WAKE UP, IT'S SPRING!

Ernst (Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt ) finds a nifty hook for a familiar subject: Spring is really a chain of wake-up calls. First the sun rouses the earth—"Wake up, old friend, it's Spring!"—which in turn nudges its "guest," the earthworm. Each recipient urges the next to welcome the return of spring after a long winter. Bathed in tender pastels, the full-bleed spreads follow a consistent format. On the left side is the reveille: "The ladybug laughed in the sunshine. It tickled the rabbit's ear as it whispered, "Pssst —rabbit! Spring is here!" The right side carries the response: "And the rabbit woke up." (Like many of the creatures awakened from their sleep, rabbit initially opens only one eye.) As the chain grows longer, it eventually reaches the human realm. A baby in a crib shouts to his startled siblings, "Out! Out! Spring!" and even parents are pulled from their beds. Ernst's large-scale shapes and confident, fluid outlines keep the action focused and the momentum building, and the final spreads depict a joyous, multi-species dance in the sun. Ages 3-8. (Feb.)