And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano and Erin Stead

First you have brown,
all around you have brown
then there are seeds and a wish for rain…

These are the first lines of this wonderful, new children’s picture book. They speak to me so intensely right now - I Am Ready for Spring! But this lovely story reminds me that there is brown and then there is rain and then there is a “hopeful, very possible sort of brown.” That’s the brown we have right now, with the first hints of green. If you know a child itching for a sunny day, or an adult who could use a sweet reminder that there are better days to come (that even brown holds promise!), this is the book for you.
I am also a sucker for a cut-away of underground with roots and burrowing animals and insects. This book has a great one. The illustrator is a previous Caldecott winner.