I Begin with Spring: The Life and Seasons of Henry David Thoreau

by Julie Dunlap, Megan Elizabeth Baratta (Illustrations)

Horn Book Starred An excellent introduction to Thoreau and the turbulent times in which he lived.
School Library Journal Starred An engaging and inspiring biographical title for budding scientists, artists, and environmentalists.
Kirkus starred A marvelous life survey of a perennially relevant historical figure. One of Kirkus' Most Anticipated Children's Book of 2022 "A must read." - Elizabeth Bird, A Fuse 8 Production
Formatted like a nature notebook, this exploration of seasonal changes in Thoreau’s day is also a visual story of his life and times and a gentle introduction to climate change. I Begin with Spring weaves natural history around Thoreau’s life and times in a richly illustrated field notebook format that can be opened anywhere and invites browsing on every page. Beginning each season with quotes from Thoreau’s schoolboy essay about the changing seasons, Early Bloomer follows him through the fields and woods of Concord, the joys and challenges of growing up, his experiment with simple living on Walden Pond, and his participation in the abolition movement, self-reliance, science, and literature. The book’s two organizing themes―the chronology of Thoreau’s life and the seasonal cycle beginning with spring―interact seamlessly on every spread, suggesting the correspondence of human seasons with nature’s. Thoreau’s annual records of blooms, bird migrations, and other natural events scroll in a timeline across the page bottoms, and the backmatter includes a summary of how those dates have changed from his day to ours and what that tells us about the science of phenology and climate change. Megan Baratta’s watercolors are augmented with historical images and reproductions of Thoreau’s own sketches to create a high-interest visual experience. The book includes a foreword from Thoreau scholar Jeffrey Cramer, Curator of Collections for the Walden Woods Project. full color

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Nature, Middle Grade, Childrens, Environment

96 pages, Hardcover

Published March 15, 2022

Reviews

[Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this children's biography of Henry David Thoreau from the author, citing the interest in phenology held by both Thoreau and Aldo Leopold. (I am an educator at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center.) I confess, my familiarity with Thoreau's work is limited. I haven't read Walden! Before you clasp your pearls in horror, I have read -- and really enjoyed -- The Maine Woods. (In a high school play-reading class, we read The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, although I'm sure the significance was lost on 15 year old me.) And I am going to read Walden, soon, I promise! Back to I Begin With Spring … it's well-organized around the phenology of a New England year, beautifully illustrated, and peppered with salient quotes from Thoreau. It does a great job of showing his humanity; the part about him losing his beloved brother John was particularly poignant. It's perfect for readers in the middle grades, and I will be making it available to our summer camp educators who work with kids that age, to read aloud. Because I work with 2-4 year olds, I won't be able to use it, but I am inspired to look up the wonderful picture books about Thoreau by D. B. Johnson that came out some years ago to introduce Thoreau to my young Wonder Bugs.

[Mandy Bookstagram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Begin With Spring by Julie Dunlap and illustrated by Megan Elizabeth Baratta was a great book. Kids need more books like this– it is so wonderful because it ties in a work of classic literature and makes it readable for kids of all ages. It is full of beautiful watercolor illustrations, and brings the work of HDT to life.

Henry David Thoreau is considered by many to be the environmental father of the green movement. As a teacher, scientist, historian, student, author, and naturalist, Thoreau has made a number of contributions to the ecological movement, his most significant including his own personal published reflections on conservation and his search for the meaning of life through the relationship he had with nature. His published works have “helped to launch the American environmental movement that continues to this day,” and understanding Thoreau is key to conservation efforts today. By studying Thoreau and putting his ideals into practice, we can overcome the challenges facing the modern environment.

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the angle of this biography and all the natural-history information (and the classic illustrations), but it felt a little meandering for me. Still quite enjoyable, though, and the call toward citizen science at the end was inviting.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done book. Interesting and great illustrations.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a children's book that features Henry David Thoreau's work as nature journaling. I expected more quotes from H.D., but I did enjoy the summary of his life and the idea of keeping records as phrenology studies. Among the dates with nature sightings that run across the bottom of many pages, I especially liked, "May 3, Sit without fire, May 22, Town smells of lilacs, June 10, First sleep with open window."

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Thoreau and hoped this would be an accessible intro for young readers but I found it slow and uninspiring.

[Ariel O'Suilleabhain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Begin With Spring about the life and seasons of the infamous and altruistic poet and land surveyor Henry David Thoreau has a fascinating draw for both children and young adults and mostly because Julie Dunlap, the author used the illustrations of children's book illustrator Megan Elizabeth Baratta who owns one cat named Pip to both highlight and explain the true story of the 1800's poem artist. Thoreau spent much of his boyhood enjoying traipsing through the woods around his family home and drawing pictures of the plants, birds and animals he found along the way. As an adult while during his stay at Walden Pond he spent much time after each morning swim at the pond during the day doing much of what he had learned from his childhood art and writing endeavor. He found himself enamored about the study of seeds, a popular scientific exploration for many of his day. He especially became interested in the mysteries behind the growth of the simple Milkweed Pod.

"When he found a milkweed pod, he knew flat brown seeds grew inside, each with its own silk parachute. Cracked open, the pod released hundreds of seeds into the air, higher and higher, toward a chance at life next year. Milkweed devote their summers to making seeds, Henry said, perfecting "a prophesy . . . of future springs." But Henry, although a prolific poet and the only son in his family that his parents could afford to send to college, he not only attended Harvard -but would also attract the attention of the abolitionists. Thoreau also an early activist for his time had done his share of protesting against slavery which he was open and adamant about his opposition to. A talk he gave once during the times of self-freed former slave and public speaker for the reformation of same, Frederick Douglass, "The Rights and Duties of the Individual in Relation to Government," also opened the way for the female members of his family to join a group also dedicated to ending slavery. Known as the Concord Female Anti-Slavery Society the women made Douglass their head speaker. "I felt like one who had escaped a den of hungry lions," he exclaimed about his escape from a Maryland farm. "How could anyone hear such mighty words and not demand change?"

Other highlights of the book without giving the rest of the book away focus on Thoreau's friendship with a talented female author of the day, one Louisa May Alcott. And especially through his connection to her innovative educator father and other Transcendentalist thinkers of that climate, Thoreau aroused interest not only through his highly political essay named "Civil Disobedience" - but also through his scientific endeavor. Thoreau influenced both famous thinkers of his day and those who would come here during a future world years after his departure from earth such as Martin Luther King Jr., Walt Whitman, E. B. White, Mahatma Gandhi, John F. Kennedy, George Bernard Shaw, Sinclair Lewis, Upton Sinclair, Leo Tolstoy, Marcel Proust and a host of others. Thoreau had a deep love for the simple life and the nature God had created for us to live amongst. He found himself most influenced by the gentle creatures of earth. "The birds which visited us in Spring are now retiring to warmer countries, as they know that Winter coming."

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, how I wish that this book had been published many years ago when I assigned the writings of Henry David Thoreau to the students in my American literature class. Many of them were moved by his words and intent, but many others regarded his writings as pretentious and his fondness for nature as too precious. In this book, they could have seen him in his natural element, trying to answer important questions and soaking up small but meaningful facts about the world around him. In appearance, the book is set up like a field notebook with a timeline beginning in March and concluding in February with observations about the weather and various species sighted. In his notes, drawn from his journals and writings, Thoreau does exactly what the title suggests: He begins with spring and records and sketches his observations, often returning to the same place for several days and over the course of the next three seasons. But the book is also a biography, describing Thoreau's formative years and his various pursuits as well as his concerns for social justice as his family was involved in the abolitionist movement and part of the Underground Railroad. Several of the images are archival photos or drawings, and their presence serves to immerse readers in Thoreau's world. Back matter includes information about Thoreau's Concord Kalendar and how in 2003 scientists used his notes about the local flora to determine the effects of climate change on Massachusetts. Sadly, 25 per cent of the flowers he wrote about were gone. One aspect of the book that may thrill teachers and environmentalists in particular is the suggestion to explore the world around us, making note of the small changes identified each day. While Thoreau's work seems relevant to many of us, this well-designed and accessible book offers a weighty argument to convince any doubters.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Henry David Thoreau was a boy, he explored the forests and meadows and ponds surrounding his beloved home in Concord, Massachusetts. This book gives us a look into his writings, his life, and the nature that inspired him.

The illustrations are beautiful. Some of them are sketches and maps from Thoreau's own notebooks. The sketches of birds, plants, and animals are all beautifully and delicately drawn.

It is definitely interesting to read about Thoreau and his life experience out in the woods surrounding Walden Pond. His house was a station on the Underground Railroad. He helped to catalog and record dozens of species of plants and birds and animals. He knew all the birds individual songs and their calls. This book captures the slow and thoughtful nature of his ramblings through the woods, but also the fierce beliefs that he upheld even when he was thrown into jail for them.

I was grateful that this book doesn't give the author's opinion about Thoreau, but approaches each subject with the unbiased facts. In this way, difficult subjects like slavery, Darwin's theory of evolution, religion, and climate change are touched on, telling what Thoreau wrote about these subjects, but the reader is left to make their own conclusions.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[April Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting and engaging look at Henry David Thoreau's life, focusing on his phenological studies, but also including personal information, in particular his and his family's abolitionist activism. It's a great introduction to Thoreau for later elementary and middle grade students - I learned a lot myself! I admit to not knowing much about his work, and the way this book is presented, as if you're reading a nature journal, helps the reader understand what phenology is and how it's used to map how changes in climate affect the natural world. Running along the bottom of the pages are chronological notes from a school report he did when he was 11 or 12, and quotes from the report begin each seasonal section, while the text covers his life and the turbulent times he lived in, with scientific and historical information added in for context. At the back of the book, additional resources, notes on climate change, and a guide to help the reader create their own nature calendar are provided. Overall, this is a really well put together book, with an engaging format, interesting text, and gorgeous illustrations that is sure to inspire young minds!

#IBeginwithSpring #NetGalley

[Brooke - TheBrookeList · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Begin with Spring provides an excellent look at the seasons, seen through the journaling and life of Henry David Thoreau. I Begin with Spring is a biography of sorts, but at the same time, a timeline of seasons and climate. It is relaxing, simple, beautiful, and inspiring. A biography that would capture the interest of any budding nature enthusiast. I was reminded of the beauty I find examining the most minute portions of nature, captivating the human longing to be outside. Surely there is something spectacular to our need to be in and feel nature around us. Dunlap captures that feel in a wonderful way, while simultaneously giving us a survey of Thoreau's impactful life.

Read as a nomination in the non-fiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).

A picture book, yes, but also a longer text and longer read. Perhaps better for a Middle Grade audience than Elementary? I'd place best in 5th-7th.

[Kirstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Begin with Spring, The Life and Seasons of Henry David Thoreau by Julie Dunlap

One of my reading goals for 2025 was to read more classics. I found this beautifully illustrated biography at @penningtonlibrary and decided this would be a pretty way to refresh Thoreau in a much more engaging way.
(Nonfiction picture books have taught me so much! They are magic and so much more fun than wikipedia 😂)

This was a good length and depth for an upper elementary reader. I was sleepy and still read the whole book in one sitting. Like most books in this style, there are a few pages of denser information at the end.

I wish the journal format was introduced in the beginning better. At times, going from page to page, there are some big jumps in topic. The illustrations are very pretty but sometimes aren't well connected to the text on that page, i.e., the page talks about a bird, but a different bird is on the page.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know who the intended audience is for the book because it's not organized well for a young reader and for an older reader, like myself, I didn't know what the unifying element of the book was supposed to be about other than what the subtitle tells me "the life and seasons of Henry David Thoreau". I didn't learn enough about Thoreau or the seasons he wrote about/experienced because both went back and forth so frequently without a clear path that it was a meandering mess on the page.

The essence is about celebrating the four seasons and man who appreciated nature so much that he build a cabin in the woods and spent hours a day walking and picking berries and nuts and cataloging fauna, however it didn't flow even with bit of a chronology running along the bottom of each page-- was it a year or the calendar date? I'll really never know.

[Alexa Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pretty book about Thoreau! It goes through the seasons of the year and his life, including lots of personal items from early on, his foray into pencil making, the loss of his brother and his life's work that we know him for. The timeline of things that Thoreau observed along the bottom paired with the illustrations really shows you why he felt pulled so strongly to nature (not entirely but as well as any book probably can). I loved that the text was not crowded, it read in some ways like an extended picture book biography. A lovely introduction to nature and phenology (a word I just learned!) and curiosity. The back matter offers ways for interested readers to explore further.

[Dkd · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gift as the school year begins. In a time of chaos and turmoil, it is refreshing to share a beautifully written and equally beautifully illustrated book that highlights the simple life of one of the earliest and more revered naturalists. Readers are encouraged to follow Henry's example and keep their own nature calendars by noting their seasonal observations from year to year. Historical facts abound throughout the pages as well as the identification of birds, flowers, butterflies, and more. I Begin With Spring is the perfect addition to elementary and middle school classrooms and libraries.

[Nora Nickum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this middle-grade book about Henry David Thoreau. The way the text, illustrations, historical images, and nature journal timeline weave together on every page is so engaging and eye-catching. I appreciated the discussions of Thoreau's attempts to speak out against slavery, and the elaboration in the back matter about climate change and how comparisons of Thoreau's nature journals with more recent observations in Massachusetts have helped illuminate significant changes in less than 200 years. I am certainly inspired to do some community science and nature journaling myself after reading this book!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool and lovely biography of Thoreau that follows a year of his nature journals (the ones he was attempting to consolidate into an almanac kinda thing when he died) and also charts his life into seasons from spring to winter. It quotes from his journals a lot and the illustrations are journal like sketches, assuming he was a really good artist from the very beginning :-).

I loved it but I came to it with a deep knowledge of the man and the love of nature he has come to exemplify; I'm trying to squint at it to see it it would also work for newcomers, the kids who would be reading it.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

“July 4, 1845, was Henry’s Independence Day.”

The original citizen scientist, this biography describes the impact that Thoreau’s work has had on scientists today. When you hear the name Henry David Thoreau, most people think about his life on Walden pond quietly studying nature. But here was a man who lived his beliefs. “Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine.” And he was loud when he saw injustice, trying to do something about it. “When were the good and the brave ever in the majority?”

I love this one.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful illustrated book that is part Henry David Thoreau biography and part a field journal of Thoreau observations of the natural world in Concord, Massachusetts. Dunlap has done a wonderful job weaving Thoreau's life story with his life long fascination with nature. This is a chronicle of Thoreau's observations of the seasons that begins with a young Thoreau's explorations with his brother and continues with Thoreau's time at Walden Pond. It is a well researched, accessible book that does of beautiful job of bringing the man and his work to life.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tough one to imagine a reader for. Thoreau is typically taught in high school but this seems pitched at 5th grade. Perhaps there is a naturalist child who will be inspired or it could to be a mentor text, introduced as part of a citizen scientist journaling project. Maybe useful if schools assign biography reports. That said I found the illustrations lovely and the spare text concise and informative.

[Maggie Panning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is both lovely and educational. This book shares information about Thoreau's life in nature and the observations he recorded as well as about his various famous friends, his family, and his strong desire for the abolishment of slavery. These things are all woven together with beautiful art, photographs and paintings as well as little snippets of the things happening throughout the year as you go through the seasons. I hope we read this book again in the future.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accessible and revealing insight to Thoreau and Walden Pond. Offers detailed examples of his commitment to nature from earliest years on, as well as his commitment to resisting the evils of slavery or supporting it in any way.
The illustrator has captured the very young and natural ways in which Thoreau used field notes and journals to document, analyze, celebrate, and compare the patterns and passages of nature and its seasons.

[kulisap · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟

wonderful, wonderful book!!! i love how, though simplified for young readers, it's wasn't ovely done and the book carried more weight and meaning compared to other children's books. the illustrations are nice to look at and i love how thoreau's journal entries were incorporated in the story. i really appreciated the end notes mentioning how thoreau's works connect with climate change and environmental issues. it's a special book that kids have to read.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and informative. I learned about Thoreau's life in context and with imagery of the nature he observed and loved. I would have liked that Thoreau's words were more accentuated from the author (Julie Dunlap)'s words, perhaps by a different font or text color and that the reader was informed with a key early.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intriguing biography for budding naturalists ages 8 – 12. Text is interspersed with photographs and lovely illustrations while a timeline of Thoreau’s writings runs along the bottom of the pages. Children might be inspired to create a nature diary of their own. Back matter gives more resources for children to explore.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3/5

A beautifully illustrated book on the life of Thoreau. I found the data derived from phenology particularly interesting. This systematic data collection is what helped Darwin come up with his theory of evolution which is mentioned in the book.

It was also interesting to note how Thoreau refused to pay taxes protesting against slavery.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possible contender for the Mock Caldecott Awards in January 2023. This is a lovely book that defines the life and interests of Henry David Thoreau. The illustrations are beautiful watercolor tints and take the reader through all four seasons of the year.

[Zan Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weaving together natural history around Thoreau's life and times, this exploration of seasonal changes is presented in a beautifully illustrated field notebook featuring watercolors augmented with historical images and reproductions of Thoreau's own sketches.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as an adult reader for the AR Diamond Book Award. I believe that it should only be on the Charlie May Simon award list due to its length and deep content. It is recommended for grades 3-7, but it reads like a 5+ book. Nice book overall for middle grade.

[Jenni Heins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how this book gave you context into the time Thoreau lived and the issues our country was dealing with. It would have been 5 stars but for the beating a dead horse on climate change at the end.