Most children seem to have that one story that they want to read over and over again before bed. For me, this was the gorgeously illustrated book, The Story of May by Mordicai Gerstein. The young month, May, lives with her mother, April, who teaches her how to be a proper spring month.
“May skipped into the morning. She sprinkled periwinkles at the edge of the woods. She spun round and round, tossing dandelions, bluets and violets everywhere. She welcomed the warblers and listened to their gossip of foreign places.”
May becomes so caught up in the wonders of being a spring month that she wanders too far from home. Luckily, her aunt June is there waiting to welcome her. June tells May of her father, December, and so begins May’s journey through the year to meet the man that is her father. On her adventure, May meets her relatives each personifying his or her own month. Her uncle July is a large sun burnt man with a watermelon, while October wears a cloak of colorful leaves and carves pumpkins.
In addition to the cute story and beautiful illustrations, The Story of May also serves an educational purpose. In addition to teaching children the months of the year, The Story of May subtly teaches children about each month. Instead of explicitly stating that it snows in January and is windy in March, May’s uncle January skis and her cousin March is a kite.
This is book that I loved as a child and hope others enjoy it as much as I did.
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