picture book recommendations

All posts tagged picture book recommendations

Tippy-Toe Chick, Go!, by George Shannon

Published May 4, 2014 by Dagmar

This is one of my favorite books to read to my Pre-k – Kindergarten students.  People constantly underestimate young children’s abilities, and in this case?  Big chickens underestimate chicks, until they fiTippyToend out just how smart a little chick can be.

Every morning, Hen takes her three chicks, Big Chick, Middle Chick and Little Chick to go eat sweet itty-bitty beans and potato bugs.  Until one day, when a dog, tied up near the garden, barks at them as they head to the garden.  Hen decides they better go back home and eat chicken feed, but the chicks don’t want chicken feed. Big Chick tries to reason with the big dog.  The dog barks, and Big Chick runs under his mother’s wing.  The same happens with Middle Chick.  Then, Little Chick, the hero of our story, realizes that if he makes the dog run around the tree, the dog will tie himself up.  So, Little Chick runs, tippy-toe, tippy-toe, around the tree with the big dog chasing him until the dog ties himself up.  Little Chick leads his family past the dog to the garden for sweet itty-bitty beans and potato bugs.

A great, fun  read for all your small, clever chicks.

 

Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late, by Mo Willems

Published April 29, 2014 by Dagmar

Pigeon lateFor those of you who have never met Mo Willem’s pigeon, you’re in for a treat.

For those of you who know Mo Willem’s very naughty pigeon, it won’t surprise you that now he wants to stay up late.  In fact, he’ll say anything to be able to stay up late.  It’s up to you (and your students) to say “NO!”.

The book begins with a man who asks you to please do him a favor while he brushes his teeth.  “Please do NOT let the pigeon stay up late.”  Pigeon has other ideas.  This is your chance to live your dream of becoming a (very) naughty pigeon.  Kids love the role reversal of getting to tell you “No!” as you (the pigeon) give all the excuses they themselves would give to try to get you to let them stay up late.

This one had my students laughing out loud.  They loved it.  I hope you do too!

The Frog Prince continued, by Jon Scieszka

Published April 28, 2014 by Dagmar

frog princeThe beautiful princess kisses the frog.  The frog becomes a prince, and the prince and princess live happily ever after.  Right?  Well, unfortunately, in Jon Scieszka’s fractured fairy tale, the marriage is not one made in heaven.

The Princess is annoyed that the Prince keeps sticking out his tongue and hopping on the furniture. She wishes the Prince would just go out and slay a dragon.  The Prince, upset that the Princess won’t hang out at the pond with him, is miserable.

They need a change.  When the Princess says she wishes the Prince would just turn back into a frog, the Prince has an idea.  He leaves the castle in search of a witch who can turn him back into a frog.  He finds plenty of witches in the woods.  The first wants to cast a nasty spell on him so he won’t wake up Sleeping Beauty, the second wants to feed him a poison apple so he won’t bother Snow White, one invites him into her gingerbread house, the fourth turns him into a carriage.  He escapes from all four witches and sits, lonely, in the dark woods. The Prince realizes that he really belongs at home with the Princess who took a chance and kissed him when he was a frog.  So, the Prince goes home to his worried Princess and kisses her.  They both turn into frogs and live happily ever after.

This is a fun read aloud for older students who will love recognizing familiar fairy tales, Steve Johnson’s creative illustrations and Jon Scieszka’s funny re-imaginining of the Frog Prince.

 

The Empty Pot, by Demi

Published April 26, 2014 by Dagmar

empty potMy older students really enjoyed this book.

The Chinese Emperor is looking for someone to succeed him as Emperor.  The Emperor launches a competition.  He provides all the children with seeds to grow.  The child who grows the most beautiful flowers from the seeds will become the new ruler of the empire.

Ping is a child who not only loves flowers but is able to grow beautiful flowers.  When he receives his seed, he plants it and cares for it every day.  Unfortunately, nothing grows.  Ping replants the seed in a new pot.  He changes the soil that the seed is planted in, and still nothing grows.  The children around him are all able to grow beautiful flowers.  When it is time for the children to present their flowers to the Emperor, they laugh at Ping and tell him that he can’t present an empty pot to the Emperor.  Ping’s father overhears the other children and tells Ping that it’s fine to present his best efforts to the Emperor.

On the day that the children present their pots, Ping approaches the Emperor with his empty pot.  The Emperor, much to everyone’s surprise, smiles.  Ping was the only child unable to grow the seed he was given by the Emperor.  Since the Emperor had boiled the seeds before he gave them to the children, not one of the seeds should have grown.  Ping was the only child who was honest about trying to grow only the seed he was given by the Emperor.  Because of his honesty, the Emperor crowns Ping the new Emperor.

My students loved this ending and couldn’t stop talking about how the other children were deceitful and how Ping’s honesty was rewarded.

Goyangi Means Cat, by Christine McDonnell

Published April 16, 2014 by Dagmar

goyangiGoyangi Means Cat is about a young Korean girl, Soo Min, who is adopted by an American family and brought to the United States.  Soo Min knows no English.  Her new family knows only a few words of Korean.  Slowly, she teaches her new parents a few Korean words, including “no”, “hurt” and most importantly the world for “cat”, goyangi.  Soo Min is struggling to adjust to her new life with her new family in America.  She finds comfort petting their cat.  When Goyangi escapes the apartment one day, Soo Min and her new mom look for the cat everywhere.  Goyangi finally returns, and Soo Min, as she hugs Goyangi, says her first English word, “home”.

The author did a wonderful job helping my students understand how hard it was for Soo Min to adjust to her new home and family in the United States and how having a pet like Goyangi was a great comfort to her. We all felt Goyangi’s loss when he escaped and all were so relieved when he returned.

 

Nelson Mandela, by Kadir Nelson

Published December 6, 2013 by Dagmar

mandelaYesterday, Nelson Mandela passed away.  He fought for freedom and won it for his people.  He was a tremendous man.  He lived 95 years and is a symbol of the power of protest for so many around the world.  President Obama said, “Let us pause and give thanks for the fact that Nelson Mandela lived–a man who took history in his hands and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice.”

How lucky for us that we have Kadir Nelson’s beautiful picture book about Nelson Mandela to help children understand the life and work of Nelson Mandela.  The book, written in verse, leads the reader through Nelson Mandela’s life from the time he was a child through the end of apartheid and his election as South Africa’s first black president.  The illustrations are full-page and incredible in the way that they capture the emotion of each scene.

On the back cover of the book, the author says, “My work is all about healing and giving people a sense of hope and nobility.  I want to show the strength and integrity of the human being and the human spirit.”  He certainly succeeded in this book.

Highly recommended.  Best for third grade and up, but could work for younger students as well.  Thank you to Junior Library Guild for introducing me to this book.

I’m Bored, by Michael Ian Black

Published October 2, 2013 by Dagmar

What a great way to start a school year.  We opened our library officially two weeks ago.  After moving through establishment of rules and learning where books are, we finally pulled out all the new pictures books that I’ve been dying to read to classes.  Here’s the first big winner of the year.Im bored

I’m Bored doesn’t have a lot to say, but what it says makes kids laugh.  Illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s drawings make the sparse book even funnier.  The book begins with a girl saying, “I’m bored.”  She is soooooo bored.  Then, she finds a potato.  Imagine her surprise when the potato tells her, “I’m bored.”  The girl invites potato to do something, but he only likes flamingos.  Soon, she is trying to convince the potato that kids are actually fun.  She tries just about everything under the sun to convince the potato that kids are fun.  Each time, the potato (and my whole class) says, “I’m bored.” She finally stomps away.  The potato turns, only to find a flamingo.  A flamingo?  Now the potato is ready for some fun – until the flamingo tells him, “I’m bored.”  This last dry line just kicks it.  It might feel like a long buildup to this final punch line, but my students didn’t think so.  They loved the book and immediately wanted to check it out.  Of course, here it sits in front of me as I write.  It will be on the shelf tomorrow!