Flat Stanley

Stanley was flattened by his bulletin board while he was sleeping. Because he is flat, Stanley can do all kinds of things. His brother flies him like a kite, he saves the museum, he goes to California in an envelope. The best part of Stanley's "flat" period is when he is able to catch some thieves in the local museum. People eventually begin to make fun of Stanley, and he tires of being flat. A solution is found by his brother. His brother uses a bicycle pump to make Stanley round again. This is a great way to intertwine reading and social studies. People all over the world send Stanley out to have pictures taken in special places or with classes. Your class can map where you get letters from.
Brown, J. (1964) Flat Stanley. HarperCollins: New York.

Six-Dinner Sid

Sid is a cat that has life figured out. No one on his street talks to each other. He lives in six houses with six different names and eats six different meals a day. When he gets sick, he is taken to the vet six times. The families find out and only want to give him one meal a day, so he moves to a place where everyone talks and doesn't mind if he has six dinners a day. This is a clever cat. It reminds me of a folk-tale.
Moore, I. (1991) Six Dinner Sid. Aladdin Books:New York.

The Mother's Day Mice

Three little mice brothers wake up to find presents for their mother on mother's day. They go to the meadow to find strawberries and a dandelion. THe smallest brother wants to get honeysuckle, but they can't because of the cat. The brothers hurry home to give their mother a present. The older brothers laugh when the little one says he has a present. They were with him the whole time. The smallest brother sings his mom a song. She likes all of her presents. I think the message of this story is that the best gifts don't have to be material.
Bunting, E. and Brett, J. (1986) The Mother's Day Mice. Clarion Books: New York.

Fish Eyes

The book starts with a poem about wanting to be a fish and how it would be to pick a tail and "splash in the sea." The narrator talks about what fish she would see. The book starts with the number one and counts up to ten. There are some different features in this counting book. There is a little fish that acts as a host to the reader. Readers can add the host to the fish number on every page and then they are learning how to add one on. The book has a captivating eye for the fish. They use a cutout hole, so the fish have the same eyes. Ehlert, L. (1990) Fish Eyes. Voyager Books: New York.

Do Like Kyla

Kyla is the narrator's big sister. Everything that Kyla does, her little sister does. The little sister taps at the birds, stretches, tries to braid her hair, pours honey on her food, and tries to imitate her sister at everything. Someone once said, "Imitation is the purest form of flattery." In this book, that is true. Kyla's sister wants to be just like her! At the end of the book, the younger sister taps at the window and Kyla taps just like her. When I study Angela Johnson, we read this book. It can be used to teach repeating phrases. It is an example of a realistic fiction text.
Johnson, A. and Ransome, J. (1990) Do Like Kyla. Orchard books: New York.

Wemberly Worried

Wemberly is a mouse who worries about everything. She worries all the time! Her family tries to reassure her, but it doesn't really help. She worries about being the only butterfly at Halloween, but only after she worried about their being too many. She worries about her doll petal when it is getting cleaned. She is mostly worried about going to school. The author/illustrator uses an entire page of worries without illustrations to show how worried she is. When she gets to school, Wemberly's teacher introduces her to another little girl who is wearing stripes and has a doll that she rubs its nose when she is worried. Having a friend helps Wemberly lose some of her fear. I like this book because it is easy to forget that our students have worries. Some of them have worries that we can't even imagine.
Henkes, K. (2000) Wemberly Worried. Greenwillow Books: New York.

The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders

This is a beautifully illustrated book of poems. The illustrations are on both sides of the page, with the poem sitting on one of those sides. The poems are funny and rhyme. Some of the poems are at a high reading level, but they are also high interest poems. The title poem is about the frogs and pigs singing to the chickens and ducks. This is a shorter, beautifully illustrated book of poetry like The New Kid on the Block.
Prelutsky, J. and Mathers, P. (2002) The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders. Greenwillow Books: New York

The New Kid on the Block

A large collection of Prelutsky's poems exist in this book. The poem the book is named for is about a bully that picks on all the kids and is twice the size of everyone. It turns out she is a girl. This is a funny book of poems that I would compare to Silverstein. It is best used to pick poems out of because of the large size. The pages are not in color, so in my first grade class, the interest isn't held as long as it would be with colorful illustrations. However, the poems are really funny and even make me laugh. You'll learn why you shouldn't argue with a shark, eat a dinosaur, or have an alligator for a pet.
Prelutsky, J. (1984) The New Kid on the Block. Greenwillow Books: New York

Lon Po Po

This is a Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood. In this version, the wolf hears that the mother is going to visit the grandma. He knows the three children will be alone, so he pretends to be their grandma visiting them, having just missed their mother. They let him inside after he explains his lower voice is caused by a cold. As he comes in, he blows out the candle. They get in bed together and the children start to feel the tail and claws of the wolf. The oldest girl lights the candle and sees the wolfs face, yet the wold doesn't know. She tells the wolf of the chestnuts that will give him everlasting life and says the children will get him one. She gets the children to climb up the tree with her so they wolf can't get them. Eventually, she kills him with a basket of nuts.
Lesson plans for the story.
Young, E. (1989) Lon Po Po. Philomel Books: New York.

The Three Little Javelinas

This is an adaptation of "The Three Little Pigs." It is done in a southwestern manner. A javelina is a relative of a pig that is also related to the hippopotamus. The first javelina built his house out of tumble weed. A coyote came along and blew his house down; however, the little javelina escaped. The second little javelina built his house from sticks out of a dried-up cactus. The first javelina joined him to rest in his house when the coyote found them and blew the house down. They escaped again. The third javelina bought adobe bricks and built her house. She welcomed her brothers to stay with her and the coyote couldn't blow her house down. He tried to fit through the stove pipe, but she lit a fire in the stove. He was burned and let out a "bark, cackle, howl, and scream at the same time. He still makes that noise when he remembers the pain. So, when you hear a coyote, you know where the sound comes from.

A Kangaroo Joey Grows Up

This book tells about the life of a kangaroo. It starts with the mother cleaning out her pouch for the baby. Then, the baby is born in the pouch, but it doesn't come out for six months. Children get to see a picture of a few days old kangaroo even though it has no fur. The book goes along as the kangaroo grows inside the pouch. It tells the stages of growth for every couple of months. It talks about the kangaroo hopping and when it can live outside the pouch. At the end of the book, there is a timeline to synthesize the material.
Hewett, J. and Hewett, R. (2002) A Kangaroo Joey Grows Up. Carol Rhoda Books: Minneapolis.

Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox

This is a story about sibling relationships. It is also a fractured fairy tale about Goldie Locks. When Goldie Locks first spies a spot, her mother knows it must be chicken pox. She immediately calls the Three Bears, apologizing for the chair, to see if Baby Bear has chicken pox, too. Soon, a steady stream of storybook favorites -- from Little Bo Peep to Henny Penny -- stop by to visit the bedridden child. All the while, Goldie Locks tries to ignore her brother's relentless teasing about her spotted exterior. But as more visitors arrive, her pox-free brother, in a fit of jealousy at the attention his sister is getting, intensifies his teasing. Everyone begins to give him attention, and as it turns out he has chicken pox. This story will appeal to students because of the familiar characters.
Dealey, E. and Wakiyama, H. (2002) Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox. Antheneum Books: New York.

One Afternoon

Minho ran errands with his mom one afternoon. They went to the salon, laundromat, ice cream store, pet store, shoe repair store, supermarket, and then back to pick up the laundry. Wherever they went they heard many sounds. The book is full of pictures and letters that represent the sound coming from it. It is a book of city sounds and sights. When they got home, they were glad to be inside where it was quiet, but then Minho head sounds from the bathroom, "plunk". This is a great way to teach onomatopoeia. If you focused in on one of the things Minho did instead of all of them, this could be a small moment piece.
Hero, Y. (1994) One Afternoon. Orchard books: New York.

Swimmy

Swimmy was one of a school of tiny fish. He was the only one that survived when a big fish ate all his friends. Interestingly, Swimmy was the only black fish, while the other fish were orange. With his friends gone, Swimmy swam the ocean by himself. He was scared and lonely. He began to feel better as he journeyed because he saw so many new sights including a rainbow jelly, a lobster, and other new animals. He finally found another school of fish like his own. They were also all orange. He taught them not to be afraid to enjoy life by forming a big fish with them to scare away all the other fish. He was the eye of the fish.
This book has so many messages. There are many ways to study Swimmy and his actions. What does it mean that he became the eye of the fish as the only different fish? Is it important that he was a black fish? How can you face your fears?
Lionni, L. (1963) Swimmy. Knopf: New York.

It Looked Like Spilt Milk

I used this book during my first teaching internship in college and I still love it. The repetitive language and thought that goes into this book is captivating. Students love reading it and they can recite much of it without even looking at the book. One activity I have done is making symmetrical clouds using white paint on contruction paper and taking the phrase "It Looked Like ____, but it wasn't. It was just a cloud in the sky."
Shaw, C. (1947) It Looked Like Spilt Milk. HarperCollins: New York.

Dot and Jabber and the Mystery of the Missing Stream

Dot and Jabber are two mice detectives. They were looking for the missing water in this story. The water had been there until the storm and even during the storm, but then it had disappeared. The mice walked amidst the branches. They said that one branch couldn't block all the water. However, a lot of branches could! They found the pile of branches that made a dam for the water. The mystery was solved. Children like the idea of mysteries and having the opportunity to solve them. Read part of this book and have children explore the possibilities of what happened next. Walsh, E. (2002) Dot and Jabber and the Mystery of the Missing Stream. Scholastic: New York.

The Cloud Book

This book is about clouds. It is a non-fiction book that takes advantage of illustrations to entice the curiosity of children. It tells us about cirrus, cumulus, and stratus clouds. It goes even further and describes types of cirrus, cumulus, and stratus clouds. The book gives a lot of information, but is not too dense for enjoyable reading at a first to second grade level. It includes fun facts like the sailors' warning and what kinds of shapes people see in the sky. I enjoy the Cloud story, which is really a comic about clouds.
Paola, T. (1975) The Cloud Book. Holiday House: New York.

Julius

Johnson, A. and Pilkey, D. (1993) Julius. Orchard Books:New York.

Julius, the pig from Alaska, was a great friend of Maya's. Her grandfather bought him for her. They did everything together. Maya's parents didn't like Julius very much because he made messes, ate everything in the house, and made a lot of noise. Maya liked Julius because he taught her a lot of new things. She took these things and showed her friends how to do them. They liked sharing everything because they were great friends. There are fun illustrations that make children laugh.
This is a different kind of picture book by Angela Johnson. She usually writes realistic fiction. It would be fun to compare the styles of writing from the same author in a different kind of book.

the alphabet tree

Lionni, L. (1968) the alphabet tree. Dragonfly Books: New york.

At one time there was a tree full of letters that hopped around. A strong wind blew some of the letters away and the remaining letters were scared. They huddled together until a word-bug came along and taught them that they will be stronger if they become words. Each letter became a three or four letter word. One day a caterpillar came along. He said they were confusing as a bunch of words, so they had to make sentences. They made sentences about the wind and trees; however, the caterpillar told them they had to say something important. The letters thought the most important thing they could say would be about peace. They said, "Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all Men." The caterpillar loaded them on his back and they began their trip to visit the President.
An interesting discussion to have with children about this book would be about why the president would need to see this message. Why did the caterpillar think he would be a good person to show?

My Granny Went to the Market

The narrator's granny went to the market and bought a flying carpet in Istanbul (#1). Then, she went to Thailand to buy two temple cats. Each page shows the granny going to different places to buy interesting things like llamas and cowbells. After she buys the tenth set of things, she gives the carpet to her granddaughter who plans to go on the same trip. One nice feature of the book is the back cover shows the journey with a map. This book displays many cultures and offers us a chance to peak at some other places goods.
Blackstone, S. and Corr, C. (2002) My Granny Went to the Market. Barefoot Books: Cambridge

Wet Dog!

Poor wet dog...it was a hot summer day and the dog needed to cool off so he walked over to the man that was washing the car and wandered through the water. He happily began to shake off and "Shoo!" he was told. Throughout the story, the dog continues to get wet, but never gets to shake off because the people are getting ready for a wedding although that is an inference the reader is left to make. The dog sees all the fancy people standing next to the lake, but he decides it is too hot to care and gets in anyway. When he shakes off they shoo at him, but he just keeps going. The too hot baby laughs and says "More dog, more." as she gets wet from his spray of water. The fancy people see the fun and walk into the lake as well. I love the way this story is written. The language reminds of being too hot on a Southern summer day. This would be a good way to teach about the voice in writing.

Benny's Pennies

Benny had five pennies to spend. His family told him to buy something beautiful, good to eat, nice to wear, and the dog and cat said their respective woofs and meows. So, Benny went off to spend his money. Is that a good lesson? I mean, that is what I would do, but shouldn't we teach children about saving? Anyway, Benny buys a beautiful rose, a cookie, a paper hat, a meaty bone, and a fish with each of his pennies. He takes them home and gives them all the the person/animal that asked for it. He keeps nothing for himself. I suppose that it is good lesson to be charitable even if all the money is gone. I would be interested in the thoughts of the children on each item only costing a penny. Would that be believable for them?

Harbor

This a book I am including in my ocean unit as a social studies connection. This book connects to the lives of students in NYC because they are in a harbor town. If they pass over one of the bridges they can see boats, ferries, and piers. This book has few words, but shows all of the water transportation in the harbor. It also gives an explanation for the use of a few of the boats pictured. For example, we find out that the front of a ferry becomes its back, so there is no need to turn around. After discussing this book, I will put it in the children's book baskets for independent reading.
Crews, D. (1982) Harbor. Mulberry Books: New York.

Fish Wish

"If I lived on a coral reef," is the focus of this book. The narrator describes the different sea animals and plants he would see. The illustrations are large and child oriented. They are the highlight of the book. I would use this as an independent reading book for the Ocean unit. It does not contain a lot of information, but is well done for a simple ocean book. One great aspect of the book is the fish glossary at the end. It gives information about each fish listed in the book.
Barner, B. (2000) Fish Wish. Scholastic: New York.

A House for Hermit Crab

Hermit Crab grows too big for his house and has to find a new one. He wants to do it fast so he is protected from predators. He quickly finds a shell that is the right size; however, he feels it is just too plain. He keeps it anyway but begins to decorate it with friends and plants from the ocean. He adds a sea anemone, starfish, coral, sea urchin, snail, lanternfish, and sits on smooth pebbles. Then, he feels like his home is perfect. After a while, he grows too big for his shell and he has to move on again. A smaller hermit crab promises to be nice to his friends and takes over his shell. Hermit Crab finds a new plain shell and is excited about the new possibilities.
Students could use their knowledge of the ocean and create their own shells with friends to clean, light up the place, and decorate the shell.
Carle, E. (1987)A House for Hermit Crab. Picture Book Studio: Saxonville, Ma

One Nighttime Sea

Beautiful collage illustrations led me to pick up this book. As I read through, I was delighted to find quality rhymes and a counting book. This is a counting book that starts at one with a "blue whale calf" and goes to ten with "ten turtle hatchlings" and restarts at ten and moves down to one again ending with a "brand-new seal pup." All the illustrations depict nighttime scenes in the sea. I love that this book gives further information on each animal at the end in order from one to ten then ten to one.
Rose, D. and Jenkins, S. (2003) One Nighttime Sea. Scholastic: New York.

Sharks

Last year, this was one of the most looked at books of my class in June. Students loved looking at the beautiful photographs of the sharks. They were afraid sometimes, but that did not convince them to put the book down. The reading is very dense. Most first graders couldn't handle this as an independent reading book. This book tells all about sharks from their types to eating and hunting habits, and how they reproduce. Pages are devoted to these sharks: great white, hammerhead, and the whale shark. Text is long on each page. One way I used this book was to read certain information I wanted my students to hear.
Simon, S. (1997) Sharks. HarperCollins: New York.

The Ocean Alphabet Book

This alphabet book focuses on the Atlantic Ocean. Each letter except for A and Z focuses on a fish that lives in the North Atlantic Ocean. I am taking my class on a field trip to the New York Aquarium, so the concentration of this book is exciting. The illustrations are amazing and detailed, yet interesting for a first grade student. The text is used to describe each fish illustrated. I am using this book to highlight the ocean in the area where my students live as a piece of the ocean unit I am teaching.
Pallotta, J. and Mazzola, F. (1986)The Ocean Alphabet Book. Scholastic: New York.

Joshua By the Sea

This short board book is full of feeling. I use this book in my class as an example of a small moment. Joshua is a character in a series of board books by Angela Johnson. One trademark of Johnson's writing is a comeback phrase; in this book it is I am Joshua...and then names places and people he is near. A fast and quality read at the same time.
Johnson, A. and Mitchell, R. (1994) Joshua By the Sea. Orchard Books: New York.

The Underwater Alphabet Book

This is another Pallotta Alphabet book. This book focuses on coral reefs and the animals around them. Every letter has a different fish although the pictures for Y and Z are the same because Sea Horses and Pipefish look the same. Yes, some of the letters are dependent on colors like the Yellow Sea Horse. This is another book I am going to use in my Ocean unit. I will use it when talking about other parts of the ocean as well as describing different kinds of fish. The illustrations and descriptions of fish are key in this book. Students researching a particular fish will find great visuals here.
Pallotta, J. and Stewart, E.(1991) The Underwater Alphabet Book. Charlesbridge Publishing: Watertown, Ma.

The Best Book of Whales and Dolphins

This is one of the few non-fiction books that is readable for a first or second grade class and dense with information at the same time. It has sections for meeting each animal, telling the general information, and then gives specifics like food, sounds/communications, current worries, and places in the oceans. There is a helpful glossary and index to assist students.
Gunzi, C. (2001) The Best Book of Whales and Dolphins. Kingfisher: New York.

Big Al and Shrimpy

The second book that Clements wrote including his character Big Al. We are introduced to a new character here who in the beginning has no friends because he is different. This story is meant to teach young children about friendship. Even when people seem different, they can be a great friend. Shrimpy and Al become best friends because they are slower than the rest of the fish and can only tag each other during games. Al teaches Shrimpy not to be afraid of the deep, dark water. One day they are exploring and Al gets stuck in a rock. Shrimpy's courage is tested because he has to lead theother fish down into the dark water to save Al. He comes up with an idea to make the water brighter. He brings a lantern fish. They save Big Al and have a party for Shrimpy. This book is also good when studying friendship or the ocean.

Clements, A. and Yoshi. (2002) Big Al and Shrimpy. Simon and Schuster: New York.

Big Al

Big Al is the story of a courageous fish that showed the true meaning of friendship. All the fish in the ocean were afraid of Al because of his looks. He tried to be like them, but he always ended up scaring the fish away. One day he saw the fish in danger. They had been caught in a fisherman's net! Big Al was strong and tore a hole in the net. The little fish were free. However, the net caught Big Al. They watched helplessly as he was pulled up to the surface. The fishermen saw Al and then released him because of his looks. Now, all the fish are his friends.
Al is the fish that sets an example. When reading this book with your class, please remind them that the other fish should have been his friend regardless of his looks. Poor Al! I think that conversation is important to show the children that people don't have to prove something to you, so you will be their friend. Otherwise, this is a fun book that will inspire the children's interest in the ocean. A great fictional story to include in an ocean unit.
Clements, A. and Yoshi. (1988) Big Al. Simon and Schuster: New York.