what the district school

afforded, for his parents were too poor to send him

away to school. His two years' attendance at

Haverhill Academy was paid for by his own work at

making ladies' slippers for twenty-five cents a pair. He

began writing verses almost as soon as he learned to

write at all, but his father discouraged this ambition

as frivolous, saying it would never give him bread. His

family were Quakers, sturdy of stature as of

character. He is called "The Quaker Poet."

Nest Eggs

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Birds all the sunny day

Flutter and quarrel

Here in the arbour-like

Tent of the laurel.

Here in the fork

The brown nest is seated;

Four little blue eggs

The mother keeps heated.

While we stand watching her

Staring like gabies,

Safe in each egg are the

Bird's little babies.

Soon the frail eggs they shall

Chip, and upspringing

Make all the April woods

Merry with singing.

Younger than we are,

O children, and frailer,

Soon in the blue air they'll be,

Singer and sailor.

We, so much older,

Taller and stronger,

We shall look down on the

Birdies no longer.

They shall go flying

With musical speeches

High overhead in the

Tops of the beeches.

In spite of our wisdom

And sensible talking,

We on our feet must go

Plodding and walking.

The Wind

by Robert Louis Stevenson

I saw you toss the kites on high

And blow the birds about the sky;

And all around I heard you pass,

Like ladies' skirts across the grass--

O wind, a-blowing all day long,

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

I saw the different things you did,

But always you yourself you hid.

I felt you push, I heard you call,

I could not see yourself at all--

O wind, a-blowing all day long,

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

O you that are so strong and cold,

O blower, are you young or old?

Are you a beast of field and tree,

Or just a stronger child than me?

O wind, a-blowing all day long,

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

The Winds of March

by Winifred Sackville Stoner, Jr

Last March, "Imp March Winds" teased me so, I had

no peace of mind,

For when I took a little walk, these imps came close

behind,

And plucked my hat from off my head and hurled it

to the ground,

Or blew my handkerchief so far it never could be

found.

So, thinking of the Tangu rug, I asked isst to appear

And carry me away to Mars, where I need have no

fear

Of being tortured by these imps who love to tease

and tease,

And never let the big or small feel perfectly at ease.

Then on the magic rug I flew away up in the air,

And landed on the planet Mars. Alas, the imps were

there!

And working greater havoc far than they had done

on earth,

For 'twas indeed the warlike Mars that gave these

bad imps birth.

Little Mary

by Eliza Lee Follen

Little Mary was good;

The weather was fair;

She went with her mother

To taste the fresh air.

The birds they were singing;

Mary chatted away;

And she was as happy

And merry as they.

ACTION RHYMES & POEMS

Count-Down for Spring

One is the flag fluttering in the breeze,

Two are the kites careening by the trees.

Three are the worms wriggling in the ground.

Four are the robins listening for worm's sound.

Five are the daffodils wearing green and yellow.

Six are the calves, following moher's bellow.

Seven are the crocuses, bursting in the air.

Eight are the tulips, swaying everywhere.

Nine are the raindrops, dampening everything.

Ten are the children welcoming the spring.

Robert McCracken

Spring

Today is the day when bold kites fly,

When cumulus clouds roar across the sky.

When robins return, when children cheer,

When light rain beckons spring to appear.

Today is the day when daffodils bloom,

Which children pick to fill the room,

Today is the day when grasses green,

When leaves burst forth for spring to be seen.

Robert McCracken

A Robin

When a robin cocks his head

Sideways in a flower bed,

he can hear the tiny sound

Of a worm beneath the ground.

Anonymous

It's Spring

Bees soon will buzz,

Rabbits soon will hop,

Birds soon will sing,

Frogs soon kerplop.

Chicks soon will peep,

Kids soon will play,

Sun soon will shine,

A fine spring day!

Robert McCracken

I Dig, Dig, Dig

I dig, dig, dig,

And plant some seeds.

I rake, rake, rake,

And I pull some weeds.

I wait and I watch

And soon, you know

My garden sprouts,

And starts to grow.

Growth

A little garden flower

Is lying in its bed.

A warm spring sun

Is shining overhead.

Down come the raindrops

Dancing to and fro.

The little flower awakens

And starts to grow.

Dig A Little Hole

Dig a little hole.

Plant a little seed.

Pour a little water.

Pull a little weed.

Chase a little bug --

Heigh-ho, there he goes!

Give a little sunshine,

Grow a little rose.

Trees

Trees are the kindest thing I know,

They do no harm, they simply grow.

And spread a shade for sleepy cows,

And gather birds among their boughs.

They give us fruit in leaves above,

And wood to make our houses of.

And leave to burn on Hallowe'en,

And in the Spring new buds of green.

They are the first when day's begun,

To touch the beams of morning sun.

They are the last to hold the light,

When evening changes into night.

And when a moon floats on the sky,

They hum a drowsy lullaby.

Of sleepy children long ago . . .

Trees are the kindest things I know.

Harry Behn

Cherry Blossoms

(Eensy Weensy)

Little cherry blossom buds

Closed up oh, so tight!

See them bursting into bloom,

Colored pink and white.

Along comes the spring breeze,

Blowing all around,

And down fall the petals,

Twirling to the ground.

Elizabeth McKinnon

Chicks and Ducklings

(Oh, Susanna)

It was early spring, the sun was warm

We went to Grandpa's farm

Grandpa said, "Go out into the barn"

There's lots of babies born.

Chicks and ducklings

Such furry balls of yellow

How I love to visit Grandpa's farm

And see those little fellows

Well, my dad and I, we walked outside

And took a look around

There were lots of tiny baby birds

All making little sounds.

Chorus

Now, the duckling has a bill you see

While the chickie has a beak

And the baby chick has four small toes

While the duckling has webbed feet.

Chorus

In The Egg

(Eensy Weensy Spider)

In this little egg

A tiny baby sleeps

He lies so very still

He doesn't make a peep

One day very soon

A pecking sound you'll hear

And before your very eyes

A baby chick/duck appears.

Just Hatched

(I'm a Little Teapot)

I'm a little chick/duck inside an egg

I'm often sleeping -- curled on my legs

Soon you'll hear a pecking, pecking sound

The egg will crack and I'll come out.

(Cheep, cheep/quack, quack)

Baby Lamb

(Twinkle, twinkle)

Very early Easter morn

Tiny little lamb is born

Mommy sheep says, "Baa, baa, baa"

Baby lamb says, "Maa, maa, maa"

Mommy cuddles baby sheep

Baby sheep falls fast asleep.

New-Born Lamb

(I'm a Little Teapot)

Boys sing:

I'm a baby lamb just born today

I want to run around and play

I am very hungry -- I must eat

I'll grow big like daddy sheep.

Girls sing:

I'm a baby lamb just born today

I want to run around and play

I am very hungry -- I must eat

I'll grow big like mommy sheep.

The Sheep Family

(The Farmer in the Dell)

The mommy is a "ewe"

The daddy is a "ram"

We know that they are sheep

And so is baby "lamb"

(repeat)

Fun in the Rain

(Deck the halls)

Do you the pitter patter?

Hear the little raindrops falling down.

Can you see the splashing water?

All the little raindrops on the ground.

Time to get our big umbrellas

We don't want to get our hair all wet.

If you wear your boots and raincoat,

We will go outside and splash a bit!

Raindrops

(Frere Jacques)

Pitter, patter, pitter, patter

Hear that sound, hear that sound.

Watch the little raindrops

Watch the little raindrops

Touch the ground -- touch the ground.

Rain Song

(Twinkle, Twinkle)

Raindrops falling from the clouds,

Thunder clapping very loud.

Pitter patter goes the rain,

Thunder clapping loud again.

See the black clouds go away,

Now the sun is here to stay.

Swim Polliwog

(Row, row, row your boat)

Swim, swim polliwog

Round and round and round

Soon you'll be a speckled frog

Jumping on the ground.

Polliwogs

(Have you seen the ghost of John?)

Have you seen the polliwogs?

They are swimming by the logs

Oooh, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo!

Someday soon you'll see them change

They'll be frogs!!

Three Little Frogs

(Five Little ducks)

Three little frogs went out one day

Jumping and leaping so far away

One little fly came buzzing by --bzzzzz!

"Zap" went a frog, he caught that fly!

(One frog sits down to eat)

Two little frogs ....

One little frog ...

Three little frogs went home one day

Jumping and leaping from far away

Those little frogs had caught their flies

"Ribit" went the frogs as they leaped by.

"Ribit" went the frogs as they leaped by.

Frogs in a Pond

(Down by the Station)

Down by the lily pad, early Sunday morning

All the little bullfrogs are sitting in a row.

Here comes the mommy and the daddy bullfrog,

Glunk, glunk, splash, splash!

There they go!

Fun in the Rain ( Tune: Deck the Halls)

Do you hear the pitter patter?

Hear the little raindrops falling down.

Can you see the splashing water? All the little

raindrops on the ground.

Time to get our big umbrellas We don't want to get

our hair all wet.

If you wear your boots and raincoat, We will go

outside and splash a bit!

From Sing a Song All Year Long By Connie Walters

and Diane Totten T.S. Denison & Co.

Do you see a sign of Spring? (Tune of "Did you ever

see a lassie")

Oh, do you see a sign of Spring

a sign of Spring, a sign of Spring?

Oh, do you see a sign of spring?

Please, tell us what you see!

Spring Won't Spring!

(Tune of "This is the Song That Never Ends" Shari Lewis

& Lambchop)

This winter doesn't want to end,

It just goes on and on my friend.

Some people started thinking that it would be over

soon,

But every day it snows some more and now it's almost

June! (repeat over and over again!)

My eyes can see it's springtime

(Tune of Did you ever see a lassie)

My eyes can see its springtime, its springtime, its

springtime

My eyes can see its spring time the grass is so green

The green grass, the flowers, the sunshine, the

showers

My eyes can see its springtime the grass is to green

This Is My Garden

(Fingerplay)

This is my garden (place left hand, palm toward sky,

in front of you)

I'll rake it with care (use first 3 crooked fingers of right

hand to "rake" left palm)

Then some flower seeds I'll plant in there (with thumb

and forefinger "pinchers" touch garden four times to

plant seeds)

The sun will shine (right hand pinchers in air above

"garden" twist wrist and open fingers)

The rain will fall (wiggle fingers of right hand down to

garden)

And my garden will blossom and grow straight and

tall (put right hand under left hand "garden" push

right hand fingers up through left hand to grow)

Spring is here (tune of The Farmer in the Dell)

The days of Spring are here,

Warm, sunny days are near,

Flowers and bees, and birds in trees.

The days of spring are here.

Spring is Here (tune of Are You Sleeping)

I see robins, I see bird's nests,

Butterflies too, flowers too.

Everything is growing,

The wind is gently blowing.

Spring is here, spring is here.

Spring Won't Spring!

Sing to tune of "This is the Song That Never Ends" (Shari

Lewis & Lambchop)

This winter doesn't want to end,

It just goes on and on my friend.

Some people started thinking that it would be over

soon,

But every day it snows some more and now it's almost

June! (repeat over and over again!)

Do you see a sign of Spring? (tune of "If I were a

lassiie")

Oh, do you see a sign of Spring

a sign of Spring, a sign of Spring?

Oh, do you see a sign of spring?

Please, tell us what you see!

Fun in the Rain ( Tune: Deck the Halls)

Do you hear the pitter patter? Hear the little raindrops

falling down.

Can you see the splashing water? All the little

raindrops on the ground.

Time to get our big umbrellas We don't want to get

our hair all wet.

If you wear your boots and raincoat, We will go

outside and splash a bit!

Raindrops

Rain is falling down

Rain is falling down (raise arms, flutter fingers to the

ground)

Pitter-patter

Pitter-patter

Rain is falling down.

Creepy Crawly Caterpillar

A creepy crawly caterpillar that I see(shade eyes)

Makes a chrystalis in the big oak tree. (make body

into a ball)

He stays there, and I know why (slowly stand up)

Because soon he will be a butterfly (flap arms)

Springtime Song

(Tune: Did you ever see a Lassie?)

My eyes can see it springtime, it's springtime, its

springtime.

My eyes can see it springtime, the grass is so green!

The green grass, the flowers, the sunshine and

showers.

My eyes can see it's springtime, and I am so glad.

My ears can hear its springtime, its spring time, its

springtime.

My ears can hears its springtime, the birds sweetly

sing.

The birds sing, the lambs bleat the frogs croak, the

bees buzz.

My ears can hear it's springtime, and I am so glad!

My body can feel its springtime, it's springtime, it's

springtime.

My body can feel it's springtime, the air is so warm.

The warm air, the breezes, no frost and no freezes.

(Variation: The warm air, the breezes, the pollen, the

sneezes)

My body can feel it's springtime, and I am so glad