1st grade read aloud

All posts in the 1st grade read aloud category

Perfect Square, by Michael Hall

Published February 13, 2013 by Dagmar

perfectsquarePerfect Square is just a perfect book. Imagine just being a square – a plain, red square, but a happy square. Then imagine that one day someone cuts you into pieces and makes holes in you. This is the classic story of making lemonade out of lemons. Each day of the week, the square is somehow ripped, torn, cut, wrinkled or folded. Each day, the square thinks of something wonderful it can be.

This book is great for young kids, because the colors are bright, the drawings simple but beautiful, and the ending really wonderful. It’s a wonderful imaginative book. This book is great for color recognition and learning the days of the week as well. Highly recommended for pre-k-1st. Honestly, older readers will love it as well.

Alexander and the Wind-up Mouse, by Leo Lionni

Published February 13, 2013 by Dagmar

alexanderWritten in 1969, this is a timeless book about friendship. Leo Lionni’s beautiful and colorful illustrations make the book come alive. My kindergartners loved this book. I hope you will as well.

Alexander is a mouse who is constantly being chased when he looks for food. One day, he finds another mouse, Willy. Willy is a wind-up mouse who is loved by the family, because he is a toy. Alexander and Willy become good friends, but Alexander is jealous that Willy is so loved while he, Alexander, is so hated. Willy tells him that he can go talk to a chameleon in the yard who can turn him into a wind-up mouse. When Alexander finds Willy in a box of old toys to be thrown away, Alexander’s mission to join his friend becomes even more urgent. Read this great book to find out how it all works out.

Tikki Tikki Tembo, by Arlene Mosel

Published February 9, 2013 by Dagmar

TikkiHow many of you can say, “Tikki Tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo” without even thinking?  I had great memories of this book from my own childhood, then reading it to my son and now reading it to my students.  I’m thrilled to see that my students can chant the name just as enthusiastically as I used to do. I love the story and the incredible illustrations by Blair Lent.

First published in 1968, Tikki Tikki tembo is the retelling of an ancient Chinese folktale.  It’s the story of two brothers.  The first, honored son has a great, long name, which means “the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world!”  The second son has a short name, Chang, which means “little or nothing.”  Tikki Tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo pays the price for his great, long name when he falls into a well and needs to be saved.  His little brother struggles to tell others that his brother has fallen into the well.  It’s a classic and well worth a read.  Enjoy.

What! Cried Granny: an Almost Bedtime Story by Kate Lum

Published January 18, 2013 by Dagmar

grannyHave you ever tried to get a child to bed?  Even now, my 12 year old struggles with going to bed.  Imagine that you’re this incredibly nice granny, willing to do anything to help your grandson go to bed.  Then imagine that his needs are UNending!  This very funny book kept my kindergarten and first graders laughing and laughing as granny makes her grandson Patrick a bed (from scratch), a pillow (from scratch), a blanket and a teddy bear only to find that when he has everything he needs, it’s morning.  WHAAAT!  I’m not sure this book will put anyone’s children to sleep, but it will keep them laughing.  Enjoy!

Over and Under the Snow, by Kate Messner

Published January 3, 2013 by Dagmar

overandunderThis book is wonderful and so eye-opening for my students, many of whom live in urban Oakland and haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing a snowfall.  I love asking my first graders to close their eyes and imagine the cold and the soft snow beneath them.  Then, we talk about all the different animals that live above and below the snow.  The illustrations, by Christopher Silas Neal, are wonderful.

Synopsis: A father and his daughter ski through the woods.  The father explains about all the different animals living above and below the snow, including owls, shrews, deer, deer mice, voles, snowshoe hares, bullfrogs, foxes, chipmunks, black bears and bumble bees.

One Tiny Turtle, by Nicola Davies

Published January 2, 2013 by Dagmar

onetinyturtleA wonderful non-fiction picture book about a loggerhead turtle’s life from the time when she is as tiny as a bottle top to her return to the beach where she is born thirty years later.  There are two layers to the book.  The larger print provides a great real aloud for first graders.  The smaller print provides more detailed information about turtles.   The illustrations, by Jane Chapman, are beautiful, colorful and full-page.  My young audience was captivated and clapped when we finished.

Press Here, by Herve Tullet

Published December 28, 2012 by Dagmar

presshereIf you’ve ever wanted to make a young audience scream with delight, read them this book.  You’ll need an audience volunteer.  Press Here is magical. Not only did my older students absolutely loved it, but my younger students are completely overjoyed by it.  I had to ask them to keep it down, or the fifth grade next door wouldn’t be able to work!  (My first graders even recognized a pattern in the book and started chanting it.) Highly recommended as a read aloud.

Synopsis: Follow the instructions in the book (involving pressing dots,  shaking the book or clapping) to see what happens.  Is it magic?  Maybe!

Cat Up a Tree, by John and Ann Hassett

Published December 6, 2012 by Dagmar

catupatreeSuch a funny book! A great read aloud for K-2.

Synopsis: Nana Quimby sees cats up a tree and calls for help.  Every person she calls, including the fireshouse, the post office, the police station and city hall all say they can’t help.  Soon there are forty cats up a tree! Finally Nana lets the cats into her house.  When the mayor calls reporting mice everywhere in town, Nana Quimby gives him her own, very unhelpful response.

Pumpkin Soup, by Helen Cooper

Published December 6, 2012 by Dagmar

pumpkinsoupThis book was recommended to me by a friend, and I can see why.  The pleasant rhymes and great, colorful illustrations really hook students.  They loved this book!

Synopsis: Cat, Duck and Squirrel live together in an old white cabin.  They love to make pumpkin soup together.  Cat slices the pumpkin, squirrel stirs the soup, and Duck puts in the salt.  When Duck decides he would like to stir the soup, the friends fight.  Duck leaves the cabin.  When he doesn’t return by supper, Cat and Squirrel make pumpkin soup by themselves.  But, it’s too salty!  Worried about Duck out at night in the dark woods, Cat and Squirrel go outside to find him.  Thinking the Duck left them to find better friends who will let him help, they return to the cabin.  There is Duck!  The friends decide to make soup and kindly look the other way as Duck makes all sorts of mistakes stirring the soup by himself.

Sing, Sophie, Sing! by Dayle Ann Dodds

Published November 10, 2012 by Dagmar

Sing, Sophie, Sing! by Dayle Ann Dodds never fails to get laughs when I read it aloud.  I think it works best with kindergarten and 1st graders.  There are lots of funny phrases.  If you can sing and pull off a southern accent, all the better.

Synopsis:  Sophie’s singing and guitar strumming bothers everyone in her family until a big thunderstorm scares her little brother.  When Sophie stops Baby Jacob’s tears, everyone finally appreciates her singing.