This 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.
Picture Books
All posts tagged Picture Books
Perfect Square, by Michael Hall
Published February 13, 2013 by Dagmar
Perfect 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
Written 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
How 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
If 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
If 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
I’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.
Extra Yarn, by Mac Barnett
Published January 18, 2013 by Dagmar
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.
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.
Kids' Lit Corner 