10 BEAUTIFUL SPRING THINGS BOOKS

This week we are celebrating the beginning of Spring with an exploration of beautiful new Spring things. We start with a collection of new books across a range of Spring-happy subjects -- from puppies, to eggs, from spiritual awakening to floral blooms opening.

1. NEWBORN PUPPIES: DOGS IN THEIR FIRST THREE WEEKS

“Newborn Puppies: Dogs in Their First Three Weeks,” by Traer Scott, presents a collection of photographs that is almost “unfair.” How can anyone resist? After all, “Happiness is a warm puppy,” isn’t it?

Scott, a writer and photographer, is also a new mother, so the book rings extra true.

It is beautiful to watch these new lives unfold, as the puppies open up to the world. They yawn and stretch their legs, and they grow so fast -- and Scott captured some of their best moments.

Chronicle Books (March 19, 2013)

2. BUNNIES

Hunt Slonem is known for his impressionistic bunny art. “Bunnies,” is the first published collection of his drawings and paintings.

Bunnies features a foreword by bestselling author (and friend of the artist) John Berendt and an essay by artist and gallerist, Bruce Helander.

Glitterati Incorporated (2014)

3. THE EXQUISITE BOOK OF PAPER FLOWERS: A GUIDE TO MAKING UNBELIEVABLY REALISTIC PAPER BLOOMS

“The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers: A Guide to Making Unbelievably Realistic Paper Blooms,” by Livia Cetti, will delight you, even if you aren’t into making them yourself. Cetti can take tissue and crepe paper and turn them into lush, romantic works of art. But if you are inspired to give them a try, you’ll learn Cetti’s secrets to creating 27 popular blooms, including volutuous peonies, poppies, roses, and hibiscus.

The instructions are clear. And the photos are stunning. From individual blossoms, to garlands, centerpieces, wreaths, and more, each is truly exquisite. Well named!

STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book (2014)

4. CHERRY BLOSSOMS: THE OFFICIAL BOOK OF THE NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

“Cherry Blossoms: The Official Book of the National Cherry Blossom Festival,” by Ann McClellan, with photos by Ron Blunt, presents the history of the annual festival n Washington D.C.

In addition to Blunt’s beautiful photographs, the book includes historical photography showing the festival's evolution over the years. If you can’t get to the Cherry Blossom Festival to experience it in real life, this book is the next best thing. And if you can go, this book can help to inform you and inspire you further.

National Geographic (February 18, 2014)

5. THE GREEN FLORILEGIUM

“The Green Florilegium,” by Hanne Kolind Poulsen, is an elegantly produced book, featuring  reproductions of a rare 17th-century album of floral illustrations.

The Green Florilegium is a bit of a mystery. Neither signed nor dated, it is generally attributed to the German painter Hans Simon Holtzbecker and originates from the library at Gottorp Castle in Schleswig, on the border of Germany and Denmark.

The original album is housed at the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen. It was recently painstakingly restored, refreshing the illustrations’ original colors.

The book includes 178 botanical illustrations, an introductory essay, and captions with basic information on each flower.

Your coffee table is waiting!

"The illustrations here are finely wrought and wonderfully colored… Each page is meant to be lingered over in this splendid and sprawling lap garden." --The New York Times

Prestel (2013)

6.  THE PLANT LOVER’S GUIDE TO SNOWDROPS

Snowdrops are the first flowers to bloom each year, poking their brave white petals through the snow to establish their intention to usher in the parade of spring.

“The Plant Lover's Guide to Snowdrops,” by Naomi Slade, profiles 60 hybrids of the flower.You can find plenty of stretches of these blanketing the ground as the thaw of springtime gets underway.

The flowers are so popular in the United Kingdom that their fans are known as Glanthophiles, named after the botanical Latin name Galanthus.

Timber Press (2014)

7. BOOK OF EGGS: A LIFE SIZE GUIDE TO THE EGGS OF SIX HUNDRED OF THE WORLD’S BIRD SPECIES

“The Book of Eggs: A Life-Size Guide to the Eggs of Six Hundred of the World's Bird Species,” by Mark E. Hauber, is an incredible collection. It’s hard to imagine so many different varieties -- each beautiful in its own right.

Marvel at the brilliant green Elegant Crested Tinamou egg, considered by many to be among the most beautiful in the world. See the common brown chicken egg with a whole new level of appreciation. Learn how cuckoo eggs mimic those of other bird species to avoid detection.

Most of the eggs featured in the book are housed mostly at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. Some are extinct and some are endangered.

Organized by habitat and taxonomy, the entries include newly commissioned full-color photographs, showing the eggs in actual size. The book also inlcudes information about the birds, their geographies, and their nesting, incubating and hatching habits.

Mallards produce larger eggs when they are especially attracted to well-endowed males. Some seabirds, like the cliff-dwelling guillemot, have adapted to produce long, pointed eggs, whose uneven weight distribution prevents them from rolling off rocky ledges into the sea.

Hummingbird eggs are the smallest, about the size of a small pea, while ostrich eggs are the largest, weighing in a around 5 pounds. These, and all the eggs in between, are laid out beautifully in The Book of Eggs.

The Ivy Press (2014)

8. A GOOD EGG: A YEAR OF RECIPES FROM AN URBAN HEN KEEPER

“A Good Egg: A year of recipes from an urban hen-keeper,” by Genevieve Taylor, is a great breakfast inspiration, even if you get your eggs from the grocery store. If you are tired of the same old scrambled, fried, poached or omelet options, you need this book.

Genevieve Taylor has created a year's worth of recipes that are shaped by the changing seasons and are spontaneous, unfussy and joyful. Her passion for food that tastes and looks gorgeous, whether for every day or for parties, shines through each and every recipe and photograph in this wonderfully handy book.

Transworld Digital (2013)

9. SEEDS OF HOPE: WISDOM AND WONDER FROM THE WORLD OF PLANTS

“Seeds of Hope: Wisdom and Wonder from the World of Plants,” by Jane Goodall looks at the critical role that trees and plants play. Goodall, who is best known for her extraordinary work with chimpanzees, brings her sensibilities to the world of botany.

Best selling author Michael Pollan has written a brilliant introduction. And Gail Hudson offered additional contributions.

Seeds of Hope delves deep inside the Gombe forest, where Goodall and the chimpanzees play. Renowned botanists weigh in. It highlights information about The Millennium Seed Bank, where one billion seeds are preserved. And it shows how plants and serve to heal both our bodies and our planet.

Grand Central Publishing (2014)

10. THE LITTLE BOOK OF AWAKENING

“The Little Book of Awakening,” by Mark Nepo, is a smaller version of the classic spiritual guide.

Hundreds of thousands of readers have enjoyed the full edition, chosen as one of Oprah’s favorite things. The Little Book contains a cherry-picked lot of inspirations and is housed in a a special jacketed pocket-sized hard cover edition.

The Book of Awakening is organized into a set of weekly readings -- each exploring a new theme, such as abundance, awareness, blessing, interdependence, presence, opportunity, being heard, being real, and facing our suffering.

The Little Book of Awakening is the ideal inspirational gift for any occasion.

Conari Press (2013)

Read more about Beautiful Spring, it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact.

Enter this week’s BN Photo Competition. Our theme this week is Beautiful Spring Things. Deadline is 03.23.14.

Photo Credits: 

1. Photo: by Traer Scott. Newborn Puppies: Dogs in Their First Three Weeks.
2. Image: Courtesy of Chronicle Books. Newborn Puppies: Dogs in Their First Three Weeks.
3. Image: Courtesy of Glitterati Incorporated. Bunnies.
4. Image: Courtesy of STC Craft. The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers: A Guide to Making Unbelievably Realistic Paper Blooms.
5. Image: Courtesy of National Geographic. Cherry Blossoms: The Official Book of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
6. Photo: Courtesy of Prestel. The Green Florilegium.
7. Image: Courtesy of Timber Press. The Plant Lover's Guide to Snowdrops.
8. Image: Courtesy of The Ivy Press. The Book of Eggs: A Life-Size Guide to the Eggs of Six Hundred of the World's Bird Species.
9. Image: Courtesy of Transworld Digital. A Good Egg.
10. Image: Courtesy of Grand Central Publishing. Seeds of Hope.
11. Image: Courtesy of Conari Press. The Little Book of Awakening.
12. Photo: Courtesy of Nature.com. Eggs.