November 1, 2014
PreS-Gr 1-A child remembers the robin that sang for her the previous summer and anticipates its return. Everywhere she looks she finds signs of spring. The crocus are blooming, the forsythia bush is a mass of yellow blossoms, and the fiddlehead ferns are pushing their way through last year's brown leaves. But no robin sits on a branch in the magnolia tree or seems to be anywhere in her yard. She sees a small toad hiding behind a clump of daffodils and a shiny earthworm among the purple violets. Then she hears her robin's song-Cheer-up, cheerilee! Cheer-up, cheerilee!/Cheer-up, cheerilee!" Her spring robin has returned. Pencil and watercolor illustrations on uncrowded spreads are just right for this gentle tale. An almost life-sized picture of the bird appears on both the first and last pages. The simple text and realistic artwork will certainly remind children to keep their eyes open and their ears attuned to the coming of spring. Originally published in 1987, this edition has a new jacket and refreshed interior art.-Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN
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