Read alouds

All posts in the Read alouds category

Boot & Shoe, by Marla Frazee

Published March 15, 2013 by Dagmar

Boot&Shoe-103112-kids-380This book is fantastic and has the funniest, sweetest ending.  The language is up-to-date, the illustrations are really great.  I loved it as did my students.

Boot and Shoe are two adorable dogs who were born in the same litter.  They do everything together, eat, sleep, pee…but Boot likes to be on the back porch and Shoe spends his days on the front porch.  One day, a squirrel causes havoc.  Boot and Shoe chase and chase the squirrel until they get totally turned around.  Boot ends up on the front porch and Shoe ends up on the back porch.  Boot and Shoe are determined to wait until the other returns to their proper spot.  They wait and wait and wait.  Finally, they decide they should check the other porch.  Without seeing each other, Boot ends up back on the front porch and Shoe ends up back on the front porch.  They wait all night for each other.  Finally, they miss each other so much that they cry.  All my students are really sad at this point in the story.  Luckily, every dog has to pee.  Where do Boot and Shoe finally find each other?  You’ve got it…at their favorite place to pee, the bush.  You can’t help but giggle.

This very cute book is highly recommended for K-3 students.

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, by Simms Taback

Published March 15, 2013 by Dagmar

josephThis beautiful book is a Caldecott Medal winner is based on a Yiddish folksong, “Hob Ich Mir a Mantl”.  I read it to my preschoolers and kindergartners and got a wonderful response.  This book is not only set apart because of its beautiful, colorful illustrations but because of the cutouts that show how Joseph creatively uses his old overcoat as it shrinks to a button and then, finally, to nothing.   “Joseph had a a little overcoat.  It was old and worn.  So he made a jacket out of it.”  My favorite message is on the last page.  When Joseph finally loses the small button he’s made out of the remains of his overcoat, he says, “So Joseph made a book about it.  Which shows…that you can always make something out of nothing.”  A great message and a beautiful book for little ones.

Mr. Putter and Tabby, by Cynthia Rylant

Published March 7, 2013 by Dagmar

mrputterI love the Mr. Putter and Tabby series for 1st and 2nd grade readers or a fun read aloud for K and 1st grade.  There are about 20 books in the series and would make great gifts.  My personal favorites are: Mr. Putter and Tabby Take the Train, Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish, Mr. Putter and Tabby Fly the Plane and Mr. Putter and Tabby Row the Boat.

Mr. Putter is an elderly man who lives with his fine cat Tabby.  He lives next door to Mrs. Teaberry and her naughtly dog Zeke.  Together, Mr. Putter and Tabby and Mrs. Teaberry and Zeke go on many fun, and funny, adventures.  The three short chapter format is perfect for young readers.

The illustrations by Arthur Howard are colorful and engaging.  Highly recommended for young readers.

Chicken Big, by Keith Graves

Published February 18, 2013 by Dagmar

chickenbigThis Is a hysterical take on the chicken little story. I love to read this to second and third graders. A humongous chick is born and joins his fellow chickens in the chicken coop. No one seems to realize that he is a chicken. The smallest chicken is not the brightest chicken in the coop. When he is hit with a falling acorn and then rain drops he becomes just like Chicken Little. Poor Chicken Big tries to calm the chickens while they guess again and again what he might be…is he an elephant, a squirrel, an umbrella? Each guess is more hilarious. Such a fun book – always a hit with my students.

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.

Where’s Walrus, by Stephen A. Savage

Published January 28, 2013 by Dagmar

wheres walrusIf you want to really get those preschoolers shrieking, read them Where’s Walrus.  There are almost no words, just a walrus they have to find on each page.  I didn’t realize exactly how amusing this book would be with our preschool class, but my goodness it was popular!  Walrus is hiding in very funny place, as a dancer, as a bricklayer, as a painter in a park.  That tricky walrus sure does know how to get children to laugh.  The illustrations are great, like cutouts, with beautiful, bright colors, grey, red, yellow and teal.  Highly recommended for young children.

Zoom, by Istvan Banyai

Published January 23, 2013 by Dagmar

zoom2If you’re looking for something to quiet those chatty sixth graders, stand up, hold up the book Zoom, tell them that they’ll miss everything if they don’t watch every page, and start turning pages.  With each page turn, my students ooohed and aahed until the end of the book.  Zoom is a book that I find amazing in its concept, zooming in on the smallest detail and then zooming out over and over again.  I absolutely loved it, as did my students.  No need for words; and, the silence in that room was just bliss.  Highly recommended as a “read aloud” for older students.

Tuesday, by David Wiesner

Published January 23, 2013 by Dagmar

TuesdayI’m always happy to hear recommendations from fellow librarians.  This latest recommendation from my friend Helen was a huge hit with my second graders.  David Wiesner’s Tuesday is a wordless book that made my students laugh out loud.  The text begins, with four simple words, “TUESDAY EVENING, AROUND EIGHT.”  There are three panels of a peaceful pone and a turtle.  The next two pages show flying frogs on lily pads.  As you turn each page, you find very funny pictures of the frogs and lily pads flying through the town.  Students are roaring with laughter at this point. Then, you see police detectives examine lily pads lying on the road.  The next page of the book says, “NEXT TUESDAY, 7:58 P.M.”  You see the side of a barn with the shadow of a pig.  When the kids realize that now pigs will be flying through town, they are rolling on the rug laughing.  The last page of the book shows, you guessed it, flying pigs.  Such a fun, creative book.