My New Favorite Picture Books Part 1

I Yam A Donkey by the incredible CeCe Bell.  Why this book?  Because it is laugh out loud funny while teaching grammar.

Wall by Tom Clohosy Cole.  There seems to be a surge in Berlin Wall books right now (I am currently reading Jennifer A. Nielsen’s A Night Divided which is excellent as well).  I love this picture book because it provides us with a way to broach a difficult topic with students.   WIth a simple story and beautiful illustrations, I am excited to share this one.

Ben Clanton’s Something Extraordinary is just that – extraordinary.  Once again a simple story unfolds leading us to rich conversations about imagination and how it can color our world.

The beautiful story of Last Stop On Market Street by Matt De La Pena is one meant to spur conversation about our lives, our assumptions, and how we view the world.  But the illustrations?  They tell an even richer story, one that I cannot wait to discuss with my students, many of whom have never ridden a bus or even been in an urban neighborhood.

How to Read A Story by Kate Messner will be one of the first picture books I share this year because it will open us up to a great discussion.  I cannot wait to see how my students read their stories.

I am always in favor of a picture book that allows us to discuss how we treat others, aprticualrly when teaching middle schoolers.  I love the story in Henry Hyena, Why Won’t You Laugh by Doug Jantzen and think it will resonate with many of my students.

You and Me by Susan Verde and illustrated by the incredible Peter H. Reynolds is a story that students will want to emulate.  We will use this as a way to do our sociogram exercise which will offer me insight into who is connected in our class, and who is not.  We cannot change loneliness for students if we do not know who identifies as such.

I have written before about Float by Daniel Miyares because it is an incredible wordless picture book about seeing the beauty in the world around us.  This is a must add among must adds.

Beastly Babies by Ellen Jackson is a simple picture book and it is not for the words but for the illustrations that I love it so much.  I love how wild they are and I think it will show students that you can be an artist in many different ways.

I debated whether or not to add The Newbies by Peter Catalanotta because I find it a bit creepy, and yet it is within the creepiness that the power of it lies.  I think my students will immediately gravitate toward this book and what happens when your wishful thinking comes true.

I have more picture books coming, I will share them in part 2 in a few days.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children.  The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.