The Boy Who Didn't Believe in Spring

This is a brilliant rendering of the joys of finding Spring, and its promise of new beginnings and hope. Children everywhere will benefit by reading King Shabazz' story, particularly the many children who are not exposed to inner city life.

King Shabazz is an urban boy in early elementary school who has a profound disbelief in the concept of spring. When it is mentioned in his presence, he demands to see the evidence, saying, "Where is it at?" His disbelief is so great that he recruits his friend Tony Polito to accompany him on a search for spring. They wander the neighborhood, smelling the smells and going far beyond their usual turf. Eventually, they see an abandoned car in a vacant lot and a strange noise is coming from it. As they conquer their fear and walk towards the car, they encounter some bright yellow flowers growing among the rubbish. When they reach the car, they discover a bird's nest containing a clutch of blue eggs, which prompts King to say, "Man it's spring." Fortunately, Tony's big brother spots them and escorts them back to familiar territory. To the very young child, this is a great adventure, crossing the street all-alone and finding things they had never seen before. It is an adventure for the urban child, many rural children will find a bit silly.