The story of a young girl, Naomi, experiencing the arrival of Springtime through the different smells and sensations it brings. We learn that she is blind when a neighbor says what a shame it is that she can't see the beautiful blue sky. Naomi disregards her neighbors comment saying the real shame is that Mrs. Jensen can't see the rainbow created in her mind. ( )

I did not really enjoy this book. I though the illustrations were very dated and boring. I thought the words were quite weird and honestly, I do not think children would really understand what is going on in this book because it was just a little awkwardly written, with weird illustrations. ( )

When I hear spring, I think of the beautiful flowers that come during this season. But for Naomi she knows it’s spring from the sounds, smells, and tastes of the season. “Naomi Knows It’s Springtime” is about a young girl who is blind. The story is repetitive saying the ways Naomi recognizes it’s springtime. In the end, Naomi’s neighbor, Mrs. Jensen, pities Naomi and says, “If only Naomi could see the blue in the sky”. Naomi then says “If only Mrs. Jensen could see the rainbow in my mind!” Throughout the whole story, it is not clearly stated that Naomi is blind. But when her neighbor pities her, the readers realize that she has a disability. Naomi loves the way she can discover it is spring. Although she does not see it, she appreciates the season and the beauty of nature from the sounds, tastes, and smells. The illustrations of this story have soft pastel colors showing Naomi outside during this season. I do wish the story was written in Naomi's own perspective, but regardless I enjoyed this story. Overall, this is a heartwarming book that show children not only the beauty of this wonderful season, but also how someone who is blind experiences spring. ( )

Naomi loves the way spring feels. She is describing how she can tell when the seasons are different to her, with the way things sound, how they feel, and what she can hear. Naomi has learned to truly appreciate the change of seasons and nature without seeing it concretely, and these are the things that make her feel happy. The illustrations are not completely clear, and are someone portrayed in a blurry texture. This concept runs analogous to how Naomi sees the world. The undefined colors and shapes represent how she feels them. ( )

Naomi describes all of the ways in which she knows that spring has arrived; however, she does not describe any sights because she is blind. A neighbor comments that it is a shame that Naomi cannot see the beauty of spring, but Naomi is happy with the ways in which she recognizes spring.

The book would be a useful tool when discussing blindness, senses, and how to identify something. ( )