What's New in Picture Books
March 15, 2016
Presented by Ashley Lambacher and Jill Merkle
The Good Little Book by Kyo Maclear
Fiction -- All ages While banished to a dusty study one day "to think things over", a boy pulls a book off a shelf and with great reluctance begins to read. As the afternoon passes, the story nabs him and carries him away. Before long, this good little book becomes his loyal companion, accompanying him everywhere ... until, one day, the book is lost. Will this bad little boy get back his good little book? Connections: Many of us, and many of our students, can relate to this book about the joy of discovering a favorite story and realizing how special that book makes you feel. This book shows how even reluctant readers can get sucked into a book, and just how books can touch lives. This would be a great book to read at the beginning of the year. |
Lionheart by Richard Collingridge
Fiction -- all ages Richard hears something in his room before bedtime. Is it a monster? He doesn't wait to find out and sets off running through the streets, over the hills, through the forest, and into the fields until he finds himself in a magical jungle. With the help of his stuffed lion Lionheart, Richard finds the courage he needs to face his fears. Connections: This is a good book about facing your fears, although it is geared toward younger readers. Richard's imagination gets away from him, and I could see this being used to kick off some creative writing, or even a whole class story. It can also be used for prediction. |
Little Tree by Loren Long
Fiction -- All ages In the middle of a little forest, there lives a Little Tree who loves his life and the splendid leaves that keep him cool in the heat of long summer days. Life is perfect just the way it is. Autumn arrives, and with it the cool winds that ruffle Little Tree's leaves. One by one the other trees drop their leaves, facing the cold of winter head on. But not Little Tree—he hugs his leaves as tightly as he can. Year after year Little Tree remains unchanged, despite words of encouragement from a squirrel, a fawn, and a fox, his leaves having long since turned brown and withered. As Little Tree sits in the shadow of the other trees, now grown sturdy and tall as though to touch the sun, he remembers when they were all the same size. And he knows he has an important decision to make. Connections: This book is good for text to self as students can relate to resisting change. The story starts with the same sentence as it ends, so it's a good book to use for unique beginnings and endings in writing. Also good for theme. |
The Bear Report by Thyra Heder
Fiction -- All ages Sophie does not want to do her homework, a research report on polar bears. Bor-ing. They’re big. They eat things. They’re mean. What else is there to say about them anyway? As it turns out, plenty. And when a polar bear named Olafur swoops her away to the Arctic, she soon learns all about the playful bear’s habits and habitat—from glacier mice to the northern lights—and, despite her first reservations, she finds herself not just interested but excited about the Arctic. When the two are swept out to sea on an iceberg, Sophie’s new knowledge and knack for creative thinking pay off in a big way: she calls a whale to their aid! Inspired by her journey, she’s ready to return home and take another swing at her assignment, this time with gusto. Connections: This book is good for text to self, dialogue, sequencing, and predicting. Would be good to use at the beginning of a project. |
Alan's Big Scary Teeth by Jarvis
Fiction -- all ages Deep in the jungle lurks Alan the alligator, descended from a long line of very scary alligators. He prepares carefully — polishing his scales, brushing each of his big, scary teeth, and practicing his frightening faces — then sneaks into the jungle to terrorize the jungle critters. ("I’m big, scary Alan! Fear my razor-sharp teeth!") But after a long day of scaring, Alan likes nothing better than to enjoy the crossword, run a warm mud bath, and take out his teeth, which nobody else knows are false. Until one morning, when Alan wakes up and finds that his teeth are gone! Without those teeth, he’s just not very scary, and scaring is the only thing he knows how to do. Or is it? Connections: This is a great book to use for prediction and story "twists." It can also be used for cause/effect. |
Growing Up Pedro: How the Martinez Brothers Made It from the Dominican Republic All the Way to the Major Leagues
by Matt Tavares Nonfiction -- Ages 7 and up Before Pedro Martínez pitched the Red Sox to a World Series championship, before he was named to the All-Star team eight times, before he won the Cy Young three times, he was a kid from a place called Manoguayabo in the Dominican Republic. Pedro loved baseball more than anything, and his older brother Ramon was the best pitcher he’d ever seen. He’d dream of the day he and his brother could play together in the major leagues—and here, Matt Tavares tells the story of how that dream came true. Connections: This nonfiction book is great for theme. Following your dreams and perseverance against great odds are central to the story. Inspirational for those who dream big and for those who love sports. |
How to be a Dog by Jo Williamson
Fiction -- All ages Do you want to learn how to be the best dog you can be? Just follow the steps in this book! After choosing a human to live with, learn where you should sleep (everywhere), who you should be friendly with and who to bark at, how to keep the floor clean of any food, how to play fetch, and more! Before you know it you’ll be having lots of fun . . . and your human may even become your best friend. Connections: This is a great "how to" example book and is excellent for point of view. Voice and personification are also good to teach with this book. Kids will love the humor. |
Peep and Egg: I'm Not Hatching by Laura Gehl
Fiction -- All ages Egg is not hatching. No way. No how. It is too scary out there. Peep wants Egg to hatch so they can do fun things together, like watch the sunrise, splash in puddles, and play hide-and-seek. But Egg is not cracking... Connections: This is a good example of repetition and persuasion. This is good for the younger grades for character traits and showing dialogue. |
Frog on a Log? by Kes Gray
Fiction -- All ages "It's very simple, really. Cats sit on mats, hares sit on chairs, mules sit on stools, gophers sit on sofas, and frogs sit on logs." Each animal's designated seat rhymes with that animal's name. "It's not about being comfortable," explains the cat. "It's about doing the right thing." The frog does not want to sit on a log. Doing his best to find an alternative place to sit, the frog asks the cat a litany of questions. For every answer the cat has, the frog has another question--until the frog finds out what dogs sit on! Connections: Rhyming and patterned text make up the bulk of this story, and students will have fun trying to guess what sits on what, based on the rhymes. Kids will most likely know how the story is going to end, but will enjoy shouting out the answer anyway. |
I (Don't) Like Snakes by Nicola Davies
Nonfiction -- All ages This little girl has a problem. Her family doesn’t have dogs, or cats, or birds—they have snakes! And she really, really, really really doesn’t like snakes. Her family can’t understand her dislike, but they canhelp her understand why snakes do the things they do and look the way they look. And maybe once she knows more, she will start to like snakes a little . . . or even a lot. Connections: This is not only a great nonfiction book about snakes -- it's also a fantastic new style of narrative that tells a story while including important snake facts. Listing all the reasons she doesn't like snakes, and then learning the facts behind those reasons, makes for a fresh approach to learning through informational text. Also great for persuasion. |
If I Had a Gryphon by Vikki VanSickle
Fiction -- All ages Sam just got a hamster for a pet. But the hamster is kind of boring ... he just eats and sleeps and gets his shavings wet. Inspired by her book of mythological creatures, Sam longs for a more exciting pet. But she soon realizes that taking care of these magical beasts might not be as wonderful as she thought. Sasquatches are messy, unicorns are shy, gryphons scare the dogs at the dogpark, and having a fire extinguisher handy at all times makes dragons seem like an awful lot of work. In the end, Sam realizes that her hamster is a pretty sweet and safe pet ... or is he? Connections: This is a great choice for perspective (of being an exotic pet owner!) and predicting. Good examples of rhyming and theme as well. |
Please Open This Book by Adam Lehrhaupt
Fiction -- All ages Books are made to be opened. Especially this one. But, guess what... someone closed this book! Who would do that? Luckily, you can fix this. All you need to do is open it. You can do that. Can't you? We need your help! Connections: Persuasion!! Definitely good for point of view for what happens to a book when you close the pages (or open them) and a good example of dialogue. |
One Day, The End by Rebecca Dotlich
Fiction -- All ages “One day. . . I went to school. I came home. The end,” says our storyteller—a girl with a busy imagination and a thirst for adventure. The art tells a fuller tale of calamity on the way to school and an unpredictably happy ending. Connections: This book is a great one to give to students who have trouble giving detail, or who say they can't think of anything to write about. The text is very bare, and the pictures show all the little in-betweens that explain the full story. It's a good way to get creative writing juices flowing, even for younger writers. Also good to use with beginning/middle/end. |
Little Red Gliding Hood by Tara Lazar
Fiction -- All ages A figure-skating enthusiast, Little Red has worn out her skates and must win a pairs competition to earn new ones. But who will be her partner? The Dish is already skating with the Spoon, and Hansel has Gretel. You won’t believe what big eyes, sharp teeth, and furry paws her partner has . . . all the better to spin her with! Connections: Good to include with other fractured fairy tales, this twist on a traditional tale can be good to use with prediction and comparison with the original tale. |
It's Tough to Lose Your Balloon by Jarrett Krosoczka
Fiction -- All ages Lost balloons. Melted ice cream. Babysitters. Life as a kid can be pretty daunting. But don’t let these troubles get you down. With the right attitude, a hurdle can become a hammock and an obstacle can become an opportunity! Connections: Great for cause and effect, and for point of view since it turns a negative into a positive (glass half full view). Theme is also good in this book. |
Night Animals by Gianna Marino
Fiction -- All ages Something’s out there in the dark! First Possum hears it. Then Skunk. Then Wolf comes running.“What could it possibly be?” asks Bat. “Night Animals!” the animals declare. “But you are night animals,” Bat informs this not-so-smart crew. Hilarity ensues as the animals try to make sense of the strange sights and sounds of the night. Connections: Irony is central to this book, as the animals are essentially afraid of themselves. A fantastic example of using speech bubbles and dialogue. Also good for mood, point of view, and text to self. |
Tree of Wonder: The Many Marvelous Lives of a Rainforest Tree by Kate Messner
Nonfiction -- All ages Deep in the forest, in the warm-wet green, 1 almendro tree grows, stretching its branches toward the sun. Who makes their homes here? 2 great green macaws, 4 keel-billed toucans, 8 howler monkeys, 16 fruit bats, 32 fer-de-lance vipers, 64 agoutis, 128 blue morpho butterflies, 256 poison dart frogs, 512 rusty wandering spiders, 1,024 leafcutter ants. Count each and every one as life multiplies again and again in this lush and fascinating book about the rainforest. Connections: This is a good example of a unique nonfiction format because it's a combination of poetic prose, facts about unique animals, and counting. Can be a great way to introduce students to unfamiliar animals. It's also good for point of view and theme. |
Be a Friend by Salina Yoon
Fiction -- All ages Dennis is an ordinary boy who expresses himself in extraordinary ways. Some children do show-and-tell. Dennis mimes his. Some children climb trees. Dennis is happy to BE a tree . . . But being a mime can be lonely. It isn't until Dennis meets a girl named Joy that he discovers the power of friendship--and how special he truly is! At its core, this book is a heartwarming story of self-acceptance, courage, and unbreakable friendship for anyone who has ever felt "different." Connections: This is a good book for social skills and accepting differences in others, as well as talking about those differences and how we treat others may affect how they feel. This is also a good example of mood and character feelings. |
Frankencrayon by Michael Hall
Fiction -- All ages The crayons are ready to tell the thrilling tale of Frankencrayon. The costumes are made, the roles are cast, the pages are all set—but then disaster strikes. Someone has scribbled on the page! Hideous! Horrifying! The story can’t go on! Try as they might, the crayons can’t erase the scribble, and this picture book must be canceled. Until the crayons playing the title role of Frankencrayon think of a solution, that is. Connections: This book can be good for teaching sequencing and personification. It would also be a good book for teaching voice and how to include unexpected "twists" in a story's plot. This book also has a unique beginning and ending and has a good example of a narrator. Dialogue is also a strong point in this book. |
Hoot and Peep by Lita Judge
Fiction -- All ages Hoot the owl is very excited for his little sister, Peep, to join him on the cathedral rooftops. She's finally old enough to learn all his big brother owly wisdom: First, owls say hooo. Second, they always sayhooo. Lastly, they ONLY say hooo! But why would Peep say hooo when she could say schweeepty peep or dingity dong? Why would she speak when she could sing? As she explores the breathtaking Parisian cityscape, Peep discovers so many inspiring sights and sounds—the ring of cathedral bells, the slap of waves on stone—that she can’t help but be swept up in the magic of it all. Hoot doesn’t understand Peep’s awe, until he takes a pause to listen . . . and realizes that you're never too old to learn a little something new. Connections: Use this book for point of view, theme, character traits, and voice. Enjoy the beautiful pictures, too! |
Sonya's Chickens by Phoebe Wahl
Fiction -- All ages Sonya raises her three chickens from the time they are tiny chicks. She feeds them, shelters them and loves them. Everywhere Sonya goes, her chicks are peeping at her heels. Under her care, the chicks grow into hens and even give Sonya a wonderful gift: an egg! One night, Sonya hears noises coming from the chicken coop and discovers that one of her hens has disappeared. Where did the hen go? What happened to her? When Sonya discovers the answers, she learns some important truths about the interconnectedness of nature and the true joys and sorrows of caring for another creature. Connections: Great for perspective -- especially for the circle of life. It would be a good example of theme and author's purpose as well. |
Glow: Animals With Their Own Night-Lights by W. H. Beck
Nonfiction -- Ages 8 and up Why be afraid of the dark when there is so much to see? Whether it’s used to hunt, hide, find a friend, or escape an enemy, bioluminescence—the ability to glow—is a unique adaptation in nature. In this fun and fascinating nonfiction picture book, join world-renowned photographers and biologists on their close encounters with the curious creatures that make their own light. Connections: Another example of unique nonfiction. Poetic verse and stunning photographs make up this book. Good for comparing/contrasting and author's purpose. |
Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer
Poetry -- All ages What is poetry? Is it glistening morning dew? Spider thinks so. Is it crisp leaves crunching? That’s what Squirrel says. Could it be a cool pond, sun-warmed sand, or moonlight on the grass? Maybe poetry is all of these things, as it is something special for everyone—you just have to take the time to really look and listen. The magical thing is that poetry is in everyone, and Daniel is on his way to discovering a poem of his own after spending time with his animal friends. What is poetry? If you look and listen, it’s all around you! Connections: This is a fantastic book to use to kick off a poetry unit. It shows where authors get their ideas (even in the most simple things). There are also a few examples of figurative language and imagery. This is good for point of view. |
Mother Bruce by Ryan Higgins
Fiction -- All ages Bruce the bear likes to keep to himself. That, and eat eggs. But when his hard-boiled goose eggs turn out to be real, live goslings, he starts to lose his appetite. And even worse, the goslings are convinced he's their mother. Bruce tries to get the geese to go south, but he can't seem to rid himself of his new companions. What's a bear to do? Connections: This book is filled with irony and good to use for cause/effect and for character traits. |
Robosauce by Adam Rubin
Fiction -- All ages FACT: Robots are awesome. They have lasers for eyes, rockets for feet, and supercomputers for brains! Plus, robots never have to eat steamed beans or take baths, or go to bed. If only there were some sort of magical “Robo-Sauce” that turned squishy little humans into giant awesome robots… Well, now there is. Connections: This is a very good example of a unique ending and has a makerspace aspect of folding the book to create a robot. It's a good example of narrator and narrator interaction with the reader. |
Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book)
by Julie Falatko Fiction -- All ages Snappsy the alligator is having a normal day when a pesky narrator steps in to spice up the story. Is Snappsy reading a book ... or is he making CRAFTY plans? Is Snappsy on his way to the grocery store ... or is he PROWLING the forest for defenseless birds and fuzzy bunnies? Is Snappsy innocently shopping for a party ... or is he OBSESSED with snack foods that start with the letter P? What's the truth? Connections: A good example of narrator interaction and dialogue and speech bubbles. It also shows irony. Also has a few "twists" to the plot. |
The Cow Who Climbed a Tree by Gemma Merino
Fiction -- All ages Tina isn't like the other cows. She believes that the sky is the limit and that everything is possible. But her sisters aren't convinced--and when Tina tells them she has climbed a tree and met a dragon, they decide that her nonsense has gone too far. Off they go into the woods to find her…and soon discover a world of surprises! Connections: This book is a good read aloud when teaching about perseverance and being true to yourself (especially despite societal conventions). |
Puddle by Hyewon Yum
Fiction -- All ages One rainy day, a little boy is upset because he can't go out and play. His mom comes up with a way to keep him entertained--by drawing a picture of herself and him going outside, playing in the rain, and splashing in a giant puddle. They have so much fun drawing themselves that they decide to venture out and make the most of the rainy weather. Connections: This has some really great dialogue that is highlighted through different colors. It has some really interesting perspective and has a story within a story. |
Mad Scientist Academy: The Dinosaur Disaster
by Matthew McElligott Fiction (graphic novel) -- Ages 7 and up Welcome to Mad Scientist Academy! The first day of school is always exciting, and Dr. Cosmic’s new students can’t wait to get started. After their teacher reveals that their school pet, Oscar, is a dinosaur, they quickly realize Dr. Cosmic has an unusual teaching style. To find Oscar, the class has to follow the clues through the realistic dinosaur exhibit Dr. Cosmic designed and built over the summer. But when a malfunction causes the robotic dinosaurs to come alive, this prehistoric exhibit feels a little too real! With a mad genius for a teacher, things don’t always go as planned. Armed with high-tech handbooks and the scientific method, Dr. Cosmic’s class is ready to solve their way out of any disaster. Connections: This is a humorous yet informative graphic novel. Kids will enjoy the "monster" assorted class of characters and how each of them brings something unique to the story (and to the main problem). Not so much a teaching text as much of a fun read. |
What To Do With a Box by Jane Yolen
Fiction -- All ages If you give a child a box, who can tell what will happen next? It may become a library or a boat. It could set the scene for a fairy tale or a wild expedition. The most wonderful thing is its seemingly endless capacity for magical adventure. Connections: This book can be used as a great introduction to the maker movement and makerspaces. |
Honorable Mentions
Every Day Birds by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
The Only Child by Guojing
I, Fly: The Buzz About Flies and How Awesome They Are by Bridget Heos
President Squid by Aaron Reynolds