Crinkle, Crackle, Crack: It's Spring! — Marion Dane Bauer

Rap, bap, tap. Late one winter night, a boy wakes to strange noises. There's a bear in his yard! The bear leads him to a forest, where the snow has grown muddy and the trees have sprouted buds. The frost is melting -- crinkle, crackle, CRACK. As they move deeper into the forest, the sounds grow louder. Rap, bap, tap, crunch, scrunch, crinkle, crackle, CRACK! In an explosion of spring, ice shatters, a baby bird is born, and flowers burst forth.

Newbery Medalist Marion Dane Bauer's rhythmic text combines with John Shelley's illustrations that celebrate the season in a burst of color, as the woods transform from a moonlit winter wonderland to a wonderfully bright floral scene.