Text copyright © 2010 by Anna Jane Hays

  Illustrations copyright © 2010 by Hala Wittwer Swearingen

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Hays, Anna Jane.

  Spring surprises / by Anna Jane Hays; illustrated by Hala Wittwer Swearingen.

  p. cm. - (Step into reading. Step 2 book.)

  Summary: A rhyming tribute to the wonders brought by spring.

  eISBN: 978-0-307-77154-4

  [1. Stories in rhyme. 2. Spring-Fiction.] I. Swearingen, Hala Wittwer, ill. II. Title.

  PZ8.3.H3337Sp 2010

  [E]–dc22 2009013383

  Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.

  v3.1

  For Andrew, Shelby, Anna, Max, and Lucy

  -A.J.H.

  To Elaine

  -H.W.S.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  First Page

  Wake up, wake up!

  Spring is here,

  calling us outside.

  Frosty winter,

  say goodbye!

  Hello, blue sky,

  where birds fly high

  and clouds puff by.

  The groundhog has

  come up to stay.

  The bear cub has

  come out to play.

  Welcome, sunshine,

  warm our cheeks.

  Melt the snow and

  fill the creeks.

  Welcome, wind,

  come fly our kites!

  Greet longer days

  and shorter nights.

  Dance with raindrops

  in spring showers.

  Watch buds open

  into flowers.

  Come discover

  spring’s surprises.

  Pick and smell

  the pretty prizes.

  Make mud pies

  to bake on rocks.

  Make dollies

  out of hollyhocks.

  In the pond,

  count pollywogs.

  Watch them all

  turn into frogs.

  See the duckling

  learn to swim.

  Mother duck

  is proud of him.

  Look up, look up!

  What’s in the nest?

  Climb up and peek.

  Hop like bunnies,

  hide and seek.

  Robins bathe

  in a puddle.

  Little mouse

  has to scuttle!

  Hello,

  yellow baby chicks,

  calf that licks,

  kid that kicks.

  Welcome,

  woolly little lamb.

  You all are part of

  spring’s grand plan.

  The sun stays up

  so we can play

  until late in

  this spring day.

  When stars pop out

  in the night sky,

  spring sings a loving

  lullaby.

  Bullfrogs croak,

  owls WHO-WHO.

  That is all

  this day can do.

 

 

  Anna Jane Hays, Spring Surprises

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