How Robin Saved Spring
Debbie Ouellet
Henry Holt and Company, 2009

In this lovely picturebook, the seasons of Winter and Spring are depicted as two beautiful young sisters, Lady Winter and Sister Spring. Each sleeps for part of the year while the other sister rules the land. When the story begins, it is winter and Lady Winter decides that she does not want to go to sleep for the spring—she wants winter to reign every day of the year. She knits a white blanket which she then lays on her sister. As long as the blanket rests on her, Sister Spring will remain asleep.

A robin sitting on the windowsill who observes all of Lady Winter’s actions, immediately calls all the forest creatures together so they can figure out a way to wake up Sister Spring. Several different creatures, including a maple tree, try unsuccessfully to waken Sister Spring. Finally, Robin flies up, up, and up straight into the sky to Mother Sun and asks her to give him some morning light to wake Sister Spring. In exchange for his beautiful voice, the sun grants his wish and Robin returns to Earth where he wakens Sister Spring.

What makes this story even more charming is that the author “explains” certain natural phenomena, such as the skunk’s white strip and the ladybug’s black spots, as resulting from their exploits in trying to waken sister Spring. For example, the ladybug’s black spots came about after she hid in the embers of a fire where some cinders fell on her burning black spots onto her back.

This is an exquisitely illustrated picture book. The illustrator, Nicoletta Ceccoli, is the recipient of the Andersen Prize, honoring her as the best children’s book illustrator in Italy.