I have to admit that I’m a big fan of local Bay Area author Mac Barnett and also the illustrator Jon Klassen (I Want My Hat Back). Annabelle lives in a town with no color. One day, she finds a box with colorful yarn. She knits herself a sweater, when she has some yarn left over, she knits a sweater for her dog Mars. The yarn never seems to run out, and Annabelle never seems to stop wanting to knit. Soon her drab town is covered in wonderful color, everyone has a sweater (or a hat), including the bird houses, the trees, the houses, the pets. Color is everywhere. My students love watching the book come to life as Annabelle knits. But, like every great book, there is a villian. The archduke offers millions of dollars to Annabelle if se will just give up her magical yarn. When Annabelle says, “no”, the Archduke steals the box. My students love this book and are always quiet until the end, when they applaud. It’s a wonderful read aloud for all second to fifth graders in the library or just one on one at home.
Read alouds
All posts in the Read alouds category
What! Cried Granny: an Almost Bedtime Story by Kate Lum
Published January 18, 2013 by Dagmar
Have 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
This 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.
Creepy Carrots!, by Aaron Reynolds
Published January 3, 2013 by Dagmar
Yes. Carrots can be creepy, very creepy. Jasper Rabbit’s passion for carrots gets him in trouble. I tried this book with younger listeners and didn’t get much of a reaction. Then, I tried it with my older students who loved it. I love the great illustrations by Peter Brown.
Synopsis: Jasper Rabbit loves carrots and heads for Crackenhopper Field where he finds plenty of carrots to eat and eats them constantly. Until one day, when he starts to think that the carrots are following him. Everywhere he looks, there are shadows of carrots that only he sees. Finally, so spooked by the carrots, Jasper takes action and rids himself of the carrots once and for all, much to the carrots’ delight.
This book won a Caldecott Honor in 2013.
The Sneetches and other Stories, by Dr. Seuss
Published January 3, 2013 by Dagmar
One of my favorite Seuss books and always a great read aloud for my fourth through sixth graders who tell me that even though they’re older, they still like to be read to. In fact, my older readers love listening to the Sneetches every year. This year, I included the other stories, which they really liked. Included are The Zax, about a north-going Zax and a south-going Zax who stubbornly won’t budge when they find each other blocking their way. (reminscent of today’s Congress – a fact not lost on our teachers as I read the book.) Too Many Daves about Mrs. McCave who had 23 sons and named them all Dave. Lastly, What am I Scared of? “Then I was deep within the woods, When, suddenly, I spied them. I saw a pair of pale green pants With nobody inside them!
Pete & Pickles, by Berkeley Breathed
Published January 2, 2013 by Dagmar
Wow. What an incredible book. I don’t know if it’s the amazing illustrations or how much I love both Pete and Pickles that makes me love this book so much. It’s a story about new friends and the strength of friendship. My fourth, fifth and sixth graders absolutely loved it. The illustrations are beautiful and are drawn with humor. Highly recommended.
Synopsis: Pete is a perfectly practical and uncomplicated pig until he meets Pickles, an elephant who is trying to escape his miserable life at the circus. When Pete rescues Pickles, Pickles opens up a new life for Pete, filled with adventure …and complication. Pete has just about had it with Pickles when a pipe bursts in the house and begins to flood the house. The water is rising and threatens to drown the friends. Pete sits at the top of Pickles’ trunk reaching the last air at the top of the house. Pickles, underneath Pete, can’t breathe at all…unless Pete helps him. Students wait with baited breath to see if the two friends make it through the night. Read and find out. You won’t regret it.
One Tiny Turtle, by Nicola Davies
Published January 2, 2013 by Dagmar
A 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.
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs, by Mo Willems
Published January 2, 2013 by Dagmar
From the author of the easy reader Elephant and Piggie series, and books about that naughty pigeon who wants to drive a bus, here is a great picture book for older readers. It’s the Goldilocks story, re-told with dinosaurs and chocolate pudding. Snarky humor abounds as the dinosaurs leave everything in their house, “just so” in order to facilitate the arrival of “a little succulent child” who might “happen by our unlocked home”. Of course, soon enough, “a poorly supervised little girl named Goldilocks” happens along. A must read for older readers who want a laugh.
Press Here, by Herve Tullet
Published December 28, 2012 by Dagmar
If 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!
Kitten’s First Full Moon, by Kevin Henkes
Published December 12, 2012 by Dagmar
Kevin Henkes is a well-loved author. With very little text and simple black and white drawings, this book is perfect for read alouds with young students. Kitten wants a glass of milk and mistakes the moon and then the moon’s reflection for a bowl of milk. Poor kitten! Luckily, kitten goes home and finds a nice glass of milk.
Kids' Lit Corner 