Dear Readers:
I have been eagerly anticipating the chirping birds and the colorful blooms of this new season. These sounds and sights give me hope! On this first official day of spring here in Tennessee, it’s predicted to reach 80 degrees. Four days ago it was 30 degrees and snowing!
“For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land.”—Song of Solomon 2:11-13
“Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.”—Psalm 96:16
These verses from Song of Solomon and Psalms provide the perfect segue into the first day of spring and my reviews of Sing Up the Earth, written by Cheryl Hellner and illustrated by Mercè Tous, and Wherever You Are, written by Glenys Nellist and illustrated by Sian James. I will be giving away a copy of each of these books to a newsletter subscriber, so be sure to subscribe at https://joycemccullough.com/newsletter/. I will announce the two winners on Tuesday, March 24.
Sing Up the Earth, recently released by Paraclete Press, is a beautiful celebration of the hope and joy we can find in nature.
When a winter storm destroys a family’s clay instruments, everyone is saddened that the music of those instruments has seemingly stopped. They think their family’s hawk ocarina can never be replaced.
In the spring, however, a singing wren and family and friends work together to unearth another clay treasure that gives new life to the ocarina’s music. A new clay hawk sings up the earth, and the sounds and sights of spring burst forth once again.
Wherever You Are, published in 2023 by Beaming Books, reminds us of God’s presence in everything from the daffodils that begin to grow in the springtime to the promise of laughter and hope after tears and sadness. Full of juxtaposition and the familiarities of daily life, this book is a beautiful reminder that God is with us, wherever we are.
From depicting images such as birdsongs filling the warm air to buttercups blowing in the breeze, both these books would make lovely additions to any home. They are sweet reminders that the sounds and sights of spring give us a renewed sense of wonder and hope that all can be right with the world.
May your spring season be a blessed one.
The Literary Lyonesse
