Picture Books
Wolfie The Bunny, by Ame Dyckman
Notable Children’s Book 2016
Ages: 3-6
Wolfie is adopted into the Bunny family who seem to think Wolfie is amazing. The daughter of the Bunny family, Dot, is the only one who realizes that Wolfie could eat them all up. Dot tried to warn her parents, but they love Wolfie and refuse to listen. In the end, Dot sees how Wolfie is scared by a bear who threatens to eat Wolfie who is posing as a bunny, so Dot steps up as the big sister and saves the day. This story focuses on sibling relationships, and how it can be difficult when a new sibling is born.
In my teaching, I would use this story to share the positive message of sibling and family love and how siblings are role models for each other. This idea could be incorporated in social studies lessons. This story could also be used in an interactive read aloud asking questions before, during, and after the story. Before the story, teachers could ask questions like "Why do you think Wolfie is dressed up as a bunny? During certain points in the story, you could ask questions like, "How do you think Wolfie feels?" or "How do you think Dot feels?" After the story is over you could have a group discussion over the book and do an extension activity off of that.
Notable Children’s Book 2016
Ages: 3-6
Wolfie is adopted into the Bunny family who seem to think Wolfie is amazing. The daughter of the Bunny family, Dot, is the only one who realizes that Wolfie could eat them all up. Dot tried to warn her parents, but they love Wolfie and refuse to listen. In the end, Dot sees how Wolfie is scared by a bear who threatens to eat Wolfie who is posing as a bunny, so Dot steps up as the big sister and saves the day. This story focuses on sibling relationships, and how it can be difficult when a new sibling is born.
In my teaching, I would use this story to share the positive message of sibling and family love and how siblings are role models for each other. This idea could be incorporated in social studies lessons. This story could also be used in an interactive read aloud asking questions before, during, and after the story. Before the story, teachers could ask questions like "Why do you think Wolfie is dressed up as a bunny? During certain points in the story, you could ask questions like, "How do you think Wolfie feels?" or "How do you think Dot feels?" After the story is over you could have a group discussion over the book and do an extension activity off of that.
A Ball for Daisy, by Chris Raschka
Caldecott Award 2012
Grade Level: Pre-k- 2
This is a wordless picture book for beginning readers. Through illustrations, Raschka tells the story of Daisy, a pup who loves her ball. Daisy feels different emotions throughout the book as she plays with her ball, loses her ball, another dog plays with her ball, her ball pops, and she shares her ball with the other dog.
This book is great to have children tell the story and discover all of the emotions Daisy feels. This book could also be used in the classroom where the last page of the story is covered up and you have the students draw and write out what the new ending of the story would be. This book is a great way to encourage creativity among young children. Teachers may even want to do a fun activity like have children create a drawing of Daisy in one of her emotion stages so show they know what each emotion means. This book may also be used to create an emotions chart for in the classroom for young readers, as it could be implemented in future reading activities, but also to help the children describe how they feel themselves. The students can sit in a circle and whoever has the red ball has to tell the class an experience where they felt a loss, such as a toy.
Caldecott Award 2012
Grade Level: Pre-k- 2
This is a wordless picture book for beginning readers. Through illustrations, Raschka tells the story of Daisy, a pup who loves her ball. Daisy feels different emotions throughout the book as she plays with her ball, loses her ball, another dog plays with her ball, her ball pops, and she shares her ball with the other dog.
This book is great to have children tell the story and discover all of the emotions Daisy feels. This book could also be used in the classroom where the last page of the story is covered up and you have the students draw and write out what the new ending of the story would be. This book is a great way to encourage creativity among young children. Teachers may even want to do a fun activity like have children create a drawing of Daisy in one of her emotion stages so show they know what each emotion means. This book may also be used to create an emotions chart for in the classroom for young readers, as it could be implemented in future reading activities, but also to help the children describe how they feel themselves. The students can sit in a circle and whoever has the red ball has to tell the class an experience where they felt a loss, such as a toy.
You Are (Not) Small, by Anna Kang
Geisel Award 2015
Grade Level: Pre-k-1
The story follows an argument between two bears who each think the other one is very different. In the end, the bears realize that they are being silly and don’t need to fight about the way they look. This book could help diminish bullying in the classroom and teachers kids it is okay to be different from others. It's good for children to learn that they will meet people who are very different from them but it is important to accept them for who they are. This book uses comedy to capture and hold the students attention and get the message across. This would be a fun book to incorporate making predictions beforehand and talk about the characters with the class. This book would be useful to use in a health class to discuss a relationships theme, as the children can look at how they are silly with their own friends, and that they do not need to fight their friends over silly little things.
Geisel Award 2015
Grade Level: Pre-k-1
The story follows an argument between two bears who each think the other one is very different. In the end, the bears realize that they are being silly and don’t need to fight about the way they look. This book could help diminish bullying in the classroom and teachers kids it is okay to be different from others. It's good for children to learn that they will meet people who are very different from them but it is important to accept them for who they are. This book uses comedy to capture and hold the students attention and get the message across. This would be a fun book to incorporate making predictions beforehand and talk about the characters with the class. This book would be useful to use in a health class to discuss a relationships theme, as the children can look at how they are silly with their own friends, and that they do not need to fight their friends over silly little things.
The Day the Crayons Quit, by Drew Daywalt
Children’s Choice Award 2014
Grade Level: K-3
This humorous book written by Drew Daywalt is about crayons writing letters to their owner about why they quit. The little boy Duncan opens the book and finds letters instead of crayons. Some of different colors of crayons get upset with him because he is either using a color way too much and they get tired, or they don’t get used enough, and feel left out. I think the students will love the sense of humor used in this book.
This book could be used as a hook for a lesson. An extension activity could possibly be having the students write their own letter for why their crayon quit. In addition to having the students write their own letters, this book will encourage students to use their imagination. You can ask students to think outside the box and color a picture using colors they wouldn't usually use. This book could be used in class to discuss taking care of school supplies, and possibly the children's own supplies. This would be good for use during the first week of class, to look at classroom rules and classroom behaviors. You could even make the connection to other items by saying that taking care of anything is just as important.
Children’s Choice Award 2014
Grade Level: K-3
This humorous book written by Drew Daywalt is about crayons writing letters to their owner about why they quit. The little boy Duncan opens the book and finds letters instead of crayons. Some of different colors of crayons get upset with him because he is either using a color way too much and they get tired, or they don’t get used enough, and feel left out. I think the students will love the sense of humor used in this book.
This book could be used as a hook for a lesson. An extension activity could possibly be having the students write their own letter for why their crayon quit. In addition to having the students write their own letters, this book will encourage students to use their imagination. You can ask students to think outside the box and color a picture using colors they wouldn't usually use. This book could be used in class to discuss taking care of school supplies, and possibly the children's own supplies. This would be good for use during the first week of class, to look at classroom rules and classroom behaviors. You could even make the connection to other items by saying that taking care of anything is just as important.
Flora and the Flamingo, by Molly Idle
Caldecott Honor Book 2014
Grade Level: Picture Book, no words
This is a picture book without words that also includes interactive flaps. In this book, Flora and a flamingo friend learn to take after one another. They go through moves that test their friendship and bring them happiness. All this to learn how to work together to dance together! This book could be fun for children to make up their own versions of the story, or even their own dialogue as this one is pictures with no text. This is a book that engages children in their kinesthetic learning. Children would be able to act out the story as it is being read and would also be able to retell/reenact the story after hearing it. Children would also be able to add their own writing to this story since there are little to no words in the book.
This book can be used interactively in the classroom by having your students stand up and imitate the movements that Flora and the flamingo are displaying. In this way, the students are actively engaged with the book, while also engaging in physical activity. In addition, this book can be used to encourage your students’ creativity in coming up with their own text for each page. With this book, you can teach about context clues and how pictures help us decipher what is happening in a story. You can even ask the students why they think the author chose to write this book without words and what we gain from reading a book without words versus having a book with words. For example: For books without words, we can provide more of our own interpretation to the book, we can make up our own words for the story, we can focus more on the pictures, etc.
Caldecott Honor Book 2014
Grade Level: Picture Book, no words
This is a picture book without words that also includes interactive flaps. In this book, Flora and a flamingo friend learn to take after one another. They go through moves that test their friendship and bring them happiness. All this to learn how to work together to dance together! This book could be fun for children to make up their own versions of the story, or even their own dialogue as this one is pictures with no text. This is a book that engages children in their kinesthetic learning. Children would be able to act out the story as it is being read and would also be able to retell/reenact the story after hearing it. Children would also be able to add their own writing to this story since there are little to no words in the book.
This book can be used interactively in the classroom by having your students stand up and imitate the movements that Flora and the flamingo are displaying. In this way, the students are actively engaged with the book, while also engaging in physical activity. In addition, this book can be used to encourage your students’ creativity in coming up with their own text for each page. With this book, you can teach about context clues and how pictures help us decipher what is happening in a story. You can even ask the students why they think the author chose to write this book without words and what we gain from reading a book without words versus having a book with words. For example: For books without words, we can provide more of our own interpretation to the book, we can make up our own words for the story, we can focus more on the pictures, etc.
Supertruck, by Stephen Savage
Notable Children's Books 2016
Ages: 2-4
There are many different trucks who have very different jobs in the city. One day the city is struck with a huge snowstorm, and none of the big bright trucks are able to help. The small, dull colored garbage truck transforms into the Supertruck and is able to save the day by plowing the streets. In my teaching, I would use this book to promote the underdog in society and how it is important to show exactly what you are capable of. I think this text would be a book that could be used when the talking about character. I like how this book shows that outward appearance does not always show one's vast range of skills, and I think this book could assist me in teaching this concept to the class. Each page features simple sentences with large illustrations which are ideal for story time and expanding thinking. This could also lead to a discussion about the many different jobs that people have in the real world and how every job is important. For younger children you could even use this when talking about the different seasons; this book represents winter.
Notable Children's Books 2016
Ages: 2-4
There are many different trucks who have very different jobs in the city. One day the city is struck with a huge snowstorm, and none of the big bright trucks are able to help. The small, dull colored garbage truck transforms into the Supertruck and is able to save the day by plowing the streets. In my teaching, I would use this book to promote the underdog in society and how it is important to show exactly what you are capable of. I think this text would be a book that could be used when the talking about character. I like how this book shows that outward appearance does not always show one's vast range of skills, and I think this book could assist me in teaching this concept to the class. Each page features simple sentences with large illustrations which are ideal for story time and expanding thinking. This could also lead to a discussion about the many different jobs that people have in the real world and how every job is important. For younger children you could even use this when talking about the different seasons; this book represents winter.
If You Plant a Seed, by Kadir Nelson
Notable Children's Books 2016
Ages: 4-8
In this story, a rabbit and a mouse are friends. They plant a seed that grows into vegetables due to love and care. However, they do not want to share their vegetables. This plants the “seed of selfishness.” When the rabbit and mouse realize what they have done, they offer the birds a tomato which plants the “seed of kindness.” The birds reciprocate this act of kindness by spreading more seeds while flying so more animals can enjoy the vegetables.
In my teaching, I would use this book to show children the importance of kindness in friendships and to encourage my students to apply what they have learned to their own lives and interactions with their classmates. This could be done as part of a relationships theme in a health/life skills lesson. This book can also be used in a lesson where kids can grow their own "seeds of kindness". Every day they can watch their kindness grow and teachers can use it as a reminder in the classroom to be kind and share in the classroom.
Notable Children's Books 2016
Ages: 4-8
In this story, a rabbit and a mouse are friends. They plant a seed that grows into vegetables due to love and care. However, they do not want to share their vegetables. This plants the “seed of selfishness.” When the rabbit and mouse realize what they have done, they offer the birds a tomato which plants the “seed of kindness.” The birds reciprocate this act of kindness by spreading more seeds while flying so more animals can enjoy the vegetables.
In my teaching, I would use this book to show children the importance of kindness in friendships and to encourage my students to apply what they have learned to their own lives and interactions with their classmates. This could be done as part of a relationships theme in a health/life skills lesson. This book can also be used in a lesson where kids can grow their own "seeds of kindness". Every day they can watch their kindness grow and teachers can use it as a reminder in the classroom to be kind and share in the classroom.
Waiting, by Kevin Henkes
Notable Children's Books 2016
Ages: 4-6
Five toys sit by the window watching the day go by, and waiting patiently for whatever comes their way. The toys are not waiting for anything in particular, but are happy to sit and wait. This calming story is great for a bedtime read, and encourage keeping an open mind no matter what happens.
In my teaching, I would apply this simple story to promote the positive message of acceptance, and generally to accept everyday life, as each toy can be seen in this book as hoping for something different. This can be related to social studies and celebrating differences. The story could also inspire and encourage imagination when thinking about the secret life of toys, so could be used for creative writing. A good time to read this book would be after recess or when the classroom might seem a bit chaotic and you want the children to relax and calm down. Also if you just need to take a small break.
Going off of the creative writing idea, children in the classroom could also draw their own scenes in the windows that the toys are looking out of. Below, they could write about what is going on in those scenes and how the toys are feeling. Students could present this to the class and hang it up on a wall after they are done.
Notable Children's Books 2016
Ages: 4-6
Five toys sit by the window watching the day go by, and waiting patiently for whatever comes their way. The toys are not waiting for anything in particular, but are happy to sit and wait. This calming story is great for a bedtime read, and encourage keeping an open mind no matter what happens.
In my teaching, I would apply this simple story to promote the positive message of acceptance, and generally to accept everyday life, as each toy can be seen in this book as hoping for something different. This can be related to social studies and celebrating differences. The story could also inspire and encourage imagination when thinking about the secret life of toys, so could be used for creative writing. A good time to read this book would be after recess or when the classroom might seem a bit chaotic and you want the children to relax and calm down. Also if you just need to take a small break.
Going off of the creative writing idea, children in the classroom could also draw their own scenes in the windows that the toys are looking out of. Below, they could write about what is going on in those scenes and how the toys are feeling. Students could present this to the class and hang it up on a wall after they are done.
Float, by Daniel Miyares
Notable Children's Books 2016
Ages: 3-8
This book is wordless, so is open to interpretation. The pictures feature a boy with his paper boat, who uses his imagination to entertain himself on a rainy day. When the boy’s paper boat begins to get away from him, the boy is upset, and goes on a hunt to recover the boat that leads him on a greater adventure. The pictures are mainly gray scale with a hint of color, and encourage children into deeper thinking and use of imagination. In my teaching, I would encourage the children to tell and write the story based on what they view in the pictures. It would be a great learning experience to see and share the variety of stories recreated using mediums or creative writing, and also art. This story can also be used to teach children about objects that either float of sink. Students can test buoyancy and predict the outcome for different objects in relation to water.
Notable Children's Books 2016
Ages: 3-8
This book is wordless, so is open to interpretation. The pictures feature a boy with his paper boat, who uses his imagination to entertain himself on a rainy day. When the boy’s paper boat begins to get away from him, the boy is upset, and goes on a hunt to recover the boat that leads him on a greater adventure. The pictures are mainly gray scale with a hint of color, and encourage children into deeper thinking and use of imagination. In my teaching, I would encourage the children to tell and write the story based on what they view in the pictures. It would be a great learning experience to see and share the variety of stories recreated using mediums or creative writing, and also art. This story can also be used to teach children about objects that either float of sink. Students can test buoyancy and predict the outcome for different objects in relation to water.
The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?, by Mo Willems
Children's Choice Book Awards Runner-Up 2013
Ages: 2-6
This story starts with a little yellow duckling asking for a cookie. Once receiving the cookie with nuts, a pigeon flies in and is outraged at how easily the duckling got the cookie. This duckling then explains that the cookie is actually for the pigeon, and that the duckling would rather a cookie without nuts. The pigeon calms down, and is almost shocked at the good deed. In teaching, this book would be used to encourage being polite, sharing, and not being selfish between classmates. It shows children that they do not always get what they ask for. This could be used in health classes to discuss the topic of relationships, to expand the children’s thinking and vocabulary when talking about how each character may feel. Extension activities for this book include the children acting out the book, sorting cookies with raisins and without, and practicing politeness.
This could also be used in math in early preschool. We could all talk about how many nuts and chocolate chips are on the cookie. We could add an art activity as well, and make our own cookies with construction paper with what ever type of topping we want on them (this works with cutting, coloring, fine motor skills and creativity).
On the topic of ducks, you could bring up the ugly duckling book. With this, we could compare and contrast what is a ducky and what is not. This is a great book to talk about how silly this book is because Ducks cannot eat cookies. So this would be a great book to go over all the characteristics, ecosystems, and for they eat.
Children's Choice Book Awards Runner-Up 2013
Ages: 2-6
This story starts with a little yellow duckling asking for a cookie. Once receiving the cookie with nuts, a pigeon flies in and is outraged at how easily the duckling got the cookie. This duckling then explains that the cookie is actually for the pigeon, and that the duckling would rather a cookie without nuts. The pigeon calms down, and is almost shocked at the good deed. In teaching, this book would be used to encourage being polite, sharing, and not being selfish between classmates. It shows children that they do not always get what they ask for. This could be used in health classes to discuss the topic of relationships, to expand the children’s thinking and vocabulary when talking about how each character may feel. Extension activities for this book include the children acting out the book, sorting cookies with raisins and without, and practicing politeness.
This could also be used in math in early preschool. We could all talk about how many nuts and chocolate chips are on the cookie. We could add an art activity as well, and make our own cookies with construction paper with what ever type of topping we want on them (this works with cutting, coloring, fine motor skills and creativity).
On the topic of ducks, you could bring up the ugly duckling book. With this, we could compare and contrast what is a ducky and what is not. This is a great book to talk about how silly this book is because Ducks cannot eat cookies. So this would be a great book to go over all the characteristics, ecosystems, and for they eat.
I'll Save You Bobo!, by Eileen and Marc Rosenthal
Children's Choice Book Awards Runner-Up 2013
Ages: 3-8
Bobo is a sock monkey, and is Willy’s best friend. Willy is trying to read Bobo a story, but Willy’s cat, Earl, keeps getting in the way. Willy then decides that he will write his own book with Bobo’s help, but Earl keeps getting in the way and ruining things. Willy is so annoyed with Earl that he writes him into the story, but has a snake eat Earl. Willy then gets scared after this when he mistakes Earl’s tail for a real snake. This book is a sequel to 2011’s “I Must Have Bobo!” In my teaching, I would use this book to discuss how much fun it can be to write stories based on own imagination, like Willy did, but also how violence was used in the story against Earl the cat, and how this part could be rewritten. Therefore, this book could inspire creative writing, and provoke ideas for relationships and bullying in health classes.
Children's Choice Book Awards Runner-Up 2013
Ages: 3-8
Bobo is a sock monkey, and is Willy’s best friend. Willy is trying to read Bobo a story, but Willy’s cat, Earl, keeps getting in the way. Willy then decides that he will write his own book with Bobo’s help, but Earl keeps getting in the way and ruining things. Willy is so annoyed with Earl that he writes him into the story, but has a snake eat Earl. Willy then gets scared after this when he mistakes Earl’s tail for a real snake. This book is a sequel to 2011’s “I Must Have Bobo!” In my teaching, I would use this book to discuss how much fun it can be to write stories based on own imagination, like Willy did, but also how violence was used in the story against Earl the cat, and how this part could be rewritten. Therefore, this book could inspire creative writing, and provoke ideas for relationships and bullying in health classes.
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, by Eric Litwin
Children's Choice Book Awards Runner-Up 2013
Ages: 2-5
Pete the Cat is wearing his favorite shirt, which has four colorful, groovy buttons. He sings a song about the buttons, but then one of the buttons falls off. The text then offers a math problem of working out how many buttons are left. This continues until there are no buttons left on the shirt, but he is left with his belly-button! In my teaching, I would use this book to teach math, as the counting element encourages the reader to work out simple math problems. I could also use the book to talk of the positivity that Pete has even when the buttons fall off his favorite shirt, as Pete does not get upset. Pete is a good role model, and could be used to talk about other role models who never gave up in social studies classes. This book could also be used to see what else Pete could use instead of buttons on his coat to help it stay closed. This could help students problem solve and allow for creative thinking. Going off of the math lesson idea, children could have a picture of Pete the Cat and go through the song as a class. Starting with the four buttons, everyone could move one button off one at a time until the shirt has no buttons left on it. After the buttons are gone, the teacher could provide more materials other than buttons for the children to glue onto Pete's shirt. After everyone's done, have a discussion about what the children used instead of buttons and how many they added to the shirt.
Children's Choice Book Awards Runner-Up 2013
Ages: 2-5
Pete the Cat is wearing his favorite shirt, which has four colorful, groovy buttons. He sings a song about the buttons, but then one of the buttons falls off. The text then offers a math problem of working out how many buttons are left. This continues until there are no buttons left on the shirt, but he is left with his belly-button! In my teaching, I would use this book to teach math, as the counting element encourages the reader to work out simple math problems. I could also use the book to talk of the positivity that Pete has even when the buttons fall off his favorite shirt, as Pete does not get upset. Pete is a good role model, and could be used to talk about other role models who never gave up in social studies classes. This book could also be used to see what else Pete could use instead of buttons on his coat to help it stay closed. This could help students problem solve and allow for creative thinking. Going off of the math lesson idea, children could have a picture of Pete the Cat and go through the song as a class. Starting with the four buttons, everyone could move one button off one at a time until the shirt has no buttons left on it. After the buttons are gone, the teacher could provide more materials other than buttons for the children to glue onto Pete's shirt. After everyone's done, have a discussion about what the children used instead of buttons and how many they added to the shirt.
Alphabet Trucks, by Samantha Vamos
Children’s Choice Book Awards Runner-Up 2014
Ages: 2-4
This book offered a different type of truck for each letter of the alphabet, for example, D is for dump truck. This is a great introductory book to the concept that is the alphabet. The illustrations are bright and colorful, and perfect for the truck lover, so may be useful in getting young boys interested in reading. The book could also be used to challenge stereotypes, as girls could also be interested in trucks. In my teaching, I will use this to refresh the children’s alphabet knowledge, and promote and expand knowledge of rhyme and rime. An extension activity to this book would be to have the children draw their own vehicles to correspond with a letter of their choosing. They could even make one to go with the first letter of their name. If you find the children to be interested in different types of vehicles, you could explore with the class the different parts of a vehicle. The class would be able to discuss and could even try to make their own vehicle using different materials found around the classroom. Another extension activity would be to have the students build their own truck together as a class. This could be done over the year and each day allow time for the students to work on building their truck. This would be a fun activity that would get the children involved. Another quick activity while reading the book is to have everyone work in small groups with their own copy of the book looking for specific letters on the pages. In this book, there are some hidden letters in each page so every time students find them they can name the letter and write it down. This activity can be placed into an alphabet journal where work can be revisited if children need further help.
Children’s Choice Book Awards Runner-Up 2014
Ages: 2-4
This book offered a different type of truck for each letter of the alphabet, for example, D is for dump truck. This is a great introductory book to the concept that is the alphabet. The illustrations are bright and colorful, and perfect for the truck lover, so may be useful in getting young boys interested in reading. The book could also be used to challenge stereotypes, as girls could also be interested in trucks. In my teaching, I will use this to refresh the children’s alphabet knowledge, and promote and expand knowledge of rhyme and rime. An extension activity to this book would be to have the children draw their own vehicles to correspond with a letter of their choosing. They could even make one to go with the first letter of their name. If you find the children to be interested in different types of vehicles, you could explore with the class the different parts of a vehicle. The class would be able to discuss and could even try to make their own vehicle using different materials found around the classroom. Another extension activity would be to have the students build their own truck together as a class. This could be done over the year and each day allow time for the students to work on building their truck. This would be a fun activity that would get the children involved. Another quick activity while reading the book is to have everyone work in small groups with their own copy of the book looking for specific letters on the pages. In this book, there are some hidden letters in each page so every time students find them they can name the letter and write it down. This activity can be placed into an alphabet journal where work can be revisited if children need further help.
A Pet for Fly Guy, by Tedd Arnold
Children’s Choice Book Awards Runner-up 2015
Ages: 4-8
Fly Guy is a fly with really large eyes, who enjoys a trip to the park with his friend Buzz, who is a smart fly. Fly Guy sees all the other kids playing with their pets and wishes he had his own pet. They go on an adventure looking for the perfect pet, but are unsuccessful. Fly Guy then realized that his friend Buzz could be his pet. In my teaching, I will use this story to teach the children how to be a good pet owner, and hopefully inspire children to become more responsible. I could use this book to teach health with a theme of caring for pets and being responsible, but I could also use this book to teach science as the children would need to look at what an animal needs to survive. You could also use this book to incorporate art into the classroom. By having the children create their ideal pet, the students will use their imagination and creativity skills to participate in creative thinking. Children could also draw the pets they own and how they care for them. It would be fun to write a how to book on the way the children take care of their own pets. If a child does not own a pet, they could draw the pet they would want to own.
Children’s Choice Book Awards Runner-up 2015
Ages: 4-8
Fly Guy is a fly with really large eyes, who enjoys a trip to the park with his friend Buzz, who is a smart fly. Fly Guy sees all the other kids playing with their pets and wishes he had his own pet. They go on an adventure looking for the perfect pet, but are unsuccessful. Fly Guy then realized that his friend Buzz could be his pet. In my teaching, I will use this story to teach the children how to be a good pet owner, and hopefully inspire children to become more responsible. I could use this book to teach health with a theme of caring for pets and being responsible, but I could also use this book to teach science as the children would need to look at what an animal needs to survive. You could also use this book to incorporate art into the classroom. By having the children create their ideal pet, the students will use their imagination and creativity skills to participate in creative thinking. Children could also draw the pets they own and how they care for them. It would be fun to write a how to book on the way the children take care of their own pets. If a child does not own a pet, they could draw the pet they would want to own.
Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes
ALA Notable Children’s Book 1991
Grade Level: 2nd-3rd
Chrysanthemum is a mouse who loves her name. When she starts kindergarten, however, the other children make fun of her name, saying it’s too long. Chrysanthemum learns to love her name again with the help of her music teacher, Mrs. Twinkle. I will use this book in my teaching during morning sessions to remind my students that we should be kind to everyone. I think children will enjoy this story with its colorful pictures and empowering message. This book could also be used during health class to discuss a relationships theme, as this book covers bullying and how this might affect the individual being bullied. This book is also a great choice for a read aloud lesson. The teacher could stop at different points throughout the story and ask the students how Chrysanthemum may feel or what the students would do if they were in her situation. After the story is over, there could be a group discussion/ reflection covering the topic of bullying and any examples of bullying in the text. Children could also recount on their own examples of bullying and discuss with each other how they would resolve these issues.
ALA Notable Children’s Book 1991
Grade Level: 2nd-3rd
Chrysanthemum is a mouse who loves her name. When she starts kindergarten, however, the other children make fun of her name, saying it’s too long. Chrysanthemum learns to love her name again with the help of her music teacher, Mrs. Twinkle. I will use this book in my teaching during morning sessions to remind my students that we should be kind to everyone. I think children will enjoy this story with its colorful pictures and empowering message. This book could also be used during health class to discuss a relationships theme, as this book covers bullying and how this might affect the individual being bullied. This book is also a great choice for a read aloud lesson. The teacher could stop at different points throughout the story and ask the students how Chrysanthemum may feel or what the students would do if they were in her situation. After the story is over, there could be a group discussion/ reflection covering the topic of bullying and any examples of bullying in the text. Children could also recount on their own examples of bullying and discuss with each other how they would resolve these issues.
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This is Not My Hat, by Jon Klassen
Caldecott Award 2013
Grade Level: 1st-2nd
The small fish steals a hat from a larger fish and brags about how he was able to steal the hat and get away with it. The big fish wakes up from his nap early to find that his hat has been stolen, and thus, his journey begins. A book on the topic of stealing is an important subject to discuss in the classroom. At a young age, children often grab things without thinking of the consequences that come from the action of taking something that is not theirs. This book can inform children what to do if they want something they cannot have. For kindergartners, this is an important topic because there will be toys, markers, and other items in the classroom but not enough for every student to have their own. Sharing is an essential concept that needs to be learned in those younger years. This book is also a good way to discuss emotions because all of the illustrations show how the different fish feel in different situations.
Caldecott Award 2013
Grade Level: 1st-2nd
The small fish steals a hat from a larger fish and brags about how he was able to steal the hat and get away with it. The big fish wakes up from his nap early to find that his hat has been stolen, and thus, his journey begins. A book on the topic of stealing is an important subject to discuss in the classroom. At a young age, children often grab things without thinking of the consequences that come from the action of taking something that is not theirs. This book can inform children what to do if they want something they cannot have. For kindergartners, this is an important topic because there will be toys, markers, and other items in the classroom but not enough for every student to have their own. Sharing is an essential concept that needs to be learned in those younger years. This book is also a good way to discuss emotions because all of the illustrations show how the different fish feel in different situations.
Journey, by Aaron Becker
Caldecott Honor Book 2014
Grade Level: Pre-k-2
This is a picture book about adventure. A young girl uses a magic red marker to draw a door on the wall of her bedroom. She then enters through this door into a world of fantasy. The story follows a series of events where a girl draws different creations in her fantasy world. She is captured by an emperor and has to find a way to break free from him using her imagination and quick wit. This book would be wonderful for the classroom because it promotes problem solving in tough situations and promotes creativity. Using this book in a lesson plan would be fun- especially doing an art activity that had to do with creating your own fantasy world. There are no words in this book, but children can write their own stories to their fantasy world or do an activity where they add a story to the book.
Although this book doesn’t have any words, it can be used in the classroom during reading centers or a read-aloud activity. You can allow the students to come up with their own text for each page. You can discuss the colors and shapes that are used and the feelings and emotions that are portrayed despite the lack of text. This book is written and illustrated by Aaron Becker who has also worked on films for Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Disney.
Caldecott Honor Book 2014
Grade Level: Pre-k-2
This is a picture book about adventure. A young girl uses a magic red marker to draw a door on the wall of her bedroom. She then enters through this door into a world of fantasy. The story follows a series of events where a girl draws different creations in her fantasy world. She is captured by an emperor and has to find a way to break free from him using her imagination and quick wit. This book would be wonderful for the classroom because it promotes problem solving in tough situations and promotes creativity. Using this book in a lesson plan would be fun- especially doing an art activity that had to do with creating your own fantasy world. There are no words in this book, but children can write their own stories to their fantasy world or do an activity where they add a story to the book.
Although this book doesn’t have any words, it can be used in the classroom during reading centers or a read-aloud activity. You can allow the students to come up with their own text for each page. You can discuss the colors and shapes that are used and the feelings and emotions that are portrayed despite the lack of text. This book is written and illustrated by Aaron Becker who has also worked on films for Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Disney.
Duck, Duck, Moose!, by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Children's Choice Awards 2015
Grade Level: K-2
The story follows a moose who accidentally destroys everything he touches or gets near and the two ducks that clean up after him. The ducks try to throw a party for moose but he becomes sad that he messes everything up. They cheer him up by bringing him into the house and showing him what they did for him. This book is a good read because it shows that it is important to cheer others up and it is okay to make mistakes and ask for help because a lot of times mistakes are easily fixable. This would be good to use while making predictions with the class as well as discussing the characters and their traits. The students can write their own story about a day with the Moose and all the places they went and the different things they did together.
Children's Choice Awards 2015
Grade Level: K-2
The story follows a moose who accidentally destroys everything he touches or gets near and the two ducks that clean up after him. The ducks try to throw a party for moose but he becomes sad that he messes everything up. They cheer him up by bringing him into the house and showing him what they did for him. This book is a good read because it shows that it is important to cheer others up and it is okay to make mistakes and ask for help because a lot of times mistakes are easily fixable. This would be good to use while making predictions with the class as well as discussing the characters and their traits. The students can write their own story about a day with the Moose and all the places they went and the different things they did together.
Cook-A-Doodle-Doo!, by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel
Texas Bluebonnet Award
Grade Level: K-2
Big Brown Rooster is feed up with his normal food so he recruits some friends to help him out in the kitchen. His friends, however have no experience in the kitchen at all so the Big Red Rooster must teacher his friends along the way how to follow a recipe. They learn how to measure flour, beat eggs and do all the other tasks that go along with baking a strawberry shortcake. I choose this book because I like the story of friends working together to accomplish something and it demonstrates people contributing their strengths to a group. The reading level of this book is 2.8 and the interest level is K-2. I would use this as a read aloud book in a younger classroom and possibly put it in a library of a second grade classroom for students that might be more advanced readers. This would also be a good book to use if you plan on having a cooking/nutrition lesson. Teachers may even want to incorporate this into a math lesson since it speaks on recipes and measurements, which always involve numbers.
Texas Bluebonnet Award
Grade Level: K-2
Big Brown Rooster is feed up with his normal food so he recruits some friends to help him out in the kitchen. His friends, however have no experience in the kitchen at all so the Big Red Rooster must teacher his friends along the way how to follow a recipe. They learn how to measure flour, beat eggs and do all the other tasks that go along with baking a strawberry shortcake. I choose this book because I like the story of friends working together to accomplish something and it demonstrates people contributing their strengths to a group. The reading level of this book is 2.8 and the interest level is K-2. I would use this as a read aloud book in a younger classroom and possibly put it in a library of a second grade classroom for students that might be more advanced readers. This would also be a good book to use if you plan on having a cooking/nutrition lesson. Teachers may even want to incorporate this into a math lesson since it speaks on recipes and measurements, which always involve numbers.
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My Friend Rabbit, by Eric Rohmann
Caldecott Medal
Grade Level: Pre-K- 2
My Friend Rabbit is a story of a mouse and a rabbit who are best friends. One day as the two are playing, Rabbit gets his toy airplane stuck in a tree and attempts a lot of creative solutions to get the plane back down. Rabbit attempts to build a ladder of living animals of sorts of shapes and sizes. I chose this book because I really enjoyed the illustrations in the book especially when all the different animals are all seen together. This is a good book to introduce the idea of creative problem solving to children. This book is a reading level of 2.3 and the interest level is grades PreK- 2. I would put this in the library of a first or second grade classroom, and use it as a read aloud for a PreK or kindergarten classroom. Children could also draw what they would do in order to get the plane back down and write about what they did in a creative writing activity. This would be a great extension activity after reading the book and discussing ideas in class.
Caldecott Medal
Grade Level: Pre-K- 2
My Friend Rabbit is a story of a mouse and a rabbit who are best friends. One day as the two are playing, Rabbit gets his toy airplane stuck in a tree and attempts a lot of creative solutions to get the plane back down. Rabbit attempts to build a ladder of living animals of sorts of shapes and sizes. I chose this book because I really enjoyed the illustrations in the book especially when all the different animals are all seen together. This is a good book to introduce the idea of creative problem solving to children. This book is a reading level of 2.3 and the interest level is grades PreK- 2. I would put this in the library of a first or second grade classroom, and use it as a read aloud for a PreK or kindergarten classroom. Children could also draw what they would do in order to get the plane back down and write about what they did in a creative writing activity. This would be a great extension activity after reading the book and discussing ideas in class.
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, by Simms Taback
Caldecott Medal
Grade Level: K-2nd
This is a story about a man named Joseph who takes his worn out overcoat and continues to alter it until it is next to nothing. The simple coat is able to serve Joseph in a lot of different ways. This book is an excellent example of how you can make something out of nothing. I think this is a great book for K-2 students because it encourages creativity. The reading level is 1.9 however this book is very repetitive and because of that, this book has several opportunities for interaction, I would use it as a read aloud in a K-2 classroom. After reading this book, the class would be able to discuss what the book was trying to teach us and what we learned from the book. Together, the class could use a thinking map to retell the story and think back on the different ways that Joseph was able to use the overcoat. The children could think about items in their own home that they previously thought had no more use and they could explore the different uses they could have for that item. Another fun activity would be to bring an old coat that you no longer need and go over ideas of how you could use it in the classroom. After all the ideas are written down, you could actually follow through with some ideas. For example, if a student suggests using it to carry materials somewhere else, you could experiment and see if it'll work for that purpose. You could even graph the results of the experiments and go over them with the class.
Caldecott Medal
Grade Level: K-2nd
This is a story about a man named Joseph who takes his worn out overcoat and continues to alter it until it is next to nothing. The simple coat is able to serve Joseph in a lot of different ways. This book is an excellent example of how you can make something out of nothing. I think this is a great book for K-2 students because it encourages creativity. The reading level is 1.9 however this book is very repetitive and because of that, this book has several opportunities for interaction, I would use it as a read aloud in a K-2 classroom. After reading this book, the class would be able to discuss what the book was trying to teach us and what we learned from the book. Together, the class could use a thinking map to retell the story and think back on the different ways that Joseph was able to use the overcoat. The children could think about items in their own home that they previously thought had no more use and they could explore the different uses they could have for that item. Another fun activity would be to bring an old coat that you no longer need and go over ideas of how you could use it in the classroom. After all the ideas are written down, you could actually follow through with some ideas. For example, if a student suggests using it to carry materials somewhere else, you could experiment and see if it'll work for that purpose. You could even graph the results of the experiments and go over them with the class.
Nana in the City, by Lauren Castillo
Caldecott Medal 2014
In this book, a young boy and his nana get to spend some time together. This little boy is scared of the city she lives in because of how loud it is. His nana understands his fears and makes him a special red cape to wear to help him be brave enough to walk through the city and face his fears. Suddenly, all of his fears go away and he begins to enjoy all the people and activities that the city brings. This book has a reading level of 2.1. I would use this book to talk to my students about diversity and the differences in a big city and a small town. Talking about the differences are important and elaborating and making sure the students really understand is also important. A possible activity for the students would be if they were walking in the park what would they see in the city verses walking in a park in a small town. Are there a lot of people around? It creates plenty of questions for the children imagination to run wild. This activity could then inspire some creative writing, and could be used to retell experiences the children have had with their grandparents or family members.
Caldecott Medal 2014
In this book, a young boy and his nana get to spend some time together. This little boy is scared of the city she lives in because of how loud it is. His nana understands his fears and makes him a special red cape to wear to help him be brave enough to walk through the city and face his fears. Suddenly, all of his fears go away and he begins to enjoy all the people and activities that the city brings. This book has a reading level of 2.1. I would use this book to talk to my students about diversity and the differences in a big city and a small town. Talking about the differences are important and elaborating and making sure the students really understand is also important. A possible activity for the students would be if they were walking in the park what would they see in the city verses walking in a park in a small town. Are there a lot of people around? It creates plenty of questions for the children imagination to run wild. This activity could then inspire some creative writing, and could be used to retell experiences the children have had with their grandparents or family members.
The Moon is Going to Addy's House, by Ida Pearle
ALA Notable Books for Children 2016
Younger Readers
The Moon is Going to Addy’s House is a beautifully illustrated book that depicts a girl's thoughts and feelings as she is driven back home one night. This is a book that would be good to read to children ages 3-5. It is not loaded with words, but with beautiful imagery to stimulate a child’s imagination. Children would be able to use this book as inspiration for their own art project depicting the night sky. This book could be used in health class to discuss relationships and feelings, but also in language arts to inspire creative writing. An extension activity could be to have the students write and extend on what is happening in the story. They could also add illustrations and more pages. Another good activity that can be incorporated with this book is to have the students journey their thoughts and feelings.
ALA Notable Books for Children 2016
Younger Readers
The Moon is Going to Addy’s House is a beautifully illustrated book that depicts a girl's thoughts and feelings as she is driven back home one night. This is a book that would be good to read to children ages 3-5. It is not loaded with words, but with beautiful imagery to stimulate a child’s imagination. Children would be able to use this book as inspiration for their own art project depicting the night sky. This book could be used in health class to discuss relationships and feelings, but also in language arts to inspire creative writing. An extension activity could be to have the students write and extend on what is happening in the story. They could also add illustrations and more pages. Another good activity that can be incorporated with this book is to have the students journey their thoughts and feelings.
Mr. Wuffles!, by David Wiesner
Caldecott Honor Award 2014
Grade Level: K-2nd
Mr. Wuffles is a cat that doesn't want to play with your typical cat toys. Instead he prefers a spaceship full of aliens who are not designed for the roughness experienced from Mr. Wuffles. They become motion sick and damaged and seek shelter from the cat only to find some insects. Insects and aliens prove to be a good pair as seen through various communication methods in the book. This picture book is laid out like a comic book type display. This book would be good for students who are just beginning to read and are not able to read long phrases yet. They could talk their way through the story as they look at the pictures and complete activities about the illustrations. The humor in this book really engages readers! An extension activity for this book could be asking students to make up a story/draw a piture about one of their own toys being used as an animal toy.
Caldecott Honor Award 2014
Grade Level: K-2nd
Mr. Wuffles is a cat that doesn't want to play with your typical cat toys. Instead he prefers a spaceship full of aliens who are not designed for the roughness experienced from Mr. Wuffles. They become motion sick and damaged and seek shelter from the cat only to find some insects. Insects and aliens prove to be a good pair as seen through various communication methods in the book. This picture book is laid out like a comic book type display. This book would be good for students who are just beginning to read and are not able to read long phrases yet. They could talk their way through the story as they look at the pictures and complete activities about the illustrations. The humor in this book really engages readers! An extension activity for this book could be asking students to make up a story/draw a piture about one of their own toys being used as an animal toy.
Green, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Caldecott Honor Book 2013
Grade Level: Pre-K - 1st
This satisfying book exposes readers through magnificent images to the various forms of the color green. Each page has some sort of die cut that leads to the next page or ties in the colors of the previous page. The only words in this book are used to describe the shade of green. Green is a fun way for students to learn about colors. After students look through this book, the class could see what kinds of green are in the classroom, halls, playground, or at their home and make their own "Green" book. They could even choose a different color to focus on. When focusing on different colors they then can write a story about that particular color.
Caldecott Honor Book 2013
Grade Level: Pre-K - 1st
This satisfying book exposes readers through magnificent images to the various forms of the color green. Each page has some sort of die cut that leads to the next page or ties in the colors of the previous page. The only words in this book are used to describe the shade of green. Green is a fun way for students to learn about colors. After students look through this book, the class could see what kinds of green are in the classroom, halls, playground, or at their home and make their own "Green" book. They could even choose a different color to focus on. When focusing on different colors they then can write a story about that particular color.
See Me Run, by Paul Meisel
Geisel Honor Book 2012
Grade Level: Pre-K - 1st
A pack of dogs find joy in a day at the dog park. The day becomes even better when they discover a heap of bones. The dogs soon realize that the bones rearrange into the shape of a T-Rex sending them running again. To apply this book to a classroom, I would use it to learn about sequence of events. The plot is very straightforward so this book would be easy to follow for younger students to determine the sequence of events. You could also do an extension where children dig for bones in the sandbox or boxes of sand to look for different animal bones, including dinosaur bones. The children can put together those bones and decide what animals they represent in their group. You can even go so far as to note which animals they would want to "run" from and which ones would be safe to be around. You can also ask kids what their favorite animal is and which animal they would choose to put together if they got to choose.
Geisel Honor Book 2012
Grade Level: Pre-K - 1st
A pack of dogs find joy in a day at the dog park. The day becomes even better when they discover a heap of bones. The dogs soon realize that the bones rearrange into the shape of a T-Rex sending them running again. To apply this book to a classroom, I would use it to learn about sequence of events. The plot is very straightforward so this book would be easy to follow for younger students to determine the sequence of events. You could also do an extension where children dig for bones in the sandbox or boxes of sand to look for different animal bones, including dinosaur bones. The children can put together those bones and decide what animals they represent in their group. You can even go so far as to note which animals they would want to "run" from and which ones would be safe to be around. You can also ask kids what their favorite animal is and which animal they would choose to put together if they got to choose.
Stick And Stone, by Tom Lichtenheld
Book of the Year Runner Up 2016
Ages: 3-5
This book features a theme of friendship, as Stick and Stone work together and become friends. The reason I would use this book in my classroom is because it is a great easy to read book that explains the importance of friendship. It shows what happens when you stick up for your friend and how nice it is to do so. This might encourage students to stand up to bullies for their friends and to be brave for their friends. The book slightly shows an act of bullying and explains that if you have a friend anything is possible. The pictures are also extremely cute, and the words in the book are straight to the point and quickly to get through. This book also looks at rhyming words, so would be suitable for language arts lessons. After a read aloud, a good activity would be having the kids illustrate and write about their own idea of what friendship is like and how they treat their friends. We could discuss ideas in class and give the children some starting points before they make their own books. Also, you could have everyone add just a page to a classroom book that they "publish" about friendship and keep it in the class to read.
Book of the Year Runner Up 2016
Ages: 3-5
This book features a theme of friendship, as Stick and Stone work together and become friends. The reason I would use this book in my classroom is because it is a great easy to read book that explains the importance of friendship. It shows what happens when you stick up for your friend and how nice it is to do so. This might encourage students to stand up to bullies for their friends and to be brave for their friends. The book slightly shows an act of bullying and explains that if you have a friend anything is possible. The pictures are also extremely cute, and the words in the book are straight to the point and quickly to get through. This book also looks at rhyming words, so would be suitable for language arts lessons. After a read aloud, a good activity would be having the kids illustrate and write about their own idea of what friendship is like and how they treat their friends. We could discuss ideas in class and give the children some starting points before they make their own books. Also, you could have everyone add just a page to a classroom book that they "publish" about friendship and keep it in the class to read.
Last Stop on Market Street, by Matt de la Peña
Newbery 2016
Caldecott 2016
This book is about a young boy and his grandmother who ride the bus together every Sunday after church. The grandson begins to question his surroundings to his grandmother. He realizes that he does not have some of the other luxuries as the other people on the bus. He wonders why they get off at the dirty part of town and why they don't have a car. His grandmother answers him wonderfully and helps him see the good in everything that they have. I would use this story to explain diversity and talk about materialistic vs non-materialistic items. I could have the students look for signs in the book of what the boy might be feeling. I could make a chart and have the students tell me what he's doing or saying in one column, and in the other column, they will tell me what he might be feeling.
This book could also be used to discuss different cultures. There are so many different cultures depicted in this book that students could discover and talk about.
Newbery 2016
Caldecott 2016
This book is about a young boy and his grandmother who ride the bus together every Sunday after church. The grandson begins to question his surroundings to his grandmother. He realizes that he does not have some of the other luxuries as the other people on the bus. He wonders why they get off at the dirty part of town and why they don't have a car. His grandmother answers him wonderfully and helps him see the good in everything that they have. I would use this story to explain diversity and talk about materialistic vs non-materialistic items. I could have the students look for signs in the book of what the boy might be feeling. I could make a chart and have the students tell me what he's doing or saying in one column, and in the other column, they will tell me what he might be feeling.
This book could also be used to discuss different cultures. There are so many different cultures depicted in this book that students could discover and talk about.
Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein
New York Times Outstanding Book Award 1974
A tree gives his apples, branches, trunk, and stump to a little boy as he grows up and his needs change. The boy almost takes advantage of the tree as he sells his apples for money, uses his branches to build a house, uses his trunk to make a boat, and sits on his stump when he is old and tired. The tree loved the boy unconditionally however and was always happy to help his friend. I would incorporate this book by having the class make a graphic organizer to identify story elements, such as the title, author, the different characters, and the setting. We will discuss as a class the different elements once everyone has finished. I could use this to talk about giving and receiving and the appropriate manners to use. Also you could use this book to talk about the art of giving. We should all want to give without looking for what we get in return. Crazy as it sounds this book would be great around the holidays to show children that greed is not the most flattering quality. This book could also be used to discuss life cycles. The book goes through the boy's life cycle, and this could be used to introduce other life cycles.
New York Times Outstanding Book Award 1974
A tree gives his apples, branches, trunk, and stump to a little boy as he grows up and his needs change. The boy almost takes advantage of the tree as he sells his apples for money, uses his branches to build a house, uses his trunk to make a boat, and sits on his stump when he is old and tired. The tree loved the boy unconditionally however and was always happy to help his friend. I would incorporate this book by having the class make a graphic organizer to identify story elements, such as the title, author, the different characters, and the setting. We will discuss as a class the different elements once everyone has finished. I could use this to talk about giving and receiving and the appropriate manners to use. Also you could use this book to talk about the art of giving. We should all want to give without looking for what we get in return. Crazy as it sounds this book would be great around the holidays to show children that greed is not the most flattering quality. This book could also be used to discuss life cycles. The book goes through the boy's life cycle, and this could be used to introduce other life cycles.
The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats
Caldecott Medal 1963
A little boy about four years old gets excited about a snow day. He plays all day in the snow and gets hit by a ball from other, older kids playing around him. He makes his way home and has a bad dream about the sun melting the snow. When he awakes the next day, there is still snow all over the ground and he is happy and has another fun day in the snow. I could talk use this book to talk about the seasons and explain weather change. A good activity to teach about weather changes or seasons would be creating a matching game. Have an equal amount of pictures and words so each student will have a partner at the end of the game. Students will pick a piece of paper at random, crumple it up, and throw it across the room. They will be timed to see who gets a piece of paper and correctly matches it with a partner first. Go over the rules with them and ensure that no one runs to get the paper- if they do the game will start over! Another activity would be to create "sensory" bottles to pass around the classroom that would display the different seasons in the bottles. Students could really see what the seasons were like by looking at these sensory bottles.
Caldecott Medal 1963
A little boy about four years old gets excited about a snow day. He plays all day in the snow and gets hit by a ball from other, older kids playing around him. He makes his way home and has a bad dream about the sun melting the snow. When he awakes the next day, there is still snow all over the ground and he is happy and has another fun day in the snow. I could talk use this book to talk about the seasons and explain weather change. A good activity to teach about weather changes or seasons would be creating a matching game. Have an equal amount of pictures and words so each student will have a partner at the end of the game. Students will pick a piece of paper at random, crumple it up, and throw it across the room. They will be timed to see who gets a piece of paper and correctly matches it with a partner first. Go over the rules with them and ensure that no one runs to get the paper- if they do the game will start over! Another activity would be to create "sensory" bottles to pass around the classroom that would display the different seasons in the bottles. Students could really see what the seasons were like by looking at these sensory bottles.
The Lion & the Mouse, by Jerry Pinkney
2010 Caldecott award winner
This wordless picture book tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a mouse and the lion who planned to eat him. Both animals go out of their way to help the other, demonstrating true kindness.
2010 Caldecott award winner
This wordless picture book tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a mouse and the lion who planned to eat him. Both animals go out of their way to help the other, demonstrating true kindness.
A Tree is Nice, by Janice May Udry
Caldecott Medal 1957
This book explains why trees are nice. They help our environment, change with seasons, produce fruit, are used for leisure (swinging on, climbing, etc.) and could be used for shade. The author goes on to explain that animals use trees as shelter or protection and humans physically use tree branches for various things. You could use this book for a science extension, talking about trees and why they are good for the environment and the process of photosynthesis. A good activity for this book would be taking the kids on a walk outside to observe different trees or plants that they see. They could draw them in a journal and write about them when they get back to class. The students could also collect leaves and then the class could discuss how the leaves change colors and fall during the changes of seasons. The prompt could be similar to the book and they could explain why that tree was nice and why they drew it.
Caldecott Medal 1957
This book explains why trees are nice. They help our environment, change with seasons, produce fruit, are used for leisure (swinging on, climbing, etc.) and could be used for shade. The author goes on to explain that animals use trees as shelter or protection and humans physically use tree branches for various things. You could use this book for a science extension, talking about trees and why they are good for the environment and the process of photosynthesis. A good activity for this book would be taking the kids on a walk outside to observe different trees or plants that they see. They could draw them in a journal and write about them when they get back to class. The students could also collect leaves and then the class could discuss how the leaves change colors and fall during the changes of seasons. The prompt could be similar to the book and they could explain why that tree was nice and why they drew it.
Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine, by Evaline Ness
Caldecott Medal 1967
This book is about a little girl, Sam, who is raised by her father. She would pretend that her mother was a mermaid and that her cat, Bangs, was able to talk to her. Her father would refer to her daydreams, or fantasies, and moonshine. Her neighbor, Thomas, believed everything she said. One day they went on an adventure and they ran into some problems. At the end of the story, Sam realizes that telling the truth is better and safer than her fantasies. I could use this book as an example of why telling the truth is important and troubles that can occur if you do not tell the entire truth. As a teacher you can express that being creative is a great thing, but stretching the truth and lying always comes with consequences!
Caldecott Medal 1967
This book is about a little girl, Sam, who is raised by her father. She would pretend that her mother was a mermaid and that her cat, Bangs, was able to talk to her. Her father would refer to her daydreams, or fantasies, and moonshine. Her neighbor, Thomas, believed everything she said. One day they went on an adventure and they ran into some problems. At the end of the story, Sam realizes that telling the truth is better and safer than her fantasies. I could use this book as an example of why telling the truth is important and troubles that can occur if you do not tell the entire truth. As a teacher you can express that being creative is a great thing, but stretching the truth and lying always comes with consequences!
The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton
Caldecott Medal 1943
This book is about a house that was built in the country. As the years go by, buildings began to be built around the house. A train system gets built next to the house and makes it very loud for the house. The house eventually dislikes the surrounding area that it is living next to and moves back to the country side. I could use this book in a social studies lesson dealing with expansion and urbanization. An activity you can do is talk about where we live, house, apartment, town home. They can then draw a picture of where they live and share it with the class. Children can even talk about what environment they live around- some environments are more crowded while others are open and there is a lot of nature. As a class, we can discuss similarities and differences in the environments in and around the homes in which we live and discuss how important it is that we also accept one another and our differences.
Caldecott Medal 1943
This book is about a house that was built in the country. As the years go by, buildings began to be built around the house. A train system gets built next to the house and makes it very loud for the house. The house eventually dislikes the surrounding area that it is living next to and moves back to the country side. I could use this book in a social studies lesson dealing with expansion and urbanization. An activity you can do is talk about where we live, house, apartment, town home. They can then draw a picture of where they live and share it with the class. Children can even talk about what environment they live around- some environments are more crowded while others are open and there is a lot of nature. As a class, we can discuss similarities and differences in the environments in and around the homes in which we live and discuss how important it is that we also accept one another and our differences.
Bear and Bee, by Sergio Ruzzier
Notable Children's Books 2016
Grade Level: K-1st
This book focuses on the unlikely friendship of a bear and a bee. Unaware that Bee is actually a bee, Bear tells of his fear of bees that is based on an unfounded stereotype. After providing a nasty description of the monster he thinks bees are, he comes to the conclusion that he must be a bee, too! His friend Bee comes to the rescue, telling him that he is a bear. When Bear realizes that Bee is a bee, he comes to a new understanding of bees and drops his stereotype. This book is a great tool for teaching young students about the danger of stereotyping and the importance of seeing everyone for they really are (not who we think they are). As a follow-up activity, students would be given a piece of paper with a human outline. They'd then color in who they think they are. At the end of this activity, offer students the chance to present their work to classmates, making sure to describe what they've created and how it relates to them. This book is a great way to introduce and talk diversity and how we are all different but we are all friends. You can use this book to do a lesson within your classroom with young children of teaching "never judge a book by its cover", by talking about how appearances doesn't do a personality justice.
Notable Children's Books 2016
Grade Level: K-1st
This book focuses on the unlikely friendship of a bear and a bee. Unaware that Bee is actually a bee, Bear tells of his fear of bees that is based on an unfounded stereotype. After providing a nasty description of the monster he thinks bees are, he comes to the conclusion that he must be a bee, too! His friend Bee comes to the rescue, telling him that he is a bear. When Bear realizes that Bee is a bee, he comes to a new understanding of bees and drops his stereotype. This book is a great tool for teaching young students about the danger of stereotyping and the importance of seeing everyone for they really are (not who we think they are). As a follow-up activity, students would be given a piece of paper with a human outline. They'd then color in who they think they are. At the end of this activity, offer students the chance to present their work to classmates, making sure to describe what they've created and how it relates to them. This book is a great way to introduce and talk diversity and how we are all different but we are all friends. You can use this book to do a lesson within your classroom with young children of teaching "never judge a book by its cover", by talking about how appearances doesn't do a personality justice.
Wait
Notable Children’s Book 2016
Grade Level: Preschool - 2nd
This book follows a child and a mother as they move through the city. The child wants to wait when he sees things like a dog and a butterfly, while the mother wants to hurry so they don’t miss their transportation. This book can be used in the classroom during morning meeting to show the importance of waiting for things and finding the beauty in every situation. We shouldn’t be so busy that we forget to wait at times and simply enjoy each day. This book can also be used to discuss colors and shapes with your students. This book is written and illustrated by Antoinette Portis.
Notable Children’s Book 2016
Grade Level: Preschool - 2nd
This book follows a child and a mother as they move through the city. The child wants to wait when he sees things like a dog and a butterfly, while the mother wants to hurry so they don’t miss their transportation. This book can be used in the classroom during morning meeting to show the importance of waiting for things and finding the beauty in every situation. We shouldn’t be so busy that we forget to wait at times and simply enjoy each day. This book can also be used to discuss colors and shapes with your students. This book is written and illustrated by Antoinette Portis.
Who Done It?, by Oliver Tallec
Notable Children's Books 2016 Grade Level: Pre-K-2nd The book Who done it? by Olivier Tallec is a picture book about a group of different characters. The reader is being asked a series of questions all starting with the word Who. This is a great way to introduce questions starting with Who to my students. The book has a lot of repetition and has great illustrations to help give the reader context clues or hints on to the answer of the question. The reader can use the illustrations to help solve what the book is asking. This book teaches children to use the pictures as clues, and make inferences to come to a conclusion. |
The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett
Children's Choice Book Awards 2012
The book, The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett is about a duck who finds a strange looking egg and all of his other bird friends think the egg is ugly, but the duck thinks its beautiful. As the other bird eggs are hatching, his egg hatches and out pops an alligator who calls the duck “momma”. I chose this book because I will teach my students that no matter what you look like on the outside, it’s important for people to know who you are as a person on the inside and to not judge a book by it’s cover. In my classroom, I will incorporate this book by having the students color different types of animal eggs, and have them be a momma egg and a baby egg. I will then have them do a matching game with baby animals and their mother’s.
Children's Choice Book Awards 2012
The book, The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett is about a duck who finds a strange looking egg and all of his other bird friends think the egg is ugly, but the duck thinks its beautiful. As the other bird eggs are hatching, his egg hatches and out pops an alligator who calls the duck “momma”. I chose this book because I will teach my students that no matter what you look like on the outside, it’s important for people to know who you are as a person on the inside and to not judge a book by it’s cover. In my classroom, I will incorporate this book by having the students color different types of animal eggs, and have them be a momma egg and a baby egg. I will then have them do a matching game with baby animals and their mother’s.