A Year in Gentle Rhymes: Discovering the Seasons with Little Bear and Little Goose
There’s something quietly magical about picture books that capture the changing seasons - especially when they do so through gentle rhymes and art so rich you can almost hear the rustle of leaves or feel the softness of spring moss.
In Little Bear’s Spring and Little Goose’s Autumn, author Elli Woollard and illustrator Briony May Smith invite us on two tender journeys that, while named for just two seasons, beautifully echo the cycle of the whole year.
Both stories are written in soothing, rhythmic verse that’s a joy to read aloud, and brought to life by Briony May Smith’s charming, detailed illustrations. The pages feel warm and timeless, with every animal, bud, and falling leaf painted lovingly into the landscape. Though we travel mainly through spring and autumn, there’s a gentle sense of all the seasons turning, giving young readers (and grown-ups!) a comforting glimpse of nature’s endless rhythm.
Little Bear’s Spring
A sweet, hopeful tale of a small bear waking from winter’s sleep into a world slowly coming alive. As Little Bear wanders the awakening forest, children discover the tender magic of spring: new buds, trickling streams, and shy woodland creatures. The rhyming text flows like a quiet song, making it perfect for bedtime reading.
Little Bear's Spring by Elli WoollardMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Awakening Wonder: A Review of Little Bear’s Spring
Little Bear’s Spring is a gentle celebration of friendship, hope, and the quiet magic of nature waking after winter. Elli Woollard’s warm, rhythmic text takes us into the world of a small, sleepy bear emerging into a forest that seems still wrapped in snow and silence.
Little Bear longs to share the beauty he sees, but feels lonely and out of place. As he wanders, he meets other woodland creatures, each encounter threaded with kindness, curiosity, and a growing sense of wonder.
What makes this story truly shine are Briony May Smith’s illustrations. Each page feels like a soft dawn: pale greens, melting snow, shy blossoms, and sleepy animals blinking at the new season. Her art captures the moment winter breathes out and spring quietly arrives.
At its heart, Little Bear’s Spring is about seeing hope even before it blooms, and believing in gentle changes yet to come. It’s a comforting story for little readers - and anyone who’s ever waited for something wonderful to appear.
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Little Goose’s Autumn
In this equally lovely story, Little Goose faces the thrill and fear of her first migration. Through rhymes that dance as lightly as autumn breezes, young readers journey southward, watching leaves fall and days grow short. The art glows with warm golds and reds, capturing both the excitement of adventure and the coziness of coming home.
Little Goose's Autumn by Elli WoollardMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Drifting into Autumn: A Review of Little Goose’s Autumn
There’s something gentle and golden about Little Goose’s Autumn - a picture book that feels like stepping into a story told beside a crackling fire on a crisp October evening.
Elli Woollard’s lyrical, rhyming text follows a little goose preparing to leave for the great migration south. But change feels scary, and Little Goose wonders if staying behind might be better. The story gently explores that universal childhood worry: leaving what’s familiar to face something unknown.
What truly brings the text to life are Briony May Smith’s illustrations. Each page is like an autumn day captured on paper: warm russets, deep greens, drifting leaves, and sweeping skies. There’s a softness in her art that perfectly matches the tenderness of the story - you can almost hear the rustle of feathers and feel the chill in the breeze.
At its heart, Little Goose’s Autumn is about courage, belonging, and the beauty of the seasons turning. It’s a perfect book to share as summer slips away and the first leaves begin to fall - reminding little ones (and grown-ups) that sometimes, even when change feels scary, it can lead to something wonderful.
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Together, Little Bear’s Spring and Little Goose’s Autumn feel like two halves of a quiet, complete circle - a celebration of nature’s transformations. Thanks to Briony May Smith’s breathtaking illustrations and Elli Woollard’s musical verses, these books don’t just tell stories about spring and autumn - they let us feel the whisper of winter and the promise of summer too.
If you love picture books that bring the seasons to life with warmth, rhythm, and heart, these two will find a treasured spot on your bookshelf.
