“Was I faster than all the rest?”

On Thursday, we gathered on the rug to read Lynn Plourde and Greg Couch’s Spring’s Sprung before heading out in the woods for a nature walk.  In this story, the Spring sisters March, April, and May begin quarreling as soon as they awake from their long winter’s sleep.  They race to get dressed, but then each wants Mother Earth to proclaim her the “fastest dresser.” Next, they practice their spring songs, and each wants to be called the “best singer.”  They are so busy competing with each other that they have forgotten that it’s their job to make the world blossom into springtime.  

As we are reading, the children begin discussing the sister’s feelings.

“Mad.” RUTHIE

“Mad.” CHARLIE N.

“One of them is REALLY mad.” ROSALIE

“Because one of them is the best.”  RUTHIE

“One of them thinks they’re the best of the rest.” LOUIS

“That one is the best…” TAIT

What does Mother Earth think?

“All three are the best except for the last one.” CHARLIE N.

How does Mother Earth feel?

“Sad.” TRAVERS

“Maybe because they’re not listening.” TAIT

The story ends with Mother Earth declaring, “I love you ALL the best.”

“That’s nice.” CHARLIE N.

We often overhear the children competing with one another to be the biggest, the fastest, the oldest, the strongest.  This is nothing new and those with experience in growing up with siblings can relate to the narrative woven into this story.  

Young children are gaining an increasing sense of competence.  While our children love playing games with rules, it is still difficult to navigate tolerating when we lose.  Our active fantasy life allows to envision us as “the fastest” or even “as fast as a cheetah.”  As teachers, we’ve long spoken of the power of children’s books to help us elicit the very conversation brought up in this close-to-home story.  Balancing through narrative the positive message to help with the negative aspects of competitiveness, Lynn Plourde’s story ends with the understanding that we all want to know…

Love is Boundless