Brief Overview: The book starts with a perfect rainbow in the fly pages at the beginning of the book. Each penguin is named after a flower of a different color. They create a picture for their mamma to enjoy. Since the white snow is so boring. Each penguin uses the color that goes with the color of the flower that they are named after. Broccoli colors green for example. Then they get dirty after painting. Mamma loves it when they clean themselves so they all take a bath and get clean. After painting they are so tired that they take a nap. Will go great with a unit on color recognition or color mixing.
Resources:
Sensory/Art Activity
Book Trailer
Author's Website
Watch.Connect.Read. Blog post
Austin, M. (2015). Fire engine no. 9. New York: Scholastic.
Brief Overview: The illustrations in this book are fun and full of action. The words move with the illustrations to emphasize the noise the word makes. The sound effect words the author has chosen are spot on for a fire engine zooming to action. This book is a must to add to a fire safety unit or transportation unit.
Resources:
Mike Austin's Website
Bleiman, A. (2015). 1-2-3 zooborns! New York: Scholastic.
Brief Overview: A counting book exposing the reader to all kinds of wild animals. At the beginning of the book the author includes a blurb from Paul Boyle, Ph.D. the Senior Vice President of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which gives a little background into learning and protecting wild animals. At the end of the book the reader is given the names of each animal. The book also has an index with the the animals name/species, where the animal lives, and conservation status of the animal species.
Resources:
Interview with Andrew Bleiman
Florian, D. (2014). I love my hat. New York: Scholastic.
Brief Overview: A rhyming book. Animals are wearing pieces of clothing that rhymes with their names. Farmer Brown comes across the animals on his way to town. The animals are invited to hop aboard his tractor. Each animal sings a little song about loving their piece of clothing they are wearing. In the end the animals tell Farmer Brown that he needs some new clothes. He returns with new threads and everyone is happy in their attire. This book would go great to teach rhyming and needs (Clothes) for humans.
Resources:
Kang, A. (2017). I am (not) scared. New York: Scholastic.
Brief Overview: Two friends go to the amusement park. They pretend to not be scared. While listing off all the things that would scare them more than a roller coaster. Then they ride the roller coaster and together admit to being scared. Then in the end they ride it again with smiles saying they are scared. This book would be a great addition to a unit on feelings.
Resources:
Litwin, E. (2008). Pete the Cat I love my white shoes. New York: Scholastic.
Brief Overview: Pete's shoes take him on another adventure. This time through the discovery of different colors. Then in the end he steps into water and gets clean shoes. Then he has to walk around in wet, squishy shoes. The moral is just keep on walking everything will be OK. This book would go great with a unit on teaching colors.
Resources:
Messer, C. (2016). Grumpy pants. New York: Scholastic.
Brief Overview: Tells the story of a penguin who is grumpy and does not know why. He tries several things to get un-grumpy. Taking off layers of clothes, but no go, still grumpy. He then tries breathing, takes a bath and begins to feel better. He puts on his favorite pj's and then enjoys some hot cocoa. He goes to bed with the thought that tomorrow will be a good day. This book would go well with a unit on Feelings.
Resources:
Author's Website
Metzger, S. (2005). We're going on a leaf hunt. New York: Scholastic.
Brief Overview: The children in the book go on an adventure - a leaf hunt. They come to some obstacles that they have to overcome. They find a collection of different types of leaves from different trees. In the end they come to a skunk and must head home. Once they get home they can enjoy their beautiful, colorful leaves. Great addition to a fall unit. Teachers can have students go on a leaf hunt and use nonfiction books about trees and see if they can determine the type of tree the leaf came from.
Resources:
Murry, D. (2016). City shapes. New York: Scholastic.
Brief Overview: The book takes you on an adventure around the city looking at all the different shapes. The pictures are exquisitely done in watercolor collage. This book is a great book to add to ones collection of shape books to read to young children. Then have them watercolor pictures of different shapes.
Resources:
Educator's Guide from Little Brown
Pizzoli, G. (2013). The watermelon seed. New York: Scholastic.
Brief Overview: This book is a Geisel Award Winner in 2014. A crocodile loves to eat watermelon, but has the fear of swallowing a seed. Oh, no what will happen when you swallow a seed? He thinks a watermelon will grown in his belly. He finally burps up the seed and is relieved. But he loves watermelon and can not stay away even if he swallows a seed.
Resources:
Reynolds, P. (2003). The dot. New York: Scholastic.
Brief Overview: A book about beginning to have an imagination. A little girl begins to bloom artistically after a teacher gives her the idea that her work has meaning and is important. At first her work is just a dot, but she begins to explore and create more. In the end the girl gives another the student the gift her teacher gave her encouragement to create more. National Dot day is Sept. 15th. Everyone can make a mark on the world around them. What will be your mark?
Wilson Elementary Library K-2nd grade Dot Display.
Resources:
Lesson Plan from Candlewick
Lesson Plan from Weston Woods
Author's Website and ideas
Schomburg, A. & Rottgen, B. (2016). A friend like you. New York: Scholastic.
Brief Overview: A squirrel is busy gathering acorns for the winter. A bird comes along and he tries to share an acorn with the bird. The bird is happy, but can not eat the nut. They explore each others worlds and the squirrel comes to understand that they are different but it is OK. This book would compliment a unit on friendship and how are friends do not have to be exactly like us. We are all different and it is OK as long as we appreciate our differences and respect each other.
Resources: International author. Her website is in another language. Very few resources to support the book.
Visit my post on Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion.
Snow, T & Snow, P. (2008). Kindness to share from A to Z. New York: Scholastic.
Brief Overview: The book breaks kindness down into 26 different ways to show kindness to others. A to Z words are used to express the ways to be kind to others. The illustrations are great at depicting what the abstract words are saying to younger readers. This book is a great book to add to character education units.
Resources:
Wright, M. (2017). Share, Big Bear, share! New York: Scholastic.
Brief Overview: Bear has a big bin of blueberries. All the animals in the forest want him to share with them. They ask and he does not hear them correctly. Humorous rhymes throughout the book. At the end he finally understands and shares with his friends. Great book for fun with rhymes and talking about sharing with others.
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