This was for some reason in black and white on the blue fire app. Couldn't find settings to change it. This book was really adorable though and the illustrations were great and very artful . Would have loved to see it in color. May try to re download on my iPad mini instead of the app on my phone.

This is delightful poem about a girl who is waiting for spring to come. I love the illustrations and the story too. it is perfect for younger children.

What a beautiful story. I feel in love with Ivy. I wanted to see more of her and the poem. Well written and great quality illustrations. I also really enjoyed the back bibliography.

Thank you NetGalley and VanitaBooks, LLC for my DRC.

This was a delightful poem about the hopes and happiness of the changing seasons.
The creative drawings are lovely and extremely well done.
I read my first Vanita Oelschlager book earlier this year and she is quickly becoming a favourite!

What an adorable book the poetry was good. But the Illustrations were stunning. It is a great story going into spring.
But I think the art was the thing that stood out the most and really brought this book together.

I loved the wonderful language and descriptions of spring used throughout this book and at the end there was a wonderful surprise! What a clever way to create a book of poetry! I won't say anymore because I don't want to give away the surprise!

I thought this was going to be a collection of spring poetry, but it's not. It's . . . I don't know what exactly. The first few spreads are an original poem about a girl waiting for spring--it's pretty terrible. And then the rest is sort of one long found poem with words or short lines extracted from famous poems. I can't figure out if you're supposed to read it as one story or as each spread standing alone--so clearly it doesn't work as either. I did like the collection of poems at the end though. But seeing the quotes in context really highlighted how much they didn't work by being pulled out of that context.

This book was adorable. It’s perfect for use in a classroom, or reading at home to a child.

The illustrations are very cute and colorful, and they draw the eye easily along the path of the story, making this book ideal for both younger children and those of elementary-school age.

Pieced together from excerpts of poetry written by many famous authors, including the author’s own poetry, it reads like a puzzle made of pieces of other puzzles that, nevertheless, were just meant to fit together.

Sweet children's story about a little girl who is tired of winter and ready for spring. My daughter loved it! The pictures are gorgeous!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Vanita Books, LLC, Vanita Oelschlager and Kristin Blackwood for the digital edition of this book that I received in exchange for an honest review.

Ivy in Bloom by Vanita Oelschlager has 24 pages and was published in 2009 by Vanita Books.

This book is absolutely adorable. I love it! The title is clever, the illustrations are gorgeous and best of all this book is laying the foundation for teaching poetry to school-aged children. 

Ivy is a young girl that can't wait for spring to arrive. The days pass by and she endures the longevity of winter looking forward to warm weather and spring flowers. The book contains snippets of famous poems in order to tell the story. The bibliography contains author bios for the poets as well as longer quotes from the poem.

I think this book could be a remarkable teaching tool for elementary students learning about poetry. I cannot recommend it highly enough - particularly to teachers.

I would like to thank the publisher and author for giving me a digital copy of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

What a lovely book! It is definitely the artwork that makes this book so special and brings the poetry to life. I love the addition of color as Spring comes in. I loved how lines from various famous poems are used to tell the story of a little girl welcoming Spring after a long, cold winter. Cute. As an elementary school librarian, I could definitely see using this title to teach about Poetry, illustrations, and Spring as it would be great for all three subjects. I'm grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this cute book.

I really liked the art style and different poems from different poets. It is such a lovely read for kids.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Ivy in Bloom tells the story of a young girl weary of winter, through poetic text from the author, Frost, Longfellow, Dickinson, Browning, Wordsworth, and others. Their lovely language introduces children to the beauty of poetry as a way to express feelings. Also features bios of each poet along with longer excerpts of their work. 5/5

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Vanita Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

As a huge fan of poetry and middle grade books, I could not prevent myself from requesting this book through Netgalley.
And I'm so glad to have discovered this book, now I'll buy the physical copy of it! It's so sweat, the words are well choosen.
Besides, it deals with one my favorite season: spring! I fell in love with the drawings! They are sooo cute! I spend most of my time admiring them before even reading the poems!
As for the poems, I did enjoy most of them! According to me, it's a great introduction to poetry!

This short book is the perfect one for hiding under covers with hot chocolate on a December night! (Yes I know, it's weird since it deals with spring)
I totally recommand it!

Wasn't quite what I was expecting but I was pleasantly surprised.

The author uses text from well known poems and pieces them together along with her own creativity to tell a story about a young girl and Spring.

I really loved the inclusion of the full poems used at the back of the book and that the text used is highlighted. I think it would be a great inclusion on a study or look at poetry for elementary - middle school aged children.

Lead character is a little girl waiting for spring! The text might be difficult for the younger demographic to really grasp, but I think the pictures and color would be enough to entertain most kids!

Because the text is based off poetry, I think having a parent read it aloud to a child would really display the musical quality of the prose.

I enjoyed this, but not as much as I thought I would.
I’m not sure I really connected with the writing, but it was well illustrated.

"Ivy in Bloom" is made up of words and lines from classic poems and literature, blended together to form a story that depicts a young girl's anticipation and adoration of the spring season. Parts of this book feel a bit out of place or choppy, however I enjoyed the overall concept of this book and its beautiful illustrations. Also, the proceeds of this book are said to be donated to numerous charities, which gives me an even greater appreciation for this book.

"Ivy in Bloom" is a lovely book to introduce young children to the art of poetry.

This is a wonderful idea for a book.
Initially it is the creative writing of poet Vanita Oelschlager, she writes about a little girl through whose eyes we will hopefully see the change of seasons. "I'm Ivy Van Allsberg. I'm waiting for Spring."
After a few lines, setting the mood and tone, beautifully illustrated by Kristin Blackwood the magic of this children's book escapes. They will be enthralled by Ivy, her bright eyes and black hair who not only stares out of he window but then acts as our guide outside in all weathers and outfits.
The special dimension to this book and the unfolding story is the borrowing of other great writers words and phrases; to reveal the full richness of a Spring long awaited. The skill has been the editing of these poems and sentences to give a flavour and a depth to the piece.
All the writers are credited, with a brief biography of their work, this is highlighted in the bibliography section. I reckon with a familiar ear and new found skills to read any child will grow to love this part of the book best as it is a window upon some great writers and poets. The child can then take a similar journey as the author and research these historic figures. Then seek out their work and develop a love of these wordsmiths for themselves.
Meanwhile at age this book will be a hit and well received for its words and pictures.
"April prepares her green traffic light.
And the world thinks go." 'Christopher Morley (5 May 1890 – 28 March 1957). He was an American poet, novelist, journalist and playwright. This comes from John Mistletoe, written in 1931.'

I love finding books like this that allow us to introduce classic authors in a fun modern way. Ivy in Bloom is on my list of recommendations!