Here in B.C. we have been experiencing some dark, rainy days. Daylight savings means we just found an extra hour of light in the morning but our afternoons disappear into evening black far too soon. Yet darkness is not all about doom and gloom. It also means cozy, long stretches to read or bustle about inside. Darkness can pull us together for seasons of celebration and special events or provide us with solitude for introspection and calm. Bright is beautiful but so is dark. Whether we seek out the mystery and unexpected or the opportunity to settle into the quiet.
All of the dark has got me thinking about picture book covers. I started a list to see if I could come up with a number of titles that come specially wrapped in blacks and greys. My list ran off the page and I realized that many of my favourite books reside here. Is it just me or is there a certain elegance to these titles?
When you need a break from the bright, pick up one of these beautiful books.
25 titles to swoon over.
Listed alphabetically by author.
Leo a Ghost Story written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Christian Robinson
Flashlight by Lizi Boyd
Gleam and Glow written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Peter Sylvada
A Good Night Walk by Elisha Cooper
The Black Book of Colors written by Menana Cottin and illustrated by Rosana Faría
Nighttime Ninja written by Barbara DaCosta and illustrated by Ed Young
Willaboughy and the Moon by Greg Foley
The Night World by Mordicai Gerstein
The Rabbit Problem by Emily Gravett
Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett
I Know a Bear by Mariana Ruiz Johnson
This is not my Hat by Jon Klassen
In the Tree House written by Andrew Larsen and illustrated by Dušan Petričić
Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith
Night Animals by Gianna Marino
Zero by Kathryn Otoshi
Our King has Horns! written by Richard Pevear and illustrated by Robert Rayevsky
Big Bad Bubble written by Adam Rubin and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
The Dark written by Lemony Snicket and illustrated by Jon Klassen
Swan written by Laurel Synder and illustrated by Julie Morstad
Hoot Owl: Master of Disguise written by Sean Taylor and illustrated by Jean Jullien
Friends by Mies van Hout
Happy by Mies van Hout
Surprise by Mies van Hout
Ten Birds by Cybele Young
How I love sharing picture book lists during this month of picture book love!
I have been sharing a reading photo of the week each week. Now that it is summer, I am not surrounded every day with little readers so . . . I am choosing moments from the year not previously shared. I love this Henry and Mudge love!
From the classroom 2014/2015 archives:
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 bestway to discover what to read next.
A Rock Can Be . . . by Laura Purdie Salas with illustrations by Violeta Dabija
I love this nonfiction series – lovely poetry, stunning illustrations and interesting and detailed back matter. A must have for classrooms and/or libraries.
What this Story Needs is a Pig in a Wig by Emma J. Virján
Super silly. Super simple. Perfect for kids just learning to read – lots of repetition – a quality little book.
The Good Little Book written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Marian Arbona
I adore this book on many different levels. What a perfect book to get us thinking about heading back into classrooms! The end pages are incredible!
To the Sea by Cale Atkinson
Love the tones in this sweet little book about friendship and being noticed.
Ask Me written by Bernard Waber and illustrated by Suzy Lee
I actually hugged this book in the bookstore after I read it. A regular conversation between a father and his young daughter perfectly captures the energy and wonder of a particular time of childhood. Love this book! And the illustrations, wow!
Boats for Papa by Jessixa Bagley
Yes, Josh Funk if you are reading this, this book made me teary. A book about the every day moving on process of grieving the loss of a loved one and wrapping yourself up in the love of those still with you. Just beautiful.
Leo a Ghost Story written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Christian Robinson
Leo is a charmer. A ghost that needs to find out where he is appreciated.
Bug in a Vacuum by Mélanie Watt
So clever Ms. Watt! This is one thick picture book – full of the stages of grief (hilariously conveyed) and lots of humour. Just delightful. Can see using this with older grades and having students write about their own self-talk through the stages of grief attached to a particular event.
Blue on Blue written by Dianne White and illustrated by Beth Krommes
Rain, beautiful rain. This book celebrates the dark colours and images of a rain storm. The illustrations are incredible.
The Tea Party in the Woods by Akiko Miyakoshi
This is a wonderful title. Such creative twists on Little Red Riding Hood – crafted into quite a different tale. Love the shades and repetitive colours.
Leroy Ninker Saddles Up written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
I read this to myself and had to whisper certain lines aloud because I was certain they would be a treat to say. Yep! Wow Kate DiCamillo can write!
Survival Strategies of the Almost Brave by Jen White
An emotional middle grade novel about two sisters who need to take care of each other when their Dad leaves them at a gas station. I couldn’t put this book down.
Death by Toilet Paper by Donna Gephart
From the title and the cover, one would think this is a light hearted novel. There is humour but it is full of emotions. In fact, I woke up early one morning worried about the character and had to finish the book to make sure all was okay. What do you do when you are twelve, you have lost your Dad and money is an issue? This title explores this reality in creative, but always authentic and sensitive ways. Fantastic characters and family dynamics.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
I read this in one sitting and if I had time, I would have started on page one and read it all over again. So beautiful. So heartfelt. So human.
Updates on my 2015 Reading Goals:
2015 Chapter Book Challenge: 50/80 complete
Goodreads Challenge: 309/415 books read
#MustReadin2015: 16/24 complete
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 58/100 titles
Diverse Books in 2015: 33/50 books read
Up next? I am still reading and LOVING The Queen of Water by Laura Resau and then will begin Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles
One of my very favourite picture books of all time is If You Want to See a Whale written by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Erin E. Stead When I first read this book, I had just spent a week at a summer house waiting to see a whale. I never did. But this book reminded me of how very much I longed for one to pass through the ocean as I gazed out ever so patiently at the water.How I adore this book. I love it because it’s beautiful. It is gentle and calm. It reads like I imagined a whale might move – softly, smoothly and ever so gracefully. But I mostly love it because I really do want to see a whale. It tempts me with the possibility. It lures me with the one day . . . The maybe . . .
Now, I love this book for another most perfect reason. Finally, I have seen my whale. We just spent over a week in Roberts Creek on the Sunshine Coast of B.C and we saw a gray whale just off the beach close to where we were staying. Honestly, I got teary. It was one of the most beautiful experiences in nature I have ever had.
Of course we were not the only ones enamoured with this whale. While we watched from shore, a few small boats watched from closer by.
Two kayakers stopped as well.
Here are my children watching the water for sightings of “our” whale. Every few minutes it would surface to exhale.
I was lucky enough to see this whale on three different occasions and each time I watched it for at least thirty minutes. Once, we saw it in the evening. It was so quiet and the sound of the whale exhaling is something I won’t ever forget.
If you are like me and have had dreams of seeing a whale, here are some more picture books – both fiction and nonfiction that will make you long for the experience even more. I have always been “swoony” about whale illustrations. I suspect this sighting will make me more so.
The Blue Whale by Jenni Desmond
Trapped! A Whale’s Rescue written by Robert Burleigh and illustrated by Wendell Minor
The Eye of the Whale: A Rescue Story by Jennifer O’Connell
Big Blue Whale written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Nick Maland Here Come the Humpbacks written by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Jamie Hogan Three Bears in a Boat by David SomanFlotsam by David WiesnerJumping Penguins illustrated by Marije Tolman with text by Jesse Goossens Following Papa’s Song by Gianna Marino The Storm Whale by Benji Davies
Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems by Kate Coombs illustrated by Meilo So The Mermaid and the Shoe by K. G. Campbell Billy Twitters and his Blue Whale Problem written byMac Barnett and illustrated by Adam Rex Wild Ideas: Let Nature Inspire Your Thinking written by Elin Kelsey and illustrated by Soyeon Kim
To the Sea by Cale Atkinson
Have you seen a whale in the wild? I would love to hear about it!
Summer time is a lovely time for picture book dreaming. Don’t you think?
Last year at this time, book shopping was not a possibility for me due to a very lengthy teacher’s strike here in B.C. I am now happily back into my book purchasing groove but even us book lovers must prioritize. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to unlimited book buying funds.
Yet, these titles are calling to me! So I thought I would celebrate them in a list. Hopefully, these books will be able to make it into my classroom collection because I can’t wait to share them with students.
Shared by publication date:
Float by Daniel Miyares (June 2015)
Wordless and wonderful. Themes of discovery, persistence, problem solving and creative thinking. And simply beautiful. I would love to add this title to my wordless book collection.
The Night World by Mordicai Gerstein (June 2015)
This is truly brilliant. A dark, usually known world, is busy and alive when it is explored at night. Slowly, morning happens. And wow, does it happen beautifully. All about the magic of light.
To the Sea by Cale Atkinson(June 2015)
Teachers are always looking for amazing books that explore all there is to explore about friendship. Everywhere I turn there is book love for this title. I can’t wait to find it.
First Grade Dropout written by Audrey Vernick and illustrated by Matthew Cordell (July 2015)
I have read some wonderful reviews of this title (here and here) that have convinced me that this book needs to be in my collection. Intense emotions, Humiliation. Moving forward. Compassion and community. All of these are themes to explore in a primary classroom.
Ask Me written by Bernard Waber and illustrated by Suzy Lee (July 2015)
I read this beautiful review of this title on the blog What to Read to your Kids and I knew I had to own it. I too am a fan of Waber and Lee but I am completely smitten with stories that portray little moments of family relationship.
The Little Gardener by Emily Hughes (August 2015)
When I first read Emily Hughes‘ Wild (a library copy) aloud to my class, I admitted that I really loved the book and wished I had a copy for our classroom. One child remarked: “You really should buy it. Otherwise, you might go a little crazy.” Wise words 🙂 Wild is now a beloved book that I own. The pages I have peeked at on various blogs make it very obvious that I must also bring The Little Gardener into my collection.
The Tea Party in the Woods by Akiko Miyakoshi (August 2015)
I love fairytales and stories with nuances of fairytale elements. But . . . I am very particular. I find that I either love these titles or I find them barely mediocre. My students are always asking me to purchase more fairy tale stories for our collection and I want to find them the best. From the reviews I have read, this will be a title I will happily add to our growing collection.
Leo a Ghost Story written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Christian Robinson (August 2015)
I love the whole idea of this book. We don’t often meet ghosts in picture books. But many children believe they are out there. I love books that celebrate imagination and big believing. And also – Mac Barnett! Christian Robinson! No need to say more.
Lenny & Lucy written by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin E. Stead (October 2015)
I think Erin Stead is one of the most talented illustrators out there. Off the charts, can’t quite believe it, oh my, oh my, talented. When the brilliant Stead duo do their thing, I need to own the book. It’s that simple.
Beyond the Pond by Joseph Kuefler (October 2015)
I am hearing lovely book buzz about this title. Reviews contain words like imagination, curiosity, magic . . . Sounds delightful!
I have been sharing a reading photo of the week each week. This was taken during buddy reading with the Ks. I love how my students will track as they read to show the kindergarten child the words as they say them. Many little ones are beginning to read along.
I must also share photographic evidence of this little book thief in my room. Friday afternoon she snuck back into a bin of books I have yet to share and grabbed these.
“It’s not fair! You stash all of these books where we can’t get them until you read them.”
I pointed out that I generally bring out new books every week and book talk almost daily. “True,” she giggled as she attempted to get sneak peeks at these yet to be shared treasures before I snatched them back. Love her passion for books! I can relate 🙂
If you missed it, I shared 20 titles I highly recommend as gift books for new parents. These titles will make beautiful additions to a family’s read aloud collection.
JoinJen 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 bestway to discover what to read next.
This is Sadie written by Sara O’Leary and illustrated by Julie Morstad
Sadie is enchanting. She embraces life – both the real and the imagined parts with gusto. Creative, inspired, endearing.
I featured our read aloud experience with this book here. It is well worth reading to see my students’ reactions.
The Skunk written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell
A skunk follows a man everywhere he goes. Why? What does he want? Why can’t the man escape? The ending continues in the strange unexplained vein. Love this book – all of its quirky and charming is delightful.
Cheetah Can’t Lose by Bob Shea
Cheetah’s ego is on competition over drive. His little feline friends realize this all too well and craftily devise a plan to make sure that cheetah won’t win the big race. Does it work? And what will it mean if it does . . . ? Very funny and engaging.
Bright Sky Starry City written by Uma Krishnaswami and illustrated by Aimée Sicuro
I was thrilled to discover this title at a local book store. It is a lovely little story about a young girl who longs to see the stars and planets in her busy city. Light pollution makes this a challenge until a storm happens and the power goes out. A detailed nonfiction afterward is shared in the back of the book all about our solar system and light pollution. Also includes a glossary. I will be sharing this with my new class in the fall.
Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy
All the details of bubble gum’s invention. So much fun!
I Didn’t Do my Homework Because . . . written by Davide Cali and illustrated by Benjamin Chaud
A book of outlandish excuses and superbly creative illustrations.
Wish Girl by Nikki Loftin
Beautifully written. Loftin manages to leave her readers always a little on edge yet completely attached to the emotional story line she shares. It’s almost as if the magic suggested in the story floats off the page and whispers quietly, “Come in. Immerse yourself. Feel.” I loved this title even though I found parts of it worrisome and painful. An important book.
Up next? I am reading Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly
While every year I celebrate Caldecott winners with my students, this is the first year we are having our own Mock Caldecott competition. After perusing numerous other Mock Caldecott lists and lists of Caldecott predictions, I narrowed it down to eleven titles to share with my class. There was a LOT of rethinking and eliminating titles. In the end, I tried to choose a varied list that conveyed different moods, feelings and responses.
Here are the books we are sharing, reading and swooning over – shared alphabetically by illustrator:
Sparky! written by Jenny Offill and illustrated by Chris Appelhans
Quest by Aaron Becker
The Promise written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Laura Carlin
Draw! by Raúl Colón
The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee
The Iridescence of Birds: A Book about Henri Matisse written by Patricia MacLachlan with illustrations by Hadley Hooper
Sam & Dave Dig a Hole written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen
Hi, Koo! by Jon J Muth
The Girl and the Bicycle by Mark Pett
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Grandfather Gandhi written by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus and illustrated by Evan Turk
Our process is simple. We read and talk about each book individually, enjoying the interactive read aloud experience. Then, I hide the book away until we bring them all out again and spend some time looking closer at each title with Caldecott criteria in mind.
Like others who are running a Mock Caldecott with their classrooms, I adapted the criteria into a child friendly rubric.
Each child will have an opportunity to rate each book using a 1 – 5 scale (with 1 being not at all to 5 being agree absolutely) responding to these three statements:
This book is a book kids will really appreciate.
The illustrations in this book are excellent in quality.
The illustrations are a great fit for the story being told.
An opportunity to comment on favourites will also be available.
By next week, we should have shared all of the titles and will be prepared to rate each book. We will do this over a morning where we can reread, look more closely at the actual criteria and have lots of discussions with other students and the adults we have invited to participate in this process with us. More details on our class blog: Curiosity Racers.
We will then announce our medal winner and 3 honour titles.
I am not sure if it is the children or the adults who are more excited but our room is buzzing even more with picture book love. At times I am sure I can hear the hum 🙂
Here are my favourite titles of 2014! Another wonderful year of reading – always in awe of the amazing authors and illustrators out there that give us the important gift of stories.
The best of the best (published in 2014) for me?
14 favourites and no more than 14 words of raving about each title. This was my challenge last year with my Favourites of 2013 (13 books, 13 words) and in 2012 (12 books, 12 words) with my 2012 Favourites. This year I get one more book and one more word to play with! 🙂
This year I chose to spread my book love evenly between picture books and novels. 7 and 7. I will be sharing my nonfiction favourites in a post of their own this week so I focussed a little more on fiction here.
In no particular order – my 7 favourite picture books of 2014:
Sparky! written by Jenny Offill and illustrated by Chris Appelhans
Absolutely charming. And wonderfully slow – yes, like a sloth.
Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin written by Chieri Uegaki with illustrations by Qin Leng
A story of determination, perseverance and creativity. Dream. Be courageous. Such messages.
Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Thanks To Katherine Applegate and all of those who have loved Ivan, we love Ivan too.
The Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee
A cover that hints at mystery and strange happenings and . . . ? Tender. Sweet. Kind
The Girl and the Bicycle by Mark Pett
Persistence and love wrapped in brown, green and a little brother’s smile.
Any Questions? by Marie-Louise Gay
A story starts with a blank white page . . .
Sam & Dave Dig a Hole written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen
Pulls you deep into a “theorizing hole.” Digging in, around and out is highly satisfying.
And the novels that touched me – often making me pause and just connect with the state of being and living and loving. Novels roll out stories that transform our thinking with beautiful words on a page – the characters in these books have stuck with me.
The Summer of Letting Go by Gae Polisner
Vulnerability. A touching exploration of grief. Superb writing and of course, little Frankie Sky.
Bird by Crystal Chan
One girl raised in grief and superstition chases living. Sad and spectacular imagery.
El Deafo by Cece Bell
Friendship trials and celebrations. Growing up with hearing loss and super powers.
Nest by Esther Ehrlich
Chirp. Joey. Solid but broken. Love their observations, their coping strategies, their complicated friendship.
Revolution by Deborah Wiles
Tears, faith, outrage, peace. What a story. Wiles pulls you right into 1964.
Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
Rose does things differently. But much a lot more bravely. Such a read.
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Full of raw mistakes and huge hopes. Energizing despite the grief and pain.
Please share your own favourites of the year . . .
My favourite reading photo of the week is of these two boys acting out Elephant and Piggietitles 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:
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 and I have picture books on my mind. I am beginning to think in lists. Often. It may be a syndrome. Picturebooklistitis? Something like that.
On Friday, I had some parent meetings in the a.m. It was lovely to talk about students who have demonstrated improvement in goal areas due to persistence, determination and creative approaches to problems. Heading home, after school, I started thinking about picture books on this theme of persistence.
What exactly was I thinking about? All of the synonyms for perseverance: persistence, tenacity, determination . . . But also being able to solve problems with creativity or a different/unique approach. A lot of it has to do with being able to focus but also being able to think outside of the box. Sometimes it is just about, simple but tough, hard work and diligence.
I think all of these picture books highlight a particular aspect of this theme and in their own way, model perseverance.
Twenty favourite titles:
These ten beauties:
And ten more:
Twenty picture book titles that model perseverance:
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen
Rosie Revere, Engineer written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
Prudence Wants a Pet written by Cathleen Daly and illustrated by Stephen Michael King
Hank Finds an Egg by Rebecca Dudley
Papa’s Mechanical Fish written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Boris Kulikov
If You Want to See a Whale written by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Erin E. Stead
Rosyln Rutabaga and the Biggest Hole on Earth by Marie-Louise Gay
Ice by Arthur Geisert
Flight School by Lita Judge
A House in the Woods by Inga Moore
The Mighty Lalouche written by Matthew Olshan and illustrated by Sophie Blackall
The Girl and the Bicycle by Mark Pett
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
A Home for Bird by Philip C. Stead
Oscar and Hoo written by Theo and illustrated by Michael Dudok De Wit
Queen of the Falls by Chris VanAllsburg
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
Ten Birds by Cybèle Young
In case you’ve missed them, I have been making more lists:
To celebrate picture book month, I am sharing peeks into the wonderful conversations I get to have with children about particular picture books. When I thought about writing a picture book post today, no conversations leaped out at me to share. I have no students here at home on a Sunday morning and I have been reading my own children the amazing novelOkay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. But . . . just yesterday evening, I was talking to Vancouver kindergarten teacher Sharon Hales about how great Elephant & Piggie titles are. She is a huge fan! (Great taste!) And, of course, I asked a few times – “Have you read . . . ?” “Do you know author . . . ?”
Hmmm, this was a conversation about picture books . . .
So I started thinking, if I were a kindergarten teacher, what would be must own picture books for my classroom library? Books guaranteed to inspire giggles and choruses of “Read it again”? Quickly, I started a list on a scrap piece of paper. I ran out of room! This post is the result. 🙂
Grab one of these, grab a child or a kindergarten/early primary class and prepare for smiles and giggles!
And because once you start laughing, you need to laugh some more:
Picture Books to help you giggle:
Count the Monkeys written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Kevin Cornell
Z is for Moose written by Kelly Bingham and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
I’m Bored written by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Prudence Wants a Pet written by Cathleen Daly and illustrated by Stephen Michael King
Brief Thief written by Michael Escoffier and illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo
Warning: Do not Open this Book! written by Adam Lehrhaupt and illustrated by Matthew Forsythe
Let’s Do Nothing! by Tony Fucile
Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton
Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld
Don’t Play with Your Food by Bob Shea
Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea
Interrrupting Chickenby David Ezra Stein
Chester by Mélanie Watt
You’re Finally Here by Mélanie Watt
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems
Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won
Such a joy to share these favourite titles – perfect for the younger set but appealing to happy readers of all ages!
Are you in the picture book mood? Share some favourites! It’s Picture Book Month!
There's a Book for That 