It’s Monday! What are you Reading?
My favourite reading photo of the week is of these two boys acting out Elephant and Piggie titles during buddy reading. They got completely into the roles!
Join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers and share all of the reading you have done over the week from picture books to young adult novels. Follow the links to read about all of the amazing books the #IMWAYR community has read. It’s the best way to discover what to read next.
I found a wonderful bunch of picture books this week. Sharing my favourites here:
Countablock written by Christopher Franceschelli; art by Peskimo
This book is literally a block. A chunk of interesting pages in a sort of board book format but think super size. Count up to 100. Throw in a little cause and effect (Three boxes become. . . (turn the page) three forts) Lots of counting. Bright colours. And a surprise at the end. So much fun that I had to buy it for our classroom buddy reading collection. I know the kindergarten kids will delight in sharing this title with my students.
Waiting is Not Easy! by Mo Willems
Piggie has a surprise and Gerald needs to wait to find out what it is. If you know Gerald, you can imagine that waiting is not a talent he has. His impatience is very amusing. What exactly is the surprise? Well . . . it is worth the wait. And, no, I’m not telling.
Norman, Speak! written by Caroline Adderson and illustrated by Qin Leng
So what happens if the dog you get from the animal shelter doesn’t understand your language? Well, Norman’s new family are willing to do a lot so that they can begin communicating with Norman. My students found this book very interesting!
May the Stars Drip Down written by Jeremy Chatelain and illustrated by Nikki McClure
A beautiful, soothing lullaby. A work of art.
Watch this video of Nikki McClure talking about making the images for this book. Soothing. Calm. Slow. Beautiful.
Big Bad Bubble written by Adam Rubin and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
Rubin and Salmieri are quite the team. They make quirky books. This one is especially silly and the monsters especially fetching. It will not appeal to everyone. Some might find it too odd. I think as a read aloud it has big potential and will be one of those books that certain kids will obsess over.
Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
More monster love. Leonardo may not be the best monster but he has some pretty great endearing qualities.
Small Medium Large: A Book about Relative Sizes written by Emily Jenkins and illustrated by Tomek Bogacki
Amazing title to support the vocabulary around describing sizes from minuscule to enormous. So very clever.
Flora and the Penguin by Molly Idle
Oh Flora, on ice and with an energetic penguin, you are the perfect blend of graceful and flummoxed as your skating partner appears and reappears mid move. Absolutely charming.
Sam & Dave Dig a Hole written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen
Reading Sam & Dave Dig a Hole pulls you deep into a “theorizing hole” and digging in, around and out is highly satisfying. Picture book brilliance through and through.
I loved that after reading this title, I could finally read Travis Jonker‘s fantastic post:
6 Theories on the Ending of Sam & Dave Dig a Hole
I am not going to add any of my theories here. I just love that 1) Right from the cover, the wondering begins.
“I hope they don’t bury the dog,” my husband commented when I handed him the book to read.
And 2) as soon as you finish, you have to start again to deal with that “Huh? Hold on” kind of feeling.
Can’t wait to share this with my class.
What Can a Crane Pick Up? written by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and illustrated by Mike Lowery
I bought this book for many reasons. So many that I will actually start a list.
- I love the rhyming text. And I don’t usually like rhyming text.
- I think this is a perfect book to read and reread to get the rhythm right.
- So . . . it is the ideal buddy reading book and will go in our buddy reading bin.
- Any excuse to visit the nostalgic place of construction equipment that I no longer get asked to read since my son is 12 and not a toddler anymore. Sigh.
- The bright illustrations.
- And . . . there is a page of cartons and cartons of library books (held up by cranes using chains and hooks). Yep!
- So with number 6, I was pretty much sold. Which is probably obvious.
- I need this crane to come with me to the library 🙂
I also finished the brilliant Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Verse novels hold so much power to literally wrap us up in evocative images and in this case, personal history. In some senses, it feels like spying to be so close. A beautifully written memoir of a time and a place – oh so personal but yet, with connections and links to many more than young Jacqueline Woodson. A gift to readers.
Next? I am in the middle of Nest by Esther Ehrlich and then plan to read Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
It’s Picture Book Month! This week I shared two posts in celebration:
Picture Books that Celebrate Courage
Picture Books that Model Perseverance
Reading Goal Updates:
2014 Chapter Book Challenge: 72/100 novels complete
Goodreads Challenge: 531/650 books read (38 books behind)
#MustReadin2014: 21/30 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 120/65 complete
There's a Book for That 
I think Elephant and Piggie work miracles with all young readers!
I lived Sam and Dave! I read that book several times, each time finding something new to think about. We’re working on the author’s craft of endings right now in 4th grade and I’m trying to convince my teachers to read this book! So perfect!
I’ve got Rain Reign up next, too. It will be fun to compare notes!
It is certainly an interesting ending! I hope that you can convince them. I am looking forward to Rain Reign. I have lots of meetings this week so trying to squeeze in time to finish Nest so I can begin.
I love the look of May The Stars Drip Down, will put it on my list. I’m going to find a time to read Sam & Dave to the middle schoolers this week. Wonder what they’ll think? Thanks for all Carrie, Countablock looks great for my young granddaughters! Have a good week!
Countablock would be lots of fun for them! Encourages lots of fun counting all the way up to one hundred. May the Stars Drip Down is truly beautiful – I loved watching the video of artist at work.
A rhyming book that you like? I am intrigued! My students in Children’s Lit always want more rhyming books, but so many of them are just so bad! Glad to know of another title that works. I’m trying to finish Brown Girl Dreaming before NCTE–it’s so wonderful. I also can’t wait to share Sam & Dave with more readers!
This is a simple little book but truly a great one to practice getting just right so it sounds good. And yes, so many titles that rhyme are just . . . forced and squirm inducing. Not typically a fan often. Enjoy NCTE!
When we read your description of Sam and Dave Dig a Hole we decided to buy it rather than wait for our copy from the library. It sounds amazing!
I must admit I buy anything with Klassen’s name attached and a Barnett/Klassen collaboration is gold!
I love that you loved the rhyming of Sam&Dave! I think it added great rhythm to the book.
I am so happy that you enjoyed brown girl dreaming. I think it is brilliant.
I loved Leonardo–he was an endearing monster 🙂
I look forward to reading the others in the future.
Happy reading this week! 🙂
Leonardo is pretty special. He has inspired an art/story writing afternoon for tomorrow which will begin with me sharing this book!
Oooh looking forward to Sam & Dave Dig a Hole! I had to laugh at your comment about the rhyming books…for the longest time they were the only books my husband would read to our kids!
Rhyming titles are typically not my friends so I give them high praise when they do work!
I adored Big Bad Bubble. I wasn’t a fan of Dragons Love Tacos but BBB made me LOL. 🙂
BBB – love this! Yes, I quite adored this title as well.
Can’t wait to read Brown Girl Dreaming. Love Jacqueline Woodsen.
Lisa
LisaTeachR’sClassroom
It’s an incredible read!
I’m trying to find a time to get to KidsBooks. I’ve got an order to pick up, but Sam and Dave is now on my list of books to get no matter what! I don’t know if I have ordered Leonardo The Terrible Monster, but I might have just because Mo Willems wrote it. I’m green with envy that you have read Waiting is Not Easy. (I know I ordered that!) I love rhyming texts, and I have readers who love anything machine, so What Can a Crane Pick Up? is definitely going on my list. (I just wish I hadn’t spent my budget already)
Leonardo is not a new title so you might have it already . . . I got mine on sale at Book Warehouse. Waiting is Not Easy is so worth it. Read it last night at the dinner table and then today to my class who LOVED it!
I am so glad you loved brown girl dreaming. I agree with you. It is absolutely brilliant. The photo of those two boys made my night. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
I love watching kids interact with Elephant and Piggie titles. The dramatic roles they play, oh my!
Oh my goodness, a new Elephant and Piggie! 🙂 Loved Brown Girl Dreaming… Happy reading week to you!
And oh, this is a good one. Mo Willems never fails to impress.
Great books here! I ended up checking out other people’s reviews of Sam and Dave after I finished it. The ending is just ripe for discussion!
Perfectly put – so rich in discussion potential.
The very first photo you shared here is priceless. Handsome boys. Now I am definitely intrigued by Sam and Dave. I hope I find it soon. I’ve been meaning to get a copy of Brown Girl Dreaming – I shall see whether there are any book deals for Black Friday here in Las Vegas. Happy Thanksgiving, Carrie! 🙂
Happy book shopping! The very best kind!(of shopping)