Welcome to the Virtual Picture Book Party!
Hosted by Cathy at Reflect & Refine and Mandy at Enjoy & Embrace Learning
August: 10 for 10 is a celebration of picture books that are a must read/have! This is the second annual celebration and more than 40 blogs participated last year- We are so excited to be able to participate this year and it is an honor to be asked by Cathy to be part of it!
Kellee's List
Here is my list of picture books that I cannot live without (in no particular order). Picture books are not my forte (though I'm working on it!), so many of the books are ones that have been my some of my favorites my whole life; however, I did choose picture books that I use in my classroom as well.
![Tacky the Penguin [TACKY THE PNGN] [Paperback]](http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B002VLCMAW&tag=from0b-20)
(and the rest of the series!)
Author: Helen Lester
Illustrator: Lynn Munsinger
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books
Publication Date: 1988
Why it made Kellee's list: I adore Tacky. When I first thought I was going to teach elementary school, I wrote a whole cross curricular unit around penguins and Tacky was my go-to for reading. He shows that different is great and might be just what you need. And he's a penguin!
2. Title: Lon Po Po
Author and Illustrator: Ed Young
Publisher: Philomel Books
Publication Date: 1988
Why it made Kellee's list: A haunting version of "Red Riding Hood" with equally spellbinding illustrations.
3. Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Author and Illustrator: Maurice Sendak
Publisher: Red Fox
Publication Date: 1963
Why it made Kellee's list: Love it. Have always loved it. Love everything about. Love Dave Eggers's new full length version. Love the movie. Love the stuffed animals. Love it. Period.
4. Title: Kitten's First Moon
Author and Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow
Publication Date: March 2004
Why it made Kellee's list: This was a picture book that I fell in love with because of its humor, simplicity and adorable illustrations. I've actually used this book in my classroom to help with students struggling with identifying the narrative elements of more complex texts. Using Kitten's First Moon helps build a foundation before scaffolding.
Authors: Audrey and Don Wood
Illustrator: Don Wood
Publisher: Child's Play International
Publication Date: 1984
Why it made Kellee's list: Any book that was my husband's, my best friend's AND my brother's favorite book must be on my first picture book list!
6. Title: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
Author: Jon Scieszka
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Publisher: Puffin
Publication Date: 1989
Why it made Kellee's list: One of my favorite discussions to have with my students is to talk about point of view and how a situation can be viewed differently based on a person's perspective- this picture book is a perfect example for that discussion.
7. Title: The Lorax
Author and Illustrator: Dr. Seuss
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 1971
Why it made Kellee's list: Dr. Seuss was brilliant. Written in 1971, The Lorax fits perfectly in today's society. I once had a student ask me if Dr. Seuss could see into the future. I read this book with my students every Earth Day. We make connections to what is going on in our world and talk about what they can do to help our planet. Powerful things come out of reading this picture book.
8. Title: The Giving Tree
Author and Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 1964
Why it made Kellee's list: CLASSIC! Yes, I know there is debate over what the book means. Is the boy selfish? Is the tree just motherly? But the debate is a great way to get discussion going in the classroom. Helps students learn how to debate and not just argue. Fun to participate in and even better because it is with an amazing book.
9. Title: The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
Author and Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: 1982
Why it made Kellee's list: This book is an ELA teacher's dream. Filled with 14 of Chris Van Allsburg's most beautiful illustrations with only a title and caption. It is up to the reader to add their own story.
10. Title: Henri Mouse
Author: George Mendoza
Illustrator: J. Boucher
Publisher: Puffin
Publication Date: 1985
Why it made Kellee's list: Another favorite from childhood. It is about a mouse that paints something from a scene and then that something disappears. Each spread shows the before and after and is great to work on cause/effect. (I was surprised when I was the only one to rate this book on GoodReads. You should read it and rate it so poor Henri gets more love!)
Honorary. Title: Ten Apples Up on Top
Author and Illustrator: Dr. Seuss
Publisher: Picture Lions
Publication Date: 1961
Why it made Kellee's list: This book is an honorary book on the list because it was the first book I ever read. Now, there is dispute over if I actually read it or if I memorized it, but either way, I turned the pages and said the words at the right time so I say reading :) I adored this book! Also it makes the list because it is a math/reading integration book which is always a plus for early readers.
Jen's List
1. Title: The Lorax
Author: Dr. Seuss
Illustrator: Dr. Seuss
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 1971
Why it made Jen's list: I vividly remember watching the TV movie version of this book when I was a kiddo and then reading the book later. Either way, I love the story, I love the message, I love the little Lorax who does his best to speak for the trees. I'm not sure why I was so enraptured by the story as a kid...I think it started with the boy when he walks up to the decrepit house of the Once-ler where he hears the story of the Lorax. That scene was just so sad and dreary to me but somehow it spoke to me. I felt like I was that little kid who was there listening to the Once-ler's story. This book is the best example of flashback. You get a glimpse of what happened when nobody listened to the Lorax and then you get to go back and see what it used to be like; always knowing how it's going to turn out in the end. And then, back to the Once-ler and his one word: "Unless." Every time I read it, I feel like I can make a difference.
2. Title: Chalk
Author: Bill Thomson
Illustrator: Bill Thomson
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books
Publication Date: March 2010
Why it made Jen's list: I know exactly when I read this book for the first time and I'm sure I'll never forget. I had stopped by the library on the way to Thanksgiving to my parents and it was in the pile of books we picked up to take with us for the long weekend. When I sat down to read it with Peanut, him and I had so much fun looking at the artwork and figuring out what was happening in the story. After we read the story, he just had to share it with other family members and then we had to read it again.
This book is a wordless picture book and I love these kinds of books. The artwork has to be so special for a wordless book to work and this one takes the cake. This book helped me truly appreciate the story telling that happens with the illustrations and the imagination it takes to be able to read the story and develop the storyline for yourself. I love these kinds of books with kids because it does encourage them to tell their own stories and to develop the plot and characters themselves.
This book is a wordless picture book and I love these kinds of books. The artwork has to be so special for a wordless book to work and this one takes the cake. This book helped me truly appreciate the story telling that happens with the illustrations and the imagination it takes to be able to read the story and develop the storyline for yourself. I love these kinds of books with kids because it does encourage them to tell their own stories and to develop the plot and characters themselves.
3. Title: We Are In A Book from the Elephant and Piggie series
Author: Mo Willems
Illustrator: Mo Willems
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Publication Date: September 2010
Why it made Jen's list: I can't even count the number of times I read this book to various students last year and laughed until I was crying. I always end up in giggles with tears running down my face when I read this book. Usually it's when I get to the word, "Banana." If you haven't read this book or any of the other books in the Elephant and Piggie series you are seriously missing out. I just recommended this book to a 3rd grader to read with her preschool brother. They are early readers with lots of sight words...but these books lend themselves to reading with expression and are perfect for an older reader to share with a younger reading buddy. They do not disappoint.
P.S. I love pretty much all of Mo Willems books, so if you like these you'll like his other books, too - I say after you check out these look for Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
.
P.S. I love pretty much all of Mo Willems books, so if you like these you'll like his other books, too - I say after you check out these look for Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
.
4. Title: Skippyjon Jones
Author: Judy Schachner
Illustrator: Judy Schachner
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Publication Date: Septempber 2003
Why it made Jen's list: Holy guacamole! Skippyjon is one cool cat. He finds himself in the most imaginative adventures. This book is probably the best example of making literary devices work as an author. Schachner takes craft to another level with the writing in this book. On top of it all, Skippyjon is just a funny dude that you can't help but love. There are a handful of Skippyjon books - the most recent is Skippyjon Jones, Class Action
!
!
5. Title: Dogku
Author: Andrew Clements
Illustrator: Tim Bowers
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
Publication Date: June 2007
Why it made Jen's list: I was trying to think of some poetry books I could include in my top ten list and Dogku is a favorite. As a person who loved having a dog when I was little and has wished for a long time that I could have a dog again, it's a great read. As a teacher who tries to incorporate poetry and give students models of poetry, it's a great mentor text. The story of a family that finds a stray pup and takes him in is told through haikus. With students we usually read the story and stop to count the syllables as we go to find out if they really are haikus. One year, I read this book with one of my students who also wanted a puppy as desperately as me and after reading the book, we each wrote haikus - she wrote to her parents and I wrote to my husband - to ask them for a dog. It doesn't hurt to get creative, right? Alas, neither of us has a dog...but we had fun! This is on my list because it's a sweet story and poetry at the same time! Another book similar to this is Oh, Theodore!
which is a story told through poetry but not haikus.
is a favorite. As a person who loved having a dog when I was little and has wished for a long time that I could have a dog again, it's a great read. As a teacher who tries to incorporate poetry and give students models of poetry, it's a great mentor text. The story of a family that finds a stray pup and takes him in is told through haikus. With students we usually read the story and stop to count the syllables as we go to find out if they really are haikus. One year, I read this book with one of my students who also wanted a puppy as desperately as me and after reading the book, we each wrote haikus - she wrote to her parents and I wrote to my husband - to ask them for a dog. It doesn't hurt to get creative, right? Alas, neither of us has a dog...but we had fun! This is on my list because it's a sweet story and poetry at the same time! Another book similar to this is Oh, Theodore! which is a story told through poetry but not haikus.
6. Title: Henry's Freedom Box
Author: Ellen Levine
Illustrator: Kadir Nelson
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: January 2007
Why it made Jen's list: This is one of the books I've read this year on my quest to read more non-fiction. I love non-fiction, I just don't gravitate to it like I do to fiction...but this book is such quality non-fiction it makes my heart ache thinking of the story it tells. It tells of a man named Henry who fit himself into a crate and mailed himself to freedom from slavery. It's a heartbreaking story but also a story of triumph. The artwork makes this book even more intense and real. It teaches kids about a time in our country's history but also about what is means to be a person and what a person can endure.
7. Title: LMNOPeas
Author: Keith Baker
Illustrator: Keith Baker
Publisher: Beach Lane Books
Publication Date: April 2010
Why it made Jen's list: Alphabet books are fun but I've seen my fair share of alphabet books that don't quite make the cut. The teeny tiny peas in this book are adorable! I loved looking closely at the illustrations of the peas doing yoga and reading. So fun. This book rhymes and obviously highlights the letters of the alphabet but it also tells readers about so many careers, professions, and hobbies that are out there. It's a great book for pointing out the suffix -er can be added onto many words and how it changes the word from a noun-thing to a noun-person. Love it!
8. Title: I Wanna Iguana
Author: Karen Kaufman Orloff
Illustrator: David Catrow
Publisher: Putnam
Publication Date: September 2004
Why it made Jen's list: When I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, I learned that a book told through a series of letters or notes or similar documents is called an epistolary, and that's what this book is, too! Letters go back and forth between and boy and his mother as he write and writes and writes to try and persuade his mother to let him get a pet iguana. I've used this to teach students about persuasive writing. Students have to find the claim and the evidence that supports it. The illustrations are so funny and imaginative. After you read this one, you'll want to check out I Wanna New Room
, because who wants to share a room with a baby brother?
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, I learned that a book told through a series of letters or notes or similar documents is called an epistolary, and that's what this book is, too! Letters go back and forth between and boy and his mother as he write and writes and writes to try and persuade his mother to let him get a pet iguana. I've used this to teach students about persuasive writing. Students have to find the claim and the evidence that supports it. The illustrations are so funny and imaginative. After you read this one, you'll want to check out I Wanna New Room, because who wants to share a room with a baby brother?
9. Title: Robot Zot!
Author: Jon Scieszka
Illustrator: David Shannon
Publisher: Simon Schuster Children's Publishing
Publication Date: September 2009
Why it made Jen's list: Jon Scieszka is a brilliant author when it comes to writing cooky stories that kids love and an amazing advocate for boys and reading. Kellee highlighted True Story of the Three Little Pigs which is another favorite. It's a great book for teaching point of view. It came out when I was in high school and I remember reading it to my little sister and getting a kick out of it...BUT, I chose to put Robot Zot! to my list instead. It's a silly book about a robot that tries to conquer Earth but he's set his sights a little too high. The illustrations tell a lot of the story and they really make the reader think about Zot and his quest. I may have a place in my heart for this book because I get to talk like a robot when I read it...and that's just fun...I, er, mean, the kids can practice their fluency and reading with expression...
P.S. Good Boy, Fergus!
is a book that David Shannon both wrote and illustrated that is Excellent (seriously, with a capital E).
to my list instead. It's a silly book about a robot that tries to conquer Earth but he's set his sights a little too high. The illustrations tell a lot of the story and they really make the reader think about Zot and his quest. I may have a place in my heart for this book because I get to talk like a robot when I read it...and that's just fun...I, er, mean, the kids can practice their fluency and reading with expression...
P.S. Good Boy, Fergus!
is a book that David Shannon both wrote and illustrated that is Excellent (seriously, with a capital E).
10. Title: Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly
Author: Alan Madison
Illustrator: Kevin Hawkes
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Publication Date: October 2007
Why it made Jen's list: I immediately fell in love with Velma and her story when I read it. She's just so cute. She's the youngest of the Gratch sister's and she desperately wants to stand out and be special. I think no matter who you are, you want to be recognized in some way as an individual at some point in your life. One summer, when my family was visiting my brother who lives in Wisconsin, we went to their library and saw monarch butterflies in their beautiful, smooth cocoons. Instantly, we all had questions about butterflies and went back to my brother's house to look up the answers to our questions about butterflies and to watch videos of caterpillars spinning their cocoons and coming out as butterflies. It was an amazing experience to go through that as an adult with adults (and kids, of course)! I had to share this book with students and pair it with non-fiction books about butterflies. Another element of this book that I love is the vocabulary he uses. He definitely infuses some $100 words in this book that are great for vocabulary development. A big woo hoo for Velma!
Those are our books! What a fun activity. Great idea Cathy and Mandy! Are any of these your favorites? Let us know what you think! You can check out other posts by searching #pb10for10 on Twitter or heading over to August 10 for 10 Picture Books Jog the Web!
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