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.