Ivy in Bloom: The Poetry of Spring from Great Poets and Writers from the Past

Ivy in Bloom: The Poetry of Spring from Great Poets and Writers from the Past
Co-Authors / Illustrators
Publisher
Genre(s)
Age Range
4+
Release Date
April 01, 2009
ISBN
0980016274
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Ivy in Bloom captures the weariness of a young girl tired of a long winter. "I stare out the window," she says on the first spread of brown and gray, "looking for birds or flowers / or even warm showers / but I don't see any such thing." But then Spring comes when "March is out of breath snow melting to flowery waters and watery flowers spring rose from its wintry rest." And Ivy's "heart dances with daffodils." As these words also dance across each spread, Ivy's world erupts into a riot of color.

Ivy in Bloom introduces the poetry of Dickinson, Longfellow, Browning, Wordsworth, Frost and others. Excerpts from their writings, as seen through Ivy's eyes, will open up poetry as a way for children to express their own feelings about the changing of seasons. This book includes longer excerpts and brief bios of each author.

Ivy in Bloom captures the weariness of a young girl tired of a long winter. "I stare out the window," she says on the first spread of brown and gray, "looking for birds or flowers / or even warm showers / but I don't see any such thing." But then Spring comes when "March is out of breath snow melting to flowery waters and watery flowers spring rose from its wintry rest." And Ivy's "heart dances with daffodils." As these words also dance across each spread, Ivy's world erupts into a riot of color.

Ivy in Bloom introduces the poetry of Dickinson, Longfellow, Browning, Wordsworth, Frost and others. Excerpts from their writings, as seen through Ivy's eyes, will open up poetry as a way for children to express their own feelings about the changing of seasons. This book includes longer excerpts and brief bios of each author.

Editor reviews

2 reviews
A Little Girl Discovers Springtime in the Poetry Classics
(Updated: June 04, 2026)
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
N/A
Writing Style
 
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A

As the story opens, Ivy is a little girl surrounded by winters gloom. But with the help of classic poetry by Dickinson, Longfellow, Browning, Wordsworth, Frost, and many others, she experiences the changing of the seasons into a beautiful eruption of spring color. Vanita Oelschlagers sweet rhymes at the beginning of the book blend seamlessly with the pages that follow, featuring famous lines such as e.e. cummings description of spring as mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful. The colors in this delightful picture book slowly evolve from strictly dull (winter) to the joyous explosion of flowers in springtime.


 


The illustrations by Kristin Blackwood are at first in shades of gray and brown, and then erupt into colors like spring blossoms. Combining block prints and watercolors, her illustrations are a playful, delightful praise of spring.


 


One of the wonderful features of this book is the bibliography at the end, in which you learn which famous poet contributed which lines to the story. The young poets in your life will love this book!

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