Kate McMullan: Hello, my name is Kate McMullan, and I'm going to talk about my new book, Happy Springtime. The reason I started thinking about springtime was a couple of years ago. It was February. It was miserable out. It was snowing and sleeting and gray. And I just so longed for springtime. And then I thought about all the other people who might feel the same way, kids waiting for the bus in the sleet and all the birds who are trying to eat frozen berries and all the people who felt the same way. And so I wanted to tell them not to lose heart, that spring was coming. And then have the book burst into a springtime scene that would make us all feel more optimistic. I love the illustrations. I think Sujean Rim is such a good artist and has such an ebullience that it was the perfect evocation of springtime.

I guess I'd like kids to know that as bad as winter is, spring is coming and things will be better. It's okay. You'll get through this. But I also thought for teachers to be able to say, "Well, what do you like to do in springtime? What's your favorite spring color?" It seems like a good book for a classroom that kids could have fun doing paintings. Because Sujean, she has collage and she has all kinds of different things going on in her art that kids could try to do in their own art. There's so many flowers and things. So I did think it would be fun for kids to do the activities. Their own activities to celebrate spring. I am one who thinks spring should be celebrated.

I would like to share with you a little bit of Happy Springtime. It has nice spring green end papers, and it doesn't begin in the spring. It begins in the winter. Like this:

Here's a message for school bus riders heading out on a cold, dark morning. For red-breasted birds, pecking at ice-coated berries. For all those whose snowsuits have stuck zippers. And those with their boots on the wrong feet. For crossing guards wearing ear muffs and two pairs of mittens. For dogs dressed in sweaters and booties. Do not lose heart. All winter, the days grow a little bit longer. The nights grow a little bit shorter until the day becomes exactly as long as the night. On this day, we say happy springtime.

To bouncers of balls and sliders on slides. To sandbox diggers and swingers on swings. To groggy frogs waking from their winter sleep. To trees unfurling their leaves to the light. The days are growing longer. Happy springtime to smock-wearing painters of flowers and bugs. To green shoots and pink worms poking up from the soil. To winter-born babies who've not seen a spring. To black-capped birds plucking moss for their nest.