Just when we’re sure that winter has finally left us, another cold snap has us pulling out our jackets again. This month’s picture book favorites are a reminder that a little patience is helpful as winter eases us into the spring season of the year.

“Abracadabra, It’s Spring!” written by Anne Sibley O’Brien and illustrated by Susan Gal (Copyright 2016, Abrams Appleseed) is a stunning book of rhyming verse paired with vibrant illustrations using charcoal on paper and digital collage. Each set of pages fold out to reveal the magic of nature’s springtime surprises.

“When Spring Comes” written by Kevin Henkes and illustrated by Laura Dronzek (Copyright 2016, Greenwillow Books imprint of HarperCollins) presents the dramatic transformation from winter to spring using simple text and colorful acrylic full-color art to reveal nature’s blooming beauty as seen through the eyes of children and animals.

“And then it’s spring” written by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Erin E. Stead  (Copyright 2012, A Neal Porter Book by Roaring Brook Press) uses a slow pace and quiet illustrations to reveal the feelings of a boy who is watchfully waiting for the seeds he planted in the winter to bloom in the spring.