Jack is invited to the princess’ 10th birthday party and wonders what to bring. Trading away his few possessions, he makes an incredible cake to take to the princess. But, all sorts of trouble lies ahead: crows, trolls and dancing bears, you name it. By the time Jack gets to the castle he is left with one strawberry from the cake – only to find out that the princess is allergic to strawberries! What to do? Without knowing it, and with no present left, Jack gives the princess the best present of all. My very, very wiggly third grade class sat so still you could hear a pin drop and then clapped at the end. I loved this book before today, but seeing this class mesmerized made me love it even more. The illustrations by G. Brian Karas are wonderful.
Read alouds
All posts in the Read alouds category
The Best Pet of All, by David LaRochelle
Published December 12, 2012 by Dagmar
Have you ever asked your mom for a dog and gotten the run around? “Dogs are too loud.” “Dogs are too messy.” Well, what if you asked her for a dragon? Thinking that she’s being clever, Mom says “yes” to the dragon. Big mistake. It turns out that dragons are VERY bad pets and won’t leave when you ask them to leave. Luckily, they are terrified of dogs. So, when it’s time to get rid of the dragon, what better choice than a dog? This funny, clever book won applause from my second graders. What a great read aloud!
“Stand Back, Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!” by Patricia Thomas
Published December 6, 2012 by Dagmar
Oh, oh. The Elephant is going to sneeze. The last time he sneezed, terrible things happened. This was a very fun book that was applauded after I read it to our pre-k class today.
Synopsis: Elephant warns everyone that he’s about to sneeze. Every animal begs him not to sneeze, because the last time he sneezed, the monkeys were blown out of the trees, feathers were blown off all the birds, the fur was blown off the bear, etc. Luckily, a little mouse scares the elephant just enough that he forgets to sneeze. Everything looks like it will end well, until the elephant falls to the ground laughing, because he didn’t sneeze. Oh, oh!
Cat Up a Tree, by John and Ann Hassett
Published December 6, 2012 by Dagmar
Such 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
This 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.
Little White Rabbit, by Kevin Henkes
Published November 29, 2012 by Dagmar
I had never read this book by Kevin Henkes and didn’t know what to expect. I loved that the little white rabbit imagined himself as different things. This gave me a great opportunity to ask my preschoolers to close their eyes and imagine with the little white rabbit. The illustrations are beautiful, in a wonderful green and pastel pallet that is pleasing and soothing at the same time.
Synopsis: Little white rabbit wonders what it would be like to be green, to be as tall as a fir tree, to flutter like a butterfly and as still as a stone. When he runs from a cat, he runs home. “Little white rabbit wondered about many things, but he didn’t wonder who loved him.”
Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown
Published November 29, 2012 by Dagmar
This is a wonderful pre-school read aloud. The rhyming is very nice as are the illustrations. It give you a great way to talk about farms (I work in an urban school) and to interact with students as they “help” me make farm noises. Best of all, the book ends in such a peaceful way that all those wiggly bodies settle down and are ready for another book.
Synopsis: A day begins on a farm. The people are away, so only animals are there to play. There are horses, donkeys, roosters, hens, sheep, goats, mice, bats, cats, and even a scarecrow. They all live and sleep in a big red barn.
Over the River and Through the Wood, by Lydia Maria Child
Published November 28, 2012 by DagmarA timeless classic with beautiful woodcut illustrations by Christopher Manson. Perfect for a Thanksgiving holiday read for younger students. My students love to sing it with me (even if they don’t know all the words). 😉
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, by Chris Van Allsburg
Published November 28, 2012 by DagmarThis book combines wonderful black and white drawings with an element of magic that really works for older students, because there is just enough mystery to leave listeners wondering what really happened. I love to read it to third graders.
Synopsis: Miss Hester owns a naughty dog named Fritz. Alan is watching Fritz while Miss Hester is gone. When Alan takes Fritz for a walk, Fritz tugs the leash and runs away – straight into the garden of Abdul Gasazi, a retired magician. Unfortunately, Mr. Gasazi’s garden is clearly marked with a sign that says ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NO DOGS ALLOWED. When Alan meets Mr. Gasazi, he politely asks for Fritz back but is dismayed to learn that Abdul Gasazi turns naughty, straying dogs into ducks. Convinced that Fritz is now a duck, Alan returns to Miss Hester’s house, only to find Fritz safely at home.
A Bad Case of Stripes, by David Shannon
Published November 28, 2012 by Dagmar
My third graders were so happy when I read this funny book today. It delivers a great message about staying true to yourself. Written by a student favorite author, David Shannon, this book is full of great, full colorful illustrations that really capture my listeners’ attention.
Synopsis: Camilla loves lima beans. But, admitting that she likes lima beans will make her unpopular at school. So, Camilla doesn’t eat lima beans. Unfortunately, one day, Camilla wakes up with her body covered with stripes. Her doctor declares her fine to go to school; but, when she goes to school, Camilla’s classmates quickly realize that they can change her colors by talking about different things. Her parents call in specialists and then experts. All their prescriptions end in disaster until an old lady comes to the door with…you guessed it…lima beans. Camilla decides that being unpopular because she likes lima beans is much better than the alternative.
Kids' Lit Corner 