February 2023 – Pernille Ripp

Posted from my Patreon community where I take requests for book lists to create, share resources, and offer up coaching for members. It is a very easy way for me to be accessible to people around the world, you can join here.

I am continuing with my updates of the picture book lists I made several years ago to accompany the teaching of a variety of reading skills. This time, the focus is on “Internal Conflict” or that moment when a character asks a large question in order to try to make sense of themselves or the story. This can give us a further clue as to who they are, the conflicts of the story, why they may be acting the way they are, the theme of the story, or even predict the future.

When I first started out teaching this skill, I was inspired by the language of Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst. This book provided my students with the foundation for deeper reading conversations and a common language as we developed our thoughts and discussion skills.

I have updated two other lists so far. Here are my updated lists for Character Change (Contrast & Contradictions) and for Flashbacks (Memory Moments).

Thank you to everyone who offered up suggestions of what to add to the list.

The Talk by Alicia D. Williams and illustrated by Briana Mukodri Uchendu

Nigel and the Moon by Antwan Eady and illustrated by Gracey Zhang

Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson

All the Way to the Top by Annette Bay Pimentel and pictures by Nabi H. Ali

There Must Be Something More Than by Shinsuke Yoshitake

That’s Not My Name by Anoosha Syed

Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell and illustrated by Corinne Luyken

Maddi’s Fridge by Lois Brandt and illustrated by Vin Vogel

A Bike like Sergio’s by Maribeth Bolts illustrated by Noah Z. Jones

For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World by Michael W. Waters and illustrated by Keisha Morris

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson

Emily’s Blue Period by Cathleen Daly and illustrated by Lisa Brown

Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson

Stillwater and Koo Save the World by Jon J Muth

I Didn’t Stand Up by Lucy Falcone and illustrated by Jacqueline Hudon

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis

I Hate Everyone by Naomi Danis and illustrated by Cinta Arribas

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis

Where’s Rodney? by Carmen Bogan and illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Don’t Play With Your Food by Bob Shea

I’m Sad by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

What Do You Do With a Problem? written by Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Mac Besom

What is Love by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Carson Ellis

Old Ideas

White Water by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein has several tough questions in it and also doubles as an amazing book to discuss a really powerful topic with students; racial segregation. This is the book I used to introduce the strategy to my students with the bonus of having aha moments and a contrast and contradiction in it as well.

The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth starts out with three obvious tough questions and then explores them the rest of the book.

A book near and dear to my heart The Yellow Star By Carmen Agra Deedy. Although the story is not true, it still speaks of my people’s fight against the Nazi occupation and opens up great conversations. The tough question is when King Christian wonders what can be done to fight the yellow stars.

What Do You Do With An Idea? by Kobi Yamada is a book I use a lot in the classroom as it is great for inferencing, and inspiring creativity, but it also works well for this strategy as it starts out with tough questions and then has several more further in.

The Numberlys By William Joyce and Christina Ellis has several tough questions and is definitely a great way to highlight conflict.

The tough question is not posed as a question in Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine but instead as a desire to be free. I would use this later in the strategy to teach students that tough questions are not always in a question format.

Boats for Papa by Jessixa Bagley only has one question in it but it will lead to great questions and will also be a great inference exercise.

Crowd Sourced Ideas

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting

The Gold Coin by Alma Flor Ada

Riding the Tiger by Eve Bunting

The Old Woman Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant

Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting

Bully by Patricia Polacco

Wanda’s First Day by Mark Sperring

Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo Lionnei

Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco

Did I miss any? If you are wondering how I use these picture books, just ask, and I will gladly share ideas.

PS: Are you looking for coaching, in-person support, or virtual presentations? I am available and would love to support your work. Whereas I am physically located in Denmark now, I can travel if needed. In fact, I will be in the US and Canada in February 2023. If you would like me to be a part of your professional development, please reach out. I am here to help. For a lot more posts, resources, live and recorded professional development, please join my Patreon community where most of my sharing takes place these days.

I am continuing with my updates of the picture book lists I made several years ago to accompany the teaching of a variety of reading skills. This time, the focus is on “Memory Moments” or that moment when a character has a flashback that in some ways gives us further clue to who they are, why they may be acting the way they are, the theme of the story, or even predict the future.

Here is my updated list for Character Change (Contrast & Contradictions).

Thank you to everyone who offered up suggestions of what to add to the list.

Hair Love by Matthew Cherry and illustrated by Vashti Harrison

Watercress by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin

Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away by Meg Medina and illustrated by Sonia Sanchez

Opal Lee and What it Means to Be Free by Alice Faye Duncan and illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo

Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate

Serena: The Littlest Sister by Karlin Gray and illustrated by Monica Ahanonu

Kamishibai Man by Allen Say

The Map of Memories by Fran Nuño and illustrated by Zuzanna Celej

Iggy Peck Architect by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts

A Different Pond by Bao Phi and illustrated by Thi Bui

A House that Once Was by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Lane Smith

Red Tree by Shaun Tan

Miss Tizzy by Libby Moore Gray and illustrated by Jada Rowland

The Matchbox Dairies by Paul Fleischman and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff and illustrated by Kaylani Juanita

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

Coming on Home Soon by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis

My Hands Tell a Story by Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrated by Tonya Engel

Emma and the Whale by Julie Case and Lee White has two flashbacks in it that can be considered brief memory moments.

An incredible picture book, When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson and Julie Flett have a memory moment every time the grandmother answers her grandchild’s questions. Powerful message that will capture curiosity. This is the book I will use with my 7th graders.

Belle the Last Mule at Gee’s Bend by Calvin Alexander Ramsey & Betty Stroud, illustrated by John Holyfield tells the true tale of one of the mules that carried the coffin of MLK Jr. Told through memory moments as a child asks about the mule, this is a great picture book to teach an untold story as well as memory moments.

This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration Hardcover

by Jacqueline Woodson (Author), James Ransome (Illustrator) is a story of one memomy moment after another as the tale of the rope passed from hands to hands is shared by a mother.

Both The Day the Crayons Quit and its follow up The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers have great memory moments as the crayons tell Duncan how they were used and what they remember. Considering these are must have picture books for any classroom, since there are so many things you can teach with them, I am thrilled that both can be used for this strategy as well.

The retelling of the story of King Christian X in The Yellow Star by Carmen Agra Deedy and illustrated by Henri Sørensen is an example of a memory moment in the lesson that we are all to glean from it. The fact that the story is not true does not hinder its deeper meaning.

The books of Peter H. Reynolds has been featured in all of my signpost picture books, and it speaks to their incredible versatility. You and Me written by Susan Verdi and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds is a memory moment from the start as the characters reminisce about what would have happened had their day not unfolded the way it did. A beautiful story of friendship and serendipity.

A beautiful memory moment exists in the pages of A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams as we learn the story of the chair.

Memories abound as the Wolf shares the story of what really happened with the pigs in Tell the Truth B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Jotto Seirold.

As always, I turned to the awesome Notice and Note community on Facebook and asked them to share their favorites as well. Here they are.