It’s Monday! What are you reading?
Each week I share a reading photo of the week This is taken during Reading Workshop. It kind of speaks for itself don’t you think? These two on the bench organized themselves into a little reading partnership, “Let’s each read a page.” I also love the message on the board that a child wrote. It captured the feel in the room – happy readers everywhere.
Our #classroombookaday titles this week were especially lovely.
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.
On the blog:
I finished up my Slice of Writing challenge for the month of March. 31 days of published writing on the blog! Phew.
Night Before Thinking Musing about back to work after a break
Inspired by student poetry writing and When Green Becomes Tomatoes Poems for All Seasons (listed below) I wrote my own poem about writing spring poems today we picked spring
Words A Slice of Life post about being grateful that words find me
My first post with the meme Diverse Children’s Books featuring the book: My Two Blankets (pictured below)
Books I enjoyed:
This week it was alll about the picture books!
Where’s the Elephant? by Barroux
Sometimes on this blog I insist that a book must be purchased so it can be shared again and again. Well, okay, sometimes seems like a rare occurrence. I just might do it often. But, take my word for it, I won’t steer you wrong! This book is one of those books. It is beyond a search and find which it seems to be just a few pages in. Not at all. It is a statement about development encroaching on habitat. Of what this means to our world and the animals in it. Powerful. So, powerful. The perfect book to introduce environmental studies. To begin conversations. To worry about. And maybe to inspire change.
When Green Becomes Tomatoes Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Julie Morstad
This book of poetry is kind of pure perfection. Julie Morstad’s illustrations. Julie Fogliano‘s beautiful images. I can’t pick a favourite poem. But I have many a favourite line.
A Hungry Lion or a dwindling assortment of animals by Lucy Ruth Cummins
This book is very funny. It requires that wonderful page flipping back and forth phenomenon – “Did that really happen?” I don’t want to give anything away but will say the surprises delighted me. Can’t wait to read this to a group of children.
Before I Leave by Jessixa Bagley
Such a sweet (but not at all over the top) story of what it is to move away and leave a friend. Bagley tackles emotions so beautifully.
My Two Blankets written by Irena Kobald and illustrated by Freya Blackwood
I wrote about this book in this post. Themes of immigration, new friendships, learning a language, adjusting to a new culture and new place.
Always Remember by Cece Meng and illustrated by Jago
This is a story of loss, of what it is to lose a loved one and remember. Full of hope and emotion and the illustrations are STUNNING.
My Heart Fills with Happiness written by Monique Gray Smith and illustrated by Julie Flett
I bought this for our board book collection. A book about finding joy! Illustrations by Flett are beautiful. I love that this title features Indigenous children and families. This book is perfect for my classroom.
Snappsy the Alligator Did Not Ask to Be in This Book! written by Julie Falatko and illustrated by Tim Miller
Oh so very clever! The under-enthused and annoyed main character, the irritating narrator, the dynamic between the two of them. What an amusing little book!
The Fun Book of Scary Stuff written by Emily Jenkins and illustrated by Hyewon Yum
This book! A little guy talks about his fears with a dog and the conversations are SO hilarious. I couldn’t leave the book store without this one.
Thelma the Unicorn by Aaron Blabey
Thelma is a pony with unicorn aspirations. When a unicorn transformation happens to her (this is a great scene) life seems grand. But is fame and attention really a wonderful thing?
Reading Progress updates:
2016 Chapter Book Challenge: 14/75 complete
Goodreads Challenge: 97/400 books read
#MustReadin2016: 12/30 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 15/100 titles
Diverse Books in 2016: 12/50 books read
Up next? I continue with Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys Our family read aloud is Pax by Sara Pennypacker
There's a Book for That 
All these titles look very new to me – I must try to find whether we already have most of them in our library. I did borrow Snappsy last Sunday and very excited to read it. I’ve heard so many great things about My Two Blankets – really looking forward to reading it.
I think My Two Blankets is fantastic. I am also very partial to Freya’s illustrations always.
Lots of great picture books this week! I laughed so much with A Hungry Lion I had to buy it! If you liked that one, check out You Must Be This Tall. Another good tongue in cheek book. Kids will be laughing!
I loved Fogliano’s new poetry book too. So good.n And the illustrations? Gorgeous!
Julie Morstad is SUCH an illustrator isn’t she?!
Love the new Fogliano poetry, Carrie, and My Two Blankets, too. Will find The Hungry Lion and Where’s The Elephant sounds good for the young students. Thanks for all!
I think you would love to share Where’s the Elephant with your grandaughters Linda
Where’s the Elephant is great to read Earth Day with The Cloud Spinner and Extra Yarn. Different tales of conservation.
Love The Cloud Spinner!
Just filled my library list with your first few offerings! I also enjoyed Snappsy and imagine that Pax is making a charming family read aloud. Love it!
Wonderful, happy reading!
As usual lots to request from your post. I love Ask Me (classroom bookaday), have Julie’s book of poetry right now (incredible!) and picked up Before I Leave (wonderful!) at the library recently. I have big plans for Julie’s book at our after school book club this week.
Isn’t Ask Me so lovely? the kids really responded!
I ADORED “A Hungry Lion” – such a wryly hilarious book, kind of reminiscent of the humor in “I Want My Hat Back”. Definitely a winner, especially when the kids start catching on to what’s going on.
Yes, I can’t wait to read it aloud!
Several here that I’m eager to purchase! Oh, who am I kidding? I want all of them! The only one I’ve read is Emily Jenkins’s Fun Book of Scary Stuff and I loved the conversations between the dogs. So funny!
It really was so funny! I had to buy it. As usual there are so many books I want. Trying to resist but as we’ve talked about, books do call to me!
Thanks for telling us about My Two Blankets – Sounds like a book we need to read.
Absolutely, one for the collection!
Before I Leave, My Two Blankets and Always Remember are all such heart-warming books. I definitely should get my own copies of these for my classroom! I’ve requested Where’s The Elephant, When Green Becomes Tomatoes, Snappsy the Alligator, and The Fun Book of Scary Stuff from my library. I can’t find Thelma the Unicorn, but I’ll keep looking! Hope you’re having a terrific week of reading! Thanks for sharing these titles.
Thanks Jana. It’s hard not to buy everything for the classroom collection!
I have Teeny Tiny Toady here to read–it looks great!
I love Unicorn books, so I will have to put Thelma on my TBR.
You are not the first person to love Snappsy, so he is a must read also.
Happy reading this week 🙂
I think you will quite like Thelma!
I too loved When Green Loved Tomatoes and Snappsy was so clever!
Very clever! Agreed!
I’ve ordered My Heart Fills with Happiness and am really looking forward to finally seeing myself. I also have When Green Loved Tomatoes on the way. It’s so exciting to wait for my new books. I’ll have to put Where’s the Elephant on my “later” list to be ordered when I have money again. 🙂
WOW! So many amazing books featured here! Love Julie’s new poetry book – love all her books! Lots of new titles for me! I am excited about the new Emily Jenkins book. Also My Two Blankets, Always Remember and curious about Where’s the Elephant? Thanks for all of these new books!