What's New in Picture Books
Nov. 3rd, 2015
Presented by Ashley Lambacher and Jill Merkle
If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson
Fiction -- All ages A rabbit and a mouse plant seeds and then wait for their food to grow. But they don't expect the birds that come, or the resulting argument. A resonant, gently humorous story about the power of even the smallest acts and the rewards of compassion and generosity. If You Plant a Seed demonstrates not only the process of planting and growing for young children but also how a seed of kindness can bear sweet fruit. Connections: This is great to use with theme/main idea, cause and effect, and sequencing. It also teaches the social skill of sharing and kindness. |
To the Sea by Cale Atkinson
Fiction -- all ages Sometimes Tim feels invisible at school—until one day, when Tim meets Sam. But Sam isn't just any new friend: he's a blue whale, and he can't find his way home! Returning Sam to the sea is hard work, but Tim is determined to help. After all, it's not every day you meet a new friend! Connections: This book can be used for prediction, mood, and talking about helping others. It can also be good to teach text to self as kids can relate to the story. |
The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt
Fiction -- all ages I'm not sure what it is about this kid Duncan, but his crayons sure are a colorful bunch of characters! Having soothed the hurt feelings of one group who threatened to quit, Duncan now faces a whole new group of crayons asking to be rescued. From Maroon Crayon, who was lost beneath the sofa cushions and then broken in two after Dad sat on him; to poor Turquoise, whose head is now stuck to one of Duncan's stinky socks after they both ended up in the dryer together; to Pea Green, who knows darn well that no kid likes peas and who ran away—each and every crayon has a woeful tale to tell and a plea to be brought home to the crayon box. Connections: This book can be used to teach personification, persuasion, and letter writing. This book can also be used as a springboard for creative writing. This book is a sequel to The Day the Crayons Quit. |
Nerdy Birdy by Aaron Reynolds
Fiction -- All ages Nerdy Birdy likes reading, video games, and reading about video games, which immediately disqualifies him for membership in the cool crowd. One thing is clear: being a nerdy birdy is a lonely lifestyle. When he's at his lowest point, Nerdy Birdy meets a flock just like him. He has friends and discovers that there are far more nerdy birdies than cool birdies in the sky. Connections: This book is good for social skills and including others. It would also be wonderful to use to teach character traits, voice, and dialogue. |
Sea Rex by Molly Idle
Fiction -- All ages What could that be down in the sea? Is it a fish? A snail? A mermaid’s tail? No, it’s bigger than that . . . a LOT bigger . . . it’s Sea Rex! Join Cordelia and her crestacious companions as they spend a memorable day at the beach, as only dinosaurs can do! Connections: This book is great for teaching how to give/write advice or instructions. This author also wrote and illustrated the Caldecott winning Flora and the Flamingo and Tea Rex. |
Bubble Trouble by Tom Percival
Fiction -- All ages Best friends Rueben and Felix love blowing bubbles, and the bigger, the better. But after Rueben challenges Felix to a contest, the two go head-to-head and bubble-to-bubble . . . with disastrous results. Can they keep their friendship from going POP? Connections: This lift-the-flaps book is great in teaching the troubles of competition and friendship. It would be a great to pair with Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great. |
Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett
Fiction -- Ages 6 and up Orion is scared of a lot of things, but most of all he’s scared of the dark. So one night the Dark decides to take Orion on an adventure. Emma Yarlett’s second picture book combines her incredible storytelling and artwork with die-cut pages that bring the Dark to life. Connections: This book has a really good example of personification and would be wonderful for teaching mood and friendship, as well as overcoming your fears. |
Home by Carson Ellis
Fiction -- All ages Home might be a house in the country, an apartment in the city, or even a shoe. Home may be on the road or the sea, in the realm of myth, or in the artist’s own studio. A meditation on the concept of home and a visual treat that invites many return visits. Connections: Great to use with comparison and perspective. It can also be good to lead discussion or writing about homes people live in around the world and how it's different everywhere. |
Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry
Fiction -- All ages When Stick rescues Stone from a prickly situation with a Pinecone, the pair becomes fast friends. But when Stick gets stuck, can Stone return the favor? Connections: This book can be good for teaching theme and rhyming. It is also a wonderful story for teaching friendship and bullying. Good to pair with Piggie and Elephant, George and Martha, Frog and Toad, and other famous duos. |
Ballet Cat and the Totally Secret Secret by Bob Shea
Fiction -- All ages Ballet Cat and Sparkles the Pony are trying to decide what to play today. Nothing that Sparkles suggests--making crafts, playing checkers, and selling lemonade--goes well with the leaping, spinning, and twirling that Ballet Cat likes to do. When Sparkles's leaps, spins, and twirls seem halfhearted, Ballet Cat asks him what's wrong. Sparkles doesn't want to say. He has a secret that Ballet Cat won't want to hear. What Sparkles doesn't know is that Ballet Cat has a secret of her own, a totally secret secret. Once their secrets are shared, will their friendship end, or be stronger than ever? Connections: This book is good for looking at point of view and how to deal with friends. You can also use this book with teaching character traits. Fans of Elephant and Piggie will enjoy this. Book 2 in the series comes out in February. |
Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor
Fiction -- All ages Hoot Owl is no ordinary owl. He is a master of disguise! In the blackness of night, he’s preparing to swoop on his prey before it can realize his dastardly tricks. Look there—a tasty rabbit for him to eat! Hoot Owl readies his costume, disguising himself as . . . a carrot! Then he waits. The rabbit runs off. Never mind! Surely his next juicy target will cower against such a clever and dangerous creature as he! Connections: This book is good to work with sequencing and prediction as well as similes. Repetition and descriptive words are used throughout so this book would be good for teaching patterns in writing. |
Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman
Fiction -- All ages The Bunny family has adopted a wolf son, and daughter Dot is the only one who realizes Wolfie can--and might--eat them all up! Dot tries to get through to her parents, but they are too smitten to listen. A new brother takes getting used to, and when (in a twist of fate) it's Wolfie who's threatened, can Dot save the day? Connections: This book is good to be used for character traits and prediction. It would also be good to use with other "wolf" stories and discussing how students' prior knowledge may affect their judgment. |
Little Elliot, Big Family by Mike Curato
Fiction -- All ages When Mouse heads off to a family reunion, Little Elliot decides go for a walk. As he explores each busy street, he sees families in all shapes and sizes. In a city of millions, Little Elliot feels very much alone-until he finds he has a family of his own! Connections: Sequel to the book Little Elliot, Big City, this book uses space in illustrations to convey emotions beautifully. It's also a nice book about friendship and family. |
Beyond the Pond by Joseph Kuefler
Fiction -- All ages Just behind an ordinary house filled with too little fun, Ernest D. decides that today will be the day he explores the depths of his pond. Beyond the pond, he discovers a not-so-ordinary world that will change him forever. Connections: There is wonderful language in this story. It also has a simple take on exploration and scientific inquiry. This can also be good for perspective. |
How to Read a Story by Kate Messner
Fiction -- All ages Step One: Find a story. (A good one.) Step Two: Find a reading buddy. (Someone nice.) Step Three: Find a reading spot. (Couches are cozy.) Now: Begin. Accomplished storytellers Kate Messner and Mark Siegel chronicle the process of becoming a reader: from pulling a book off the shelf and finding someone with whom to share a story, to reading aloud, predicting what will happen, and—finally—coming to The End. Connections: This book is, of course, good for instructing students on how to read a story. It can also be used for sequencing. This book is great for teaching how to give/write advice or instructions and can be used for teaching persuasion. |
I Will Chomp You by Jory John
Fiction -- All ages STOP RIGHT THERE. Don’t move a muscle, buster. Stay out of this book or I WILL CHOMP YOU! So says the not-so-fierce inhabitant of I Will Chomp You!, a tale of deception, greed . . . and cake! In their funny read-aloud, Jory John and Bob Shea bring a fresh twist to a time-tested blueprint as their little monster threatens, reasons, and pleads with readers to go no further in the book because he will NOT share his beautiful, delicious cakes. Connections: This book can be used to teach point of view and cause & effect. Most of all, this book makes a great read aloud. The chomping monster begs readers not to turn each page. Fans of The Book with No Pictures will love this read! |
Imaginary Fred by Eoin Colfer
Fiction -- All ages Did you know that sometimes, with a little electricity, or luck, or even magic, an imaginary friend might appear when you need one? An imaginary friend like Fred. Fred floated like a feather in the wind until Sam, a lonely little boy, wished for him and, together, they found a friendship like no other. Connections: This is a wonderful book about friendship, both real and imaginary. It can be used to teach theme and prediction. Fans of Beekle will enjoy this book. |
Friendshape by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Fiction -- All ages Friends shape who we are. They make us laugh. They fill us with fun. They stand by us during life's up and downs. And even when we disagree with our friends, if they're tried-and-true, they don't stay bent out of shape for long. That's the beauty of a good buddy. This joyous book rejoices in the simple beauties of friendship, and reminds readers of all ages that it's good to have a group of pals. Connections: This book is good to be used for theme/main idea and patterned text. It would also be good to introduce community building. |
Rude Cakes by Rowboat Watkins
Fiction -- All ages Who knew that cakes were so rude?! In this deliciously entertaining book, a not-so-sweet cake—who never says please or thank you or listens to its parents—gets its just desserts. Mixing hilarious text and pictures, Rowboat Watkins, a former Sendak fellow, has cooked up a laugh-out- loud story that can also be served up as a delectable discussion starter about manners or bullying, as it sweetly reminds us all that even the rudest cake can learn to change its ways. Connections: This is great for predictions, comparisons, and character -- specifically, being rude! This book is also good for looking at beginning, middle, and end. |
Charlie Piechart and the Case of the Missing Pizza Slice
by Eric Comstock and Marilyn Sadler Fiction -- Ages 8 and up Charlie Piechart has a piechart for a belly, and it’s a belly that’s perfect for showing fractions. In his first mystery, perfect for little math enthusiasts, it’s pizza night at the Piecharts’ house. How about veggies on top? “NO VEGGIES!” yell 4/6 of the pizza eaters. No one wants anchovies, either. They like Charlie’s idea best: pepperoni. But with 6 pizza eaters, 3 sizes of pizza on the delivery menu, and 2 slices allotted for each person, it is no surprise when there’s a mystery! A scream from Charlie’s sisters reveals the issue: 1 out of 12 slices has gone missing. So who did it? Charlie counts the suspects and questions each one (except Mom!). But could he be forgetting someone? Connections: This book is filled with great math concepts relating to piecharts and fractions. It can also be good for inferencing. |
The Little Shop of Monsters by R.L. Stine
Fiction -- Ages 6 and up Are you are afraid of monsters? Do they make you shiver and shake and shut your eyes really tight at night? Welcome to the Little Shop of Monsters! Do you want a SNEEZER? A TICKLER? Or one of the CREEPIEST monsters of all? Come on in and choose your favorite, if you dare (before one of them chooses YOU!). Connections: This book can be a spark for creative writing and using your imagination. There are a lot of descriptive words in this story. The beginning and ending of this story is very unique and can help students with coming up with new ideas on how to begin and end a story. |
Waiting by Kevin Henkes
Fiction -- All ages Five friends sit happily on a windowsill, waiting for something amazing to happen. The owl is waiting for the moon. The pig is waiting for the rain. The bear is waiting for the wind. The puppy is waiting for the snow. And the rabbit is just looking out the window because he likes to wait! What will happen? Will patience win in the end? Or someday will the friends stop waiting and do something unexpected? Connections: Classic Henkes. It has a nice take on the changing of the seasons and how things change. |
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick
Nonfiction -- All ages In 1914, Harry Colebourn, a veterinarian on his way to tend horses in World War I, followed his heart and rescued a baby bear. He named her Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg, and he took the bear to war. Harry Colebourn's real-life great-granddaughter tells the true story of a remarkable friendship and an even more remarkable journey--from the fields of Canada to a convoy across the ocean to an army base in England... And finally to the London Zoo, where Winnie made another new friend: a real boy named Christopher Robin. Here is the remarkable true story of the bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh. Connections: This book is authored by the great-granddaughter of the soldier who bought Winnie. The true story is told through a touching dialog between her and her son. This book is great to teach dialog and sequencing. It pairs well with Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh (a book that was recommended at the last Hilliard U session). |
Max the Brave by Ed Vera
Fiction -- All ages Max is a fearless kitten. Max is a brave kitten. Max is a kitten who chases mice. There's only one problem -- Max doesn't know what a mouse looks like! With a little bit of bad advice, Max finds himself facing a much bigger challenge. Maybe Max doesn't have to be Max the Brave all the time... Connections: This book can be used to teach point of view, character traits, and dialogue. Would be good to be paired with I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen. |
Yard Sale by Eve Bunting
Fiction -- All ages Almost everything Callie’s family owns is spread out in their front yard—their furniture, their potted flowers, even Callie’s bike. They can’t stay in this house, so they’re moving to an apartment in the city. The new place is "small but nice," Mom says, and most of their things won’t fit, so today they are having a yard sale. But it’s kind of hard to watch people buy your stuff, even if you understand why it has to happen. With sensitivity and grace, Eve Bunting and Lauren Castillo portray an event at once familiar and difficult, making clear that a home isn’t about what you have, but whom you hold close. Connections: Use this book to teach theme, character feelings, inferencing, and small moments for writing. May be good to pair with Bad Bye, Good Bye by Deborah Underwood or to help kids who are moving or will move. |
Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature by Nicola Davies
Poetry -- All ages The buzz of bees in summertime. The tracks of a bird in the winter snow. This beautiful book captures all the sights and sounds of a child’s interactions with nature, from planting acorns or biting into crisp apples to studying tide pools or lying back and watching the birds overhead. No matter what’s outside their windows — city streets or country meadows — kids will be inspired to explore the world around them. Connections: This book deals with nature and poetry, so it would be a good starter for any nature unit or poetry unit. It can also be used to inspire exploration or writing a piece about what is outside your window. |
Leo: a Ghost Story by Mac Barnett
Fiction -- All ages You would like being friends with Leo. He likes to draw, he makes delicious snacks, and most people can't even see him. Because Leo is also a ghost. When a new family moves into his home and Leo's efforts to welcome them are misunderstood, Leo decides it is time to leave and see the world. That is how he meets Jane, a kid with a tremendous imagination and an open position for a worthy knight. That is how Leo and Jane become friends. And that is when their adventures begin. Connections: This is a good book for teaching beginning, middle, and end. It is also great for point of view. It also discusses friendship. Would be good to be paired with Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat. |
Ellie by Mike Wu
Fiction -- All ages The zoo is closing! Ellie and her friends want to save their home, but Ellie's just a baby elephant, and she doesn't know what she can do to help. While the other animals are busy working, Ellie finds a brush and some paints, and gives the zoo a big splash of color! Will her bright new talent be enough to keep the zoo's gates open for good? Connections: This book is good for teaching character traits, cause and effect, and predictions. It is also good for teaching beginning, middle, and end. While this is not a true story, fans of The One and Only Ivan will be able to make connections to this story. |
The Night World by Mordicai Gerstein
Fiction -- All ages Everyone in the house is sleeping, but outside, the night world is wide-awake. It's a wonderful night to explore! Perfect for bedtime, this book from Caldecott Medalist Mordicai Gerstein celebrates the secrets of the night world and the joys of the sunrise. Connections: This book is good to be used for mood and point of view. It would be great to use to discuss the artwork as well, and how they used dark colors to express the story expertly. |
My Pen by Christopher Myers
Fiction -- All ages My pen rides dinosaurs and hides an elephant in a teacup. What can your pen do? Acclaimed author and illustrator Christopher Myers uses rich black-and-white illustrations to bring a sketchbook to life, showing that with a simple pen, a kid can do anything! Connections: A great book to kick off the writing/illustrating process and how much power a pen can hold. It can also be good to use when in conjunction with genius hour or changing the world. May be good to use with The Dot by Peter Reynolds. |
Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle
Fiction -- All ages Girls cannot be drummers. Long ago on an island filled with music, no one questioned that rule—until the drum dream girl. In her city of drumbeats, she dreamed of pounding tall congas and tapping small bongós. She had to keep quiet. She had to practice in secret. But when at last her dream-bright music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream. Inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers, Drum Dream Girl tells an inspiring true story for dreamers everywhere. Connections: This book, inspired by a real girl, is great for character traits. Any teaching on civil rights would want to add this book as a read aloud. Great to pair with Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman. This is wonderful for talking about changing the world in small, simple ways. |
The Kid Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews
Fiction -- Ages 8 and up The Kid Who Changed the World tells the story of Norman Borlaug, who would one day grow up and use his knowledge of agriculture to save the lives of two billion people. Two billion! Norman changed the world! Or was it Vice President Henry Wallace who changed the world? Or maybe it was George Washington Carver? But what about Susan Carver? This engaging story reveals the incredible truth that everything we do matters! This timeless tale shows children that even the smallest of our actions can make a difference in someone's life. In turn, that person makes a difference in someone else's life, and the blessing is passed from person to person. Through each character's story, readers will see that they, too, can be the kid who changes the world. Connections: Based on a true story, this book has several biographical elements, although it is still fiction. Great for showing how small things can change everything, and how anyone can change the world. This book is good for comparison, main idea, and cause/effect. |
A Fine Dessert: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat by Emily Jenkins
Fiction -- Ages 8 and up In this fascinating picture book, four families, in four different cities, over four centuries, make the same delicious dessert: blackberry fool. This richly detailed book ingeniously shows how food, technology, and even families have changed throughout American history. In 1710, a girl and her mother in Lyme, England, prepare a blackberry fool, picking wild blackberries and beating cream from their cow with a bundle of twigs. The same dessert is prepared by a slave girl and her mother in 1810 in Charleston, South Carolina; by a mother and daughter in 1910 in Boston; and finally by a boy and his father in present-day San Diego. Kids and parents alike will delight in discovering the differences in daily life over the course of four centuries. Connection: This book covers 4 different generations and would therefore be good to look at "then and now" comparisons. The book also ends with a recipe for "a fine dessert." |
One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul
Biography -- Ages 8 and up Plastic bags are cheap and easy to use. But what happens when a bag breaks or is no longer needed? In Njau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way. One plastic bag became two. Then ten. Then a hundred. The bags accumulated in ugly heaps alongside roads. Water pooled in them, bringing mosquitoes and disease. Some bags were burned, leaving behind a terrible smell. Some were buried, but they strangled gardens. They killed livestock that tried to eat them. Something had to change. Isatou Ceesay was that change. She found a way to recycle the bags and transform her community. This inspirational true story shows how one person's actions really can make a difference in our world. Connections: A true story, this can be very inspirational. This book is great for character traits, setting, cause and effect, and main idea. It also shows a great way to take care of this place (meaning, the world around you). |
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
Fiction -- All ages Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them. Connections: This book is good for theme and comparison. It can also be used for looking at small moments and taking in the world around you. |
Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson
Biography -- Ages 8 and up Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, he was dismissed by most people—but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams. As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. Today, Emmanuel continues to work on behalf of the disabled. Connections: This book is great for theme/main idea and character traits. It is also a really inspiring story showing perseverance and determination to make your dreams come true, as well as overcoming adversity. |
Water is Water by Miranda Paul
Nonfiction -- All ages Drip. Sip. Pour me a cup. Water is water unless...it heats up. Whirl. Swirl. Watch it curl by. Steam is steam unless...it cools high. This spare, poetic picture book follows a group of kids as they move through all the different phases of the water cycle. From rain to fog to snow to mist, this is a beautiful and informative journey in this innovative nonfiction picture book. Connections: Of course, this book is great for teaching the water cycle on a basic level. It's also great to use with prediction, repetition, cause and effect, and rhyming. |
Sleeping Cinderella and Other Princess Mix-ups
by Stephanie Clarkson Fiction -- All ages What happens when Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Rapunzel get so fed up with their fairy tales that they decide to switch places with one another? Hilarity ensues in this clever, rhyming story about whether the grass really is greener at someone else's castle. Connections: A wonderful story to compare with other traditional princess tales, it takes a different twist on the princesses we know and love. This is also a good story to teach beginning, middle, and end. It has a small lesson on appreciating what you have as well. |
Float by Daniel Miyares
Fiction -- All ages A little boy takes a boat made of newspaper out for a rainy-day adventure. The boy and his boat dance in the downpour and play in the puddles, but when the boy sends his boat floating down a gutter stream, it quickly gets away from him. So of course the little boy goes on the hunt for his beloved boat—and when the rain lets up, he finds himself on a new adventure altogether. Connections: This book is good for mood, and beginning/middle/end. This is good for discussing how artist use color to emphasize points in the story as well. It also contains instructions on how to build your own paper boat and airplane. |
Squid Kid the Magnificent by Lynne Berry
Fiction -- All ages Oliver isn't an ordinary squid; he's Squid Kid the Magnificent! But his sister, Stella, will tell you otherwise. While Oliver performs various feats of magic-like vanishing in ink, or making dozens of squids suddenly appear-Stella sees right through each illusion, and is far from impressed. But the show must go on and Oliver has saved his best trick for his pesky sister. Connections: This is just a really cute rhyming story. May be good paired with I'm a Shark by Bob Shea. |
There's a Lion in My Cornflakes by Michelle Robinson
Fiction -- All ages Have you ever collected coupons from a cereal box? Maybe you were saving them up for a book or a toy. Well, when Dan and his brother decide to collect 100 coupons so that they can have their very own lion, they assume the task will be easy enough. How wrong can you be?! Connections: This is a funny tale about two brothers who earn a lion from eating a hundred boxes of cornflakes. However, they get other animals instead of lion! This book is great for teaching prediction, irony, point of view, persuasion, and compare/contrast. Kids will enjoy the humor and interesting plot twists. |
Who Done It? by Olivier Tallec
Fiction -- All ages In this charming book, each page asks the reader a question about the lineup of characters featured on the spread. Sharp eyes and keen observation are necessary. There's only one right answer, and it's not always easy! Kids will love learning early concepts like expressions and positions as a natural consequence of their hunt for clues in the details of the lineup. Connections: This book would be wonderful to introduce our youngest readers to making inferences. I could even see classes making their own "Who Done It?" book, with kids coming up with their own "mystery" and challenging classmates to figure it out. |
Honorable Mentions
Dinosaur vs Mommy by Bob Shea
The Full Moon at the Napping House by Audrey Wood
Peanut Butter & Brains by Joe McGee
Little Miss, Big Sis by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Wait by Antoinette Portis
Goodnight Songs: A Celebration of the Seasons by Margaret Wise Brown
Wild About Us! by Karen Beaumont
Toys Meet Snow by Emily Jenkins
Swan: The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder
Frozen: A Sister More Like Me by Barbara Jean Hicks
I Thought This Was a Bear Book by Tara Lazar