Library Lil by Suzane Williams

Recommended Grades: 3-5

An original tall tale about Lil who was born with a book in her hand.    

Lesson Idea:

Writers Workshop: As part of a unit on tall tales, read aloud Library Lil and discuss the elements of exaggeration that exist.  After examining the elements of exaggeration through multiple mentor texts, ask students to write a tall tale about themselves.

©2012 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.

Snow Day! by Lester L. Laminack

Recommended Grades: 3-5

When the weatherman predicts an overnight snowfall, the narrator dreams of all the fun he can have on his day off from school.  Children will enjoy the surprise ending. 

Lesson Idea:

Six Traits: Organization: Read aloud Snow Day! Discuss the surprise ending.  Pair it with other books with surprise endings (First Day Jitters, I Want My Hat Back) as mentor texts.  Have students use the models to guide their own writing by encouraging students to write a piece with a surprise ending.

©2012 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.

How to Teach a Slug to Read by Susan Pearson

Recommended Grades: K-2

A cute story of a slug who gives his top ten tips on how to teach a slug to read.  The tips mirror actual strategies that adults should use when teaching children to read. 

Lesson Idea:

Motivating Readers: Read aloud How to Teach a Slug to Read and discuss how the strategies are similar to strategies teachers or parents use with children.  Create a class list of strategies good readers use to post andrefer to as students are learning how to read.

©2012 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.

Blackout by John Rocco

Recommended Grades: 4-6

It was a normal summer night in the city. . . hot, noisy, busy.  Then the lights went out. The story of one family and what they do when the lights go out. 

Lesson Idea:

Making Inferences: Read aloud Blackoutand model for students how the pictures tell as much of the story as the text does (maybe more).  Model how to make inferences using the pictures as clues (Why might the lights have gone out? Why does the family continue to keep the lights out even when they are back on?)

©2012 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.

Sit -In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Recommended Grades: 4-6

It was February 1, 1960.  They didn’t need menus.  Their order was simple.  A doughnut and coffee, with cream on the side.  The story of the sit-in at Woolworth’s during the WHITES ONLY edict of the era is poignantly told through this picture book. 

Note: This month, I will share several Black Eyed Susan nominees. Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards)) is a 2011-2012 nominee.

Lesson Idea:

History Connection: I love to read picture books with historical significance.  This is one such story.  Read aloud Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards)) and discuss the historical significance during a unit on civil rights. Pairing Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards)) with If A Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringgold or Rosa (Caldecott Honor Book) by Nikki Giovanni would make a great picture book unit on civil rights and perhaps make the concept easier for students to understand.

Writer’s Workshop: Use Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards)) as a mentor text for history based picture books.  Provide other models of history based picture books.  Then have students pick a specific historical event and write their own picture book.

©2011 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.