Ivy In Bloom is the story about a girl who can’t wait for winter to end. But it’s also much more.

The opening pages introduce us to Ivy and her longing for spring: “I’m Ivy Van Allsberg/I’m waiting for spring/I stare out the windows/Looking for birds/Or flowers/Or even warm showers/But I don’t see any such thing.”

One can feel her impatience with a winter that has lingered a bit too long: “The world’s a smudge/Of brown and gray. The buds won’t budge. The sun stays away.”

Her world, inevitably, begins to transform. The magic is that we see it through the eyes and words of some of our most famous and beloved poets. A line from Emily Dickinson makes an appearance. As do lines from Dickens, Longfellow, e. e. cummings and others. Through them, Ivy and we can experience spring’s arrival as they did.

Ivy In Bloom becomes a way for children to explore their own feelings about the natural world by being introduced to the words and feelings of others. Larger segments of each poem and a brief biography of each poet are included in the back as easy references for teachers and parents.

Look inside Ivy in Bloom.

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