Summary:  A hungry boy cooks duck for dinner. Although he is very hungry, he wonders if he could go for a longer time without eating so he asks two birch trees to restrain him. Hungrily watching the other birds and animals eating his dinner, the boy becomes angry at his restraints and breaks free. To punish the birch trees for keeping him from his dinner, he whips them with branches. This is how a birch tree got its stripes.

Comments:  This legend, written by a child, could serve as a model for other children to write their own stories. The text supports social studies and genre studies. It also supports nature studies because the legend is based on observations of birch trees and uses the pourquoi framework to explain why these trees have stripes.  Back to: K-2List |Canadian List

Summary: In this book, the authors challenge the reader to play “I spy” to find well-known folktale characters on each page. Each page’s hint is written in rhyming couplets.  

Comments: Building on children’s knowledge of nursery rhyme and fairy-tale characters, children can solve the “I spy” challenge. The verse is lyrical and rhythmic. Children eagerly try to solve each page’s puzzle. Large font print encourages children to connect print to speech. Back to List

RECZUCH,  Karen 

Summary: Hurt and angry that his grandfather is selling the family farm, Todd has come to help him prepare for the auction that will take place the following day. Joy overtakes sadness as Grandfather shares stories of the old days when Grandfather began the farm on the prairie.

Comments: This text supports religion themes of relationships between young and old and social studies themes of rural life. This book is a sensitive treatment of the difficulty of dealing with loss and change. The rich colours and precise details of Karen Reczuch’s paintings evoke the sadness of loss and the joy of new beginnings. Another text on a similar theme is The Dust Bowl by David Booth.  Back to: K-2 List  | 3-4 List | 5-6 List |Canadian List

ARNOLD, Tedd 

Summary: After overfilling the bathtub, William goes sailing through his building. Swooping in and out of his neighbours' apartments, he collects a strange fleet in his wake. Mabel sails on the table. Dottie sails on the potty. Luckily, William and his tidal wave storm into an apartment and douse a fire before it spreads into the other flats.

Comments: William, the comical hero of this book, will have the children giggling as they turn the pages to follow him along his adventure. Rhymes, puns and visual jokes engage students' active participation. Realistic, energetic pencil and watercolour illustrations add to the fun of William's situation. Back to List

DEWEY,  Ariane 

Summary: The wildlife of East Africa is humourously illustrated in this picture book. With only 26 words, the book is a portrayal of an animal ‘hide and seek’. Along with the rhino in the story, young readers are invited to search for all the animals camouflaged in the six East African landscapes: bush, desert, swamp, plains, river and forest.

Comments: Artful illustrations invite and challenge readers to use their skills of observation. Literary activities such as alphabetizing and categorizing are supported by this text. Because of the scarcity of print, students can be encouraged to tell the story in their own words. Students can participate in mathematics and science activities such as tallying and graphing of wildlife in their various habitats.  Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List

KOVALSKI,  Maryann (illus.)

Summary: Princess Prunella is pampered, pretty, and proud. When a wise woman comes to the palace to beg for food, Prunella refuses her request. The princess lives to regret this decision when the beggar casts a strange and terrible spell… a purple peanut begins to grow from the tip of Prunella's nose. The only way to break the spell is to perform three good deeds, which takes Prunella a long time since she must first learn to recognize a good deed.   

Comments: Humour is created with tongue-twisters and lots of popping p's. Children love the alliteration and can use this text as a model for their own alliterative, fractured fairy-tales. Conventional fairy-tale illustrations help to develop Prunella's personality. Children can use the text to write a moral to Prunella's plight.  Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List | 5-6 List | Canadian List

Summary:  Gray Rabbit cannot find his favourite book. As he sorts through his toys to find it, he realizes that some things do not belong. The reader becomes actively involved helping Gray Rabbit find what does not belong, and helps make decisions as to where to put them.

Comments:  Solving problems by sorting and matching objects with similar qualities has a connection to kindergarten and grade one mathematics curriculum. Colourful, attractive, lifelike illustrations are very appealing to young children.  Back to List

The Story of Rosy Dock

Summary:  Along the Finkle River in the desert outback of Australia, a fragile ecosystem existed for thousands of years. When European settlers moved in more than 100 years ago, they brought along their own flora and fauna, including rosy dock, a distinctive plant known for its beautiful red seedpods. In spite of the brutal cycle of droughts and floods, rosy dock survived and spread until it now threatens man indigenous plants and animals with extinction.

Comments:  Baker’s characteristic collage illustrations are particularly effective here. Her use of vibrant reds for the desert soil and seedpods, along with straw-colored dormant shrubs, contrasts sharply with the ever-cloudless deep blue sky. This picture book is a great resource for art class and also provides links for both science (plant reproduction, ecology) and social studies (geography and environment).  Back to:  K-2  List | 3-4 List 

Summary:  A little goose is misplaced from its nest. She finds a home with woodchucks but realizes that she does not belong with them. Goose must leave the comfort of this home. No one here could teach her about her life as a goose. She must find those answers for herself.

Comments:  This book is a great connection to The Ugly Duckling. It is a model for problem-solving. Understanding that what makes you different also makes you special is a message that all children need to hear.  Back to: K-2List | 3-4List | 5-6List | 7-9List

And if the Moon Could Talk

Summary:  It is night and time to say ‘good night’. This picture book tells and shows what the moon might see and say if it could talk. From its vantage point high in the sky, it sees a young child preparing for bed and at the same time explores what is happening elsewhere in the child’s world.

Comments:  The text is simple; the artwork uses bold shapes and colors. Back to List

-CUGNET, Jo

Summary:  A Prairie Alphabet is a beautifully illustrated picture book depicting life on the prairies. Each page contains an alliteration following the sequence of the alphabet. The author and illustrator have also challenged readers to find additional objects which begin with the same letter.

Comments:  This book can be used as support for social studies curriculum at many grade-levels. The illustrations are realistic paintings which show a love for the prairies. Some of the specific vocabulary is defined in the glossary.  Back to: K-2 List | Canadian List

Summary: This wordless picture book plays with perspective and point of view. Seemingly unconnected images connect directly to the next as if the reader is experiencing a dream such as during Rapid Eye Movement sleep.

Comments: Using some archetypal images from traditional children’s stories, the artist creates a non-verbal story which surprises the reader’s predictions. Oral and written story-telling can be initiated with this text. Critical viewing is developed as children watch how one transformation proceeds from another.  Back to:  K-2 List | 3-4 List | 5-6 List | 7-9 List  

Re Zoom

Summary:  This wordless picture book takes the viewer through various times and places using one vantage point that connects to the next. Each illustration becomes a small detail on the subsequent page. The text can be read both backwards and forwards to create new perspectives and possibilities for discovery depending on the viewer.

Comments:  This unusual presentation lends itself to a discussion of point of view, visual perspective, architectural design and historical accuracy for each setting. Careful viewers can detect anachronisms in this text. Mathematical concepts of spatial awareness and scale drawings are supported by the illustrations. This book is a sequel to the popular "Zoom".  Back to:  K-2List | 3-4List | 5-6List | 7-9List

BARRETT, Ron (illus.)

Summary: Grandfather tells a story about the mythical town of Chewandswallow where food drops like rain from the sky. Sometimes the food is messy and not always what the townspeople want or in the quantity that is required. Maybe falling food in the weather forecast is not as wonderful as it seems.

Comments: Cross-hatched line drawings capture the mood of the characters as well as the result of the weather forecast. Children of all ages enjoy this whimsical fantasy. This text is an excellent example of a modern tall tale and can be used as model for student writing.  Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List

LEMIEUX, Michèle 

Summary: Classic and contemporary poets share the sights and sounds of the four seasons. Nature has inspired poets such as John Ciardi, Jane Yolen, Jack Prelutsky, Chief Dan George, and many others. Contained within are poems for the very young as well as for older students.

Comments: ***This book is a must-have for every school library. The four seasons are well represented by the poets selected by David Booth. This collection is one that young and old will return to again and again. This book won the Canadian Library Association’s 1990 Notable Book Award.  Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List | 5-6 List | 7-9 List | Canadian List

Summary:  If you’re not from the Prairie ... expresses poetically the experiences of children and adults who live on the prairie. David Bouchard’s text evokes the beauty and the challenges of living on the prairies. People who really know the prairie admire and respect the power of nature.

Comments:  Lifelike images capture the essence of life on the prairie. Henry Ripplinger’s photograph-like paintings can help urban children grasp the culture of rural life. This book is an excellent resource to support grades 3 and 4 social studies. The quality of the verse is an excellent model for student poetry-writing and analysis at any grade-level.  Back to: K-2 List | Canadian List

Summary:  This is another book of verse which can work well with the previous text. Bouchard clearly expresses how the passing of the seasons affects the landscape and the people of the prairies. The book is a memoir of both the author’s and illustrator’s childhoods on the prairies.

Comments:  This book shares many of the same potential uses as If you’re not from the prairie ... The illustrator Peter Shostak recreates the prairie of his childhood from a more distant perspective than Henry Ripplinger. The faces are further away from the artist as he depicts what he remember. Back to:  K-2List | Canadian List

Summary:  A young black boy, Booker T, Washington, who works with his father in the salt mines has an incredible desire to read. Booker strives to learn on his own after his mother gives him an alphabet book, but with limited success. A black newspaper man helps him achieve some success which motivates Booker to continue to strive for literacy.

Comments:  The theme that reading opens a whole new world with endless possibilities is timely. This book deals effectively with the issues of illiteracy among black slaves and the idea that if we have dreams they can be achieved.  Back to:  K-2List | 3-4List

Summary: Lisa puts her woolen clothing on a clothes-line. A series of animals collect the articles and wear them as hats. The borders on each page allow the reader to predict what will occur on subsequent pages.

Comments: The Hat has a cumulative story structure. The illustrations tell a story within the larger context. This book is one of many of Jan Brett’s books. Others of her titles that could support an author-study are: The Mitten, The Snow Parade.  Back to List

Summary: Teeka, a young girl living in Arctic near Santa’s winter farm, is given the job of getting the wild reindeer ready to fly on Christmas Eve. At first, she tries to be firm with the reindeer but they respond with fear and anger. When Teeka changes to a kinder and more helpful approach, the reindeer are calm and well prepared for their important flight.   Comments: Like others of Jan Brett’s books, the border illustrations contribute a second story to the text. They count down from December 1st to Christmas Eve in the style of Swedish folk art. Strong descriptive vocabulary complements Teeka’s self-discovery that real discipline comes out of gentle firmness.  Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List  

BLUTHENTHAL Diana Cain (illus.)

Hot Fudge Hero

Summary: In this collection of three short stories, Bertie, the endearing and ever-determined Hot Fudge Hero, learns that making friends, playing the saxophone, and getting a strike at the bowling alley take hard work and patience- and sometimes a little magic. His adventure begins when his friend Isobel bets him a hot fudge sundae that he'll never get his ball back from Old Man Muckleberg's yard. But Bertie has a plan. Can a trip to the library and strictly following the program of a book entitled How to Make a Friend in Five Easy Steps help Bertie win the bet?

Comments: The advice in How to Make a Friend in Five Easy Steps begins with "Step 1. Be friendly, say hello. All children may need to find how-to books that offer advice. This is a text with advice that teachers can safely promote. With a dedication to Sister Mary Hugh who taught the author to read, the characters and situations reflect a gratitude to religious values. Bertie and the motif of the hot fudge sundae connect each short story to the next. Humourous language and illustrations engage reluctant young readers. Limited large-font print disguises the relative length of this book. Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List

Summary:  Mrs. Piggott piggybacks her husband and two sons by doing all the housework for the family after a long day at work. One day Mrs. Piggott leaves home after writing "You are pigs". Things go from bad to worse in the Piggott household until Mrs. Piggott returns with a list of expectations for Mr. Piggott and the boys. Harmony is restored and even Mrs. Piggott is happy.

Comments:  This text is excellent for students at all ages because it shows how gender roles can be subverted. Both print and visual puns permeate the text. The illustrations use foreshadowing so that students can make predictions of upcoming events. For these reasons, this book is an excellent model for student writing.  Back to:  K-2List | 3-4List | 5-6List | 7-9List

Summary:  Danny, a handicapped goalie, Petou, a small boy, and a girl Anita join the Wolves hockey team late in the season. Some of the players grumble about the late-comers and blame them when the team loses, calling them wimps. Danny’s older brother, who is home to rest an injury, helps to coach the team in the final game. He emphasizes the importance of playing as a team. After taking his advice, the players are rewarded by winning the final game.

Comments:  This story emphasizes the importance of team work and acceptance of those who are different. The text is supported by superb illustrations. The author/illustrator is a local artist. Hockey players love this book.  Back to: K-2List | 3-4List | Canadian List

Summary:  A young prairie boy loves to play hockey despite his physical disability which prevents him from wearing skates. For a long time, Danny is not allowed to join the hockey team although he is an excellent goalie. When the team’s regular goalie is hurt, Danny is called to action. He tends goal in moccasins and helps the team win the game.

Comments:  This book won the Canadian Children’s Our Choice award. It could be used to support social studies curricula and to support the Family Life theme of sensitivity to people with disabilities.  Back to:  K-2List | 3-4List | Canadian List

Summary:  A homeless boy and his mother understand the true meaning of Christmas. They share what little they have with an old woman. This gift of kindness is rewarded by enriching everyone’s life.

Comments:  Christmas gifts are more meaningful when the givers truly give of themselves. For this reason, the text can be useful to use with children at Christmas time. The cover’s stained-glass inspired illustration creates immediate interest in children. This is a book that teachers will like to give again and again to their students.  Back to: K-2List |  3-4List | 5-6List | 7-9List

Summary:  Bosco, an elderly man journeys up Call Back mountain every summer to man the fire look-out station. Prior to ascending the mountain, he spends an evening every year with a family who lives at the bottom of the mountain. While at the look-out station, he uses a light signal to show the family that he is alright and safe. One night, there is no signal and the family learns that "Bosco" has died.

Comments:  Some children who reviewed the story related it to the loss of a loved-one in their own lives. There is a strong spiritual component to this book. Children who have lost a grandparent for example, can be steered towards trusting God through this difficult time. An appreciation of the beauty of God’s creation (especially the mountains) is also supported by this book.  Back to List

Summary:  Everyone on Linda’s T-ball team is losing something except Linda. Readers are not told what is being lost until the climax. Linda loses her first tooth during an exciting last inning of the season.

Comments:  The mystery of what is being lost keeps the reader interested. Bunting uses inclusive language: "we", "team", "some of us are boys and some of us are girls". The topic is relevant to young children because they all have the experience of losing their teeth.  Back to List

John

Summary: Mr. Gumpy takes all of his animal friends on an outing with strong instructions that they not misbehave in their usual instinctive ways. He overloads the boat past its capacity. The animals do misbehave and the boat capsizes. They eat an enjoyable picnic meal and walk home.

Comments: This text won Britain’s Kate Greenaway Medal for children’s picture books. Large size print encourages young children to join in a teacher’s reading of the book. This repetitious text makes an excellent chant and choral speech.  Back to List  

Summary:  Henry, a spunky Siamese cat, thinks he is quite smart but has trouble learning to cross-country ski. However, when he is left behind at the cottage, he packs provisions and skis after his family. Along the way he meets various winter obstacles but does make it to the road where he pretends he is injured and scared so his owners can rescue him.

Comment:  This adventure story comes with a very good quality tape which has great sound effects and music. A winter setting and cross-country skiing are most appropriate for the Calgary area. The language has a wonderful variety of verbs, and the illustrations add to the story.  Back to List

Today is Monday 

Summary: Using a cumulative pattern based on the cultural sequence of the days of the week, different wild animals eat traditional human foods. The ending is a surprise for children because the text’s invitation, “All you hungry children come and eat it up” is for human children. The book includes music to sing the pattern and chants for each day of the week. 

Comments: Teachers in primary classrooms can use this song to engage emergent readers to make predictions about print by following the pattern. Colourful collage illustrations depict the animals that eat the different foods. The repetitious text helps children link oral language to print.  Back to list

The Very Lonely Firefly

Summary:  Like Andersen’s, The Ugly Duckling, a lonely firefly searches for a friend by seeking other light sources such as a light bulb, candle, flashlight, lantern, animal reflective eyes, headlights and fireworks until at last he finds a group of fireflies flashing their lights.

Comments: The back endpapers flash firefly lights on and on. The author/illustrator, Eric Carle explains in a note to the reader that this text is the fourth in a quartet beginning with The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The theme of belonging was consciously decided upon by Carle. Children love this problem-centered story and the blinking fireflies.  Back to:  K-2List | 3-4xList

Summary:  Walter the Baker creates the first pretzel through a series of accidents.

Comments: The origin of the pretzel has religious significance. Carle’s illustrations depict the joy of discovering that something good can come unexpectedly. The humour of this text engages the reader.  Back to list

CHASE, Edith Newlin

LEFEBVRE, Yolaine (illus.) 

Summary: A young girl reflects on her love for her own quiet, secret place- high in the arms of big, old willow tree. This is her secret place where she feels safe and hidden, where she can think and write in peace.

 Comments: Poetic language evokes a dreamy mood and creates vivid imagery. The soft watercolour illustrations help transport the reader to the narrator’s special place. Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List | 5-6 List | Canadian List

The Best Older Sister

Summary:  Sunhi is tired of all of the attention that everyone gives her baby brother, Kiju. She feels that everyone doesn’t care about her anymore. On Kiju’s first birthday, her loving grandmother explains to Sunhi that she is equally loved and loved by her family.

Comments:  Adjusting to new siblings is often difficult for children in all families. This text realistically portrays these feelings of resentment. It can be used to illustrate another type of family, one with Korean customs and traditions. Its treatment of birthdays could initiate new ways of celebrating birthdays at home or in the classroom. This text can be used to support social studies and religion curriculum.  Back to: K-2List | 3-4xList

Summary:  This wordless picture book uses 96 exquisite miniatures to create a contemporary parable. A starving old woman witnesses the vandalizing of the village church and gives her last ounce of strength to reassemble the Christmas Nativity figures before she collapses in the snow. How she is saved is a wonderful testimony to the golden rule - do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Comment:  Peter Collington is an award winning artist who creates picture books of the highest quality. This beautiful and deeply satisfying tale is one that students would enjoy sharing Christmas after Christmas. It could be used as a writing project as well as examples of fine art. Truly spectacular!  Back to: K-2List | 3-4List | 5-6List | 7-9List

Summary:  A brood of chickens look up to the rooster who thinks he has a special gift. The rooster thinks that his gift is to make the sun rise. When he discovers that this is not so, he learns from the smallest hen to understand what his gift really is.

Comments:  This modern fable’s message is that everyone has a gift to share, and by sharing our talents with others we gain greater gifts ourselves. It contains descriptive language, e.g., "...the yellow pirouetted across the sky", and brightly coloured illustrations which evoke moods of overall fondness for the characters in the text.  Back to: K-2List | 3-4List | 5-6List | 7-9List

Freight Train

Summary: Donald Crews links a train to primary concepts of colour and descriptions of the train. Print and illustrations share the same colour. Beginning with the names of the train cars, the text ends with descriptions of the motion of the train. 

Comments: This book has won several awards. It is a Caldecott Honor book, an American Library Association Notable book and one of School Library Journal’s Best of the Best. This is an excellent text to encourage children’s participation in a teacher’s oral reading.  Back to List  

CUMMINGS, E. E.

SMITH,Mary Claire  (illus.)

"little tree"

Summary: A little tree far away in the forest makes Christmas special for a small boy and his family.

Comments: Reverential illustrations support cumming's sparse text respecting a tree that makes a family holiday complete. A gold foil star marks the special quality of the tree. Students can discuss cumming's characteristic non-use of capitalization and punctuation. This may be young readers' first introduction to a poem that does not rhyme. Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List

Bone Button Borscht

Summary:  A variation of Stone Soup, this folktale tells of how a starving beggar creates a miraculous meal for a village by beginning with the buttons from his coat. Bit by bit, the townspeople contribute vegetables and condiments to make a borscht that everyone can share. Through the sharing of their resources, the villagers share a newfound friendship.

Comments:  This text supports language arts studies of folktales and traditional stories. Family life and health themes of cooperation, sharing and taking care of the poor can be linked to the unstated moral of this story.  Back to:  K-2List | 3-4List | 5-6List | Canadian List

Summary:  After a wonderfully terrifying walk through the big swamp, Willy comes to realize that his superstitious grandma really does know what she knows. Willy discovers that silly Grandma is really wise.

Comments:  This book is a wonderful book to read aloud especially with a Southern drawl. Organized into the days of the week, the book’s repetitive pattern encourages children to chime in with the teacher. In her retelling, a girl wrote, "This is about a boy who’s grandma believes magic and good luck and tells Willy bad luck things and Willy does it." One boy related the book to his own experience by writing "my dad saying a horshoe give you got luc." Another child reflected after the reading, "I wonder if there is a real bogeyman?"  Back to List

PILKEY, Dav

*Caution* This book has been reviewed by several reviewers. Responses are either: the book is great or this book should never be shared with children. Be sure to read the book before you use it in your class or library.

Summary:  This is a story which builds strongly on the children’s background knowledge of holidays and customary ways to celebrate them. The humour works because the children can read misleading holiday symbols which the illustrator has peppered throughout the book.

Comments:  The illustrations are child-like and help to draw out the lighter side of life. This book can be used to model how to write figurative language such as irony and puns.   Back to List

Summary:  A little girl named Anna explores characteristics of a variety of animals as she pretends to be these animals. She tries to figure out which animal suits her personality best.

Comments:  One class said that they had learned that they can pretend to be animals and like some animals because of their size and the noises that they make. The children liked how Anna pretended... (Each identified with one of Anna’s animals.) They extended the characteristics of the animal that they liked the best. This book can be used to encourage children to use their imaginations in play and drama.  Back to List

Summary:  Duca Gennaro and his daughter Gemma enjoy the company of birds. When the duca falls ill, his one happiness is the song of these birds. Winter comes and Gemma pleads with the birds to stay. They all leave except one white dove who stays and sings for him. To keep warm over the long winter, the bird lives on a chimney top and as a result turns black. The black bird’s song helps the duca recover from his illness.

Comments:  The bird’s sacrifice of wintering in the cold is a strong display of his love for the duca. Italian customs and words contribute to the authentic feel of this folktale. This text appeals to students of all ages.  Back to:  K-2 List | 3-4 List

Pancakes For Breakfast

Summary: This wordless picture book illustrates the resourcefulness of a woman who wants to make pancakes but is hindered by a scarcity of ingredients. She attempts to work step by step but is foiled by the participation of her pets. In the surprise ending she finds a way to have her pancakes for breakfast. A moral is implied, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Comments: This book challenges students to sequence events in both oral and written story telling. De Paola’s clear simple illustrations draws children into storytelling and scripting their own version of the story.   Back to List

The Midnight Man

Summary:  Every night when Harry and Mister Dog are asleep, the midnight man comes riding on his horse and sprinkles stars into the sky. Harry and Mister Dog attempt to follow him through the sleeping town.

Comments:   This dreamlike fantasy has exquisite ‘atmospheric’ illustrations (moonlight, shadows, night mist) and beautiful descriptive language that is appropriate to the setting and theme. A memorable picture book.  Back to:   K-2List | 3-4List

Sticks and Stones

Summary: The main character, Gwendolyn-Joy Morrison-Power has a great name even though it does not fit neatly on a painting, locker door or chalkboard. Other children tease her but she finds it difficult to shorten it because it represents important people in her family. Finding the strength to ignore the teasing, she decides to keep her name as it is. 

Comments: Themes of friendship, family relationships, maturing, and name calling can be supported by this text. Words can hurt and children empathize with Gwendolyn -Joy because many of them have had similar experiences.  Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List | 5-6 List | Canadian List

Summary:  Buz the bug gets trapped inside a boy’s body after being swallowed. Two police pills go in to try to cure the boy of this bug. Buz finds a way out only to discover that he has a germ trapped inside of him.

Comments:  The pictures really make this story. They are detailed and realistically illustrate aspects of the environment and the body. Some are humourous and fanciful particularly when depicting the bug, pills and the germ. One child reviewer wrote, "I like the story. I like the part when the pils allmost drowned. and the fly went out of the boys ear. it was funny. I think other Grils and boys will like it to."  Back to List

Cuckoo

Summary: In this Mexican folktale, a beautiful cuckoo risks her life for her animal friends by saving their food from burning in a fire. Her friends had previously called her lazy and were bored with her beauty. The story teaches the lesson that you cannot tell much about a bird by looking at its outer features. 

Comments: This English/Spanish picture book is useful for Spanish speaking children to enjoy and compare with the English text. The illustrations depict Mexican craft and folk art. Spanish Canadian children can read the text to their classmates in Spanish to help them deepen their appreciation of literature from other cultures. This book is a must-have text for every school library. ESL students and Canadian students alike enjoy it.  Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List | 5-6 List | 7-9 List

Feathers For Lunch

Summary: An escaped cat encounters twelve birds in the backyard but fails to catch any of then because he as a bell around his neck. Each bird loses a feather… feathers for lunch. 

Comments: Illustrated with bold primary colour collages, birds and plant are identified in very small print on each page. Each page is half a verse with rhyming words to end the verse on the next page. Children will enjoy learning each of the birds that got away. The glossary at the end of the book provides further information about each of the identified birds. Rhyming spelling patterns contribute to student knowledge about language. The humour engages readers of all ages.  Back to List  

EMBERLEY, Barbara

EMBERLEY, Ed (illus) 

Summary: This cumulative, rhyming story chronicles the firing of a cannon. Army characters feature prominently in this poem: Drummer, Private, Corporal, Sergeant, Captain and Major.

Comments: ***This text is a Caldecott winner. The sing-song rhythm as well as the clever rhymes encourage young listeners to chant along as a teacher reads aloud. Primary colours and stylized illustrations can serve as models for children's own collages of the events in the story. Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List

Up to Ten and Down Again

Summary: With minimal print, a story is told of a picnic at a duck pond. When ten clouds appear in the sky, rain is sure to follow so the story progresses from ten back to one. 

Comments: This text supports mathematical concepts like iteration and one-to-one correspondence. Oral story-telling is encouraged by the fleshed-out illustrations to expand number concept. Children can make predictions about how the story will turn out by paying close attention to picture cues.  Back to List

Summary:  As a small boy is about to move away from the farm, he reluctantly says good bye to cherished places, things and memories.

Comments:  Metaphors and sensory images pepper the text of this book. Illustrations of the fully-coloured, joyful past are contrasted to the dull, empty present. This text supports social studies’ discussions of the 1930’s Depression. The use of past tense can be an effective model for student writing.  Back to:  K-2 List | 3-4List | 5-6List 

LABROSSE, Darcia (illus.)

If You Could Wear My Sneakers (Poetry) 

Summary: Fifteen lively and playfully illustrated poems interpret fifteen of the 54 articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in language that children can understand. Sheree Fitch’s animal characters teach us that all children (without exceptions) have the right to a full life in dignity. Comments: As a complete text, this book can be used to educate children about the rights to which they are entitled, a suitable topic for religious study. Sheree Fitch creates sounds for each of her characters. She plays with words and wisdom in much the same manner as a child. This text is a must-have for every school library.  Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List | 5-6 List | Canadian List

There were Monkeys in My Kitchen

Summary:  A young girl awakens one morning to total chaos when she discovers hordes of chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans have taken over her home. ‘Baboon catastrophe’ continues until the Mounties arrive.

Comments:  The book is an excellent example of a ‘circular journey’ type of story. Younger children love the rhyming, catchy phrases and funny illustrations. The story is great for descriptive words and vocabulary.  Back to: K-2List  | Canadian List

BOBAK, Molly (illus.)

Toes in My Nose and Other Poems (Poetry)  

Summary: Children will enjoy these thirty-six lyrical and whimsical poems. Included in this collection are poems about spreading honey, Grandmom, garbage day, sneezing, bubble gum, kangaroos and various other intriguing topics. Rhyming and concrete poems form part of this collection. 

Comments: These poems could be used to tie in with or introduce all sorts of classroom themes: food, animals… Many of the poems are suitable for choral reading. Sheree Fitch is an award winning children’s poet. Her awards include Queen’s Fellowship (1987), Atlantic Booksellers’ Choice Awards (1990), Mr. Christie Book Award (1993), Ann Connor Brimer Award (1995).  Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List | 5-6 List | Canadian List

Summary:  Bear smells the air and feels that winter is coming. He decides to tell Snail. Then Snail must tell Turtle. In turn, each animal tells another animal. Each animal puts off going to sleep by using their five senses. Finally, Ladybug rushes off to tell Bear that he must have his winter nap. Bear is already asleep in his cave.

Comments:  This book can be used as a resource for science and mathematics curricula. The repetitive sentences support beginning readers. An ESL student related, "This reminds me of fall and winter coming. It sounds like a true story."  Using the front cover and reading the title, she predicted, " The bear likes to sleep... at night-sometimes at morning. It looks like is sleeping on the ground. He looks big."  Back to List

Summary:  As a young boy sleeps, his pencil writes the story of its journey from tree to pencil. The paper, table, door and floorboards all have stories to tell. A wind blows the paper out the window and the pencil drops to the floor. The tales written by the pencil become tattered paper woven into bird nests. The stories have returned to the forest. The boy grows up and after many years of adventure, tells his grandson about the night the pencil disappeared. His grandson finds this same pencil and writes a note to his grandfather. When he goes to bed, a new story unfolds.

Comments:  Students love the story. One teacher responded, "My children’s pencils are now telling their own stories because they appreciate that everyone and everything has a story to tell." The language creates beautiful visual images, "the door danced on its hinges", "birds wove the tattered tales..."  Back to List

Summary:  An old woman is revealed bit by bit to the reader through the illustrations and text. Each page’s repetitions of guess encourage children to use their background knowledge to answer each question.

Comments:  The old woman is a witch and traditional Halloween icons are illustrated throughout. This text is useful for beginning readers as it is repetitive. The realistic illustrations are excellent models for older students to use symbolism in their own writing.  Back to List

Summary:  Wilfrid Gordon wonders what a memory is when his favourite elderly neighbour, Miss Nancy, loses her memory. He interviews several older people to learn what a memory is. Gathering objects that resonate with meaning for him, he shares his collection with Miss Nancy. Each object triggers a story long forgotten in Miss Nancy’s past.

Comments:  There is an effective use of repetitive structures. The language is dream-like in spots which enhances the haziness of memory. The book promotes inter-generational understanding and empathy. Julie Vivas’ watercolour illustrations clearly capture a young child’s point of view.  Back to:  K-2 List | 3-4 List | 5-6 List | 7-9 List

Summary:  The birth of a new baby is celebrated as an event embraced by the entire natural world. The new child is placed into the context of the earth’s ecological balance.

Comments:  The message that the earth as well as its inhabitants need to be nurtured as well as celebrated, is timely. The text supports environmental studies. There is good use of descriptive language, e.g., ‘... on the day you were born the round planet turned toward your morning sky, whirling past darkness, spinning the night into light’. Bright colours and silhouettes make the illustrations universal to children of every age.   Back to:  K-2 List | 3-4 List | 5-6 List | 7-9 List

The Tailypo: A Ghost Story 

Summary: A gray-bearded old backwoodsman, sorry-looking hound dogs, and amorphous hairy thing provide enough motion and spooky humour to hold an audience dead still. The strange beast keeps coming back to the old man who lopped off his tail. 

Comments: Pencil and watercolour illustrations depict the increasing fear of an old man and his three dogs. Children can be drawn into the text with the repetitious verse, “…Tailypo, tailypo, I’m here to get my tailypo.”  Back to:  K-2 List | 3-4 List | 5-6 List

The Gingerbread Boy  

Summary: This retelling of the traditional folktale builds on a repetitious chant, “Run! Run! Run! Catch me if you can! You can’t catch me! I’m the Gingerbread Boy! I am! I am!” No one can catch him, neither the little old woman who had baked him nor many other hungry characters. Using humour and action, Paul Galdone portrays the Gingerbread Boy’s dash to freedom. Sadly, the Gingerbread Boy’s pride is eaten when he is finally caught. 

Comments: Heavily print-dependent, emergent readers can become involved with the story-telling by joining in the Gingerbread Boy’s chant. Children can make predictions about how the fox will be able to catch the Gingerbread Boy with his physical speed or his brain.  Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List

Summary:  This story portrays the daily life of a young boy growing up in the Arctic in an Eskimo (Inuit) community. The land and the life is stressed, showing how different life in the Arctic is in some aspects, but how some things are the same as life in Alberta such as: siblings, school, Halloween and games. The importance of the sun shines through the story.

Comments:  This book helps children understand living in a very cold climate and the skills needed to survive. It can be used as a support for cultural studies and science studies of weather and temperature. The art work and illustration appeal to young readers. Note: Some words though difficult to pronounce are appropriate for the story.  Back to:  K-2 List | 3-4 List

Summary:  This book explains how the position of the earth in its orbit around the sun is responsible for the changing seasons. Children are introduced to correct scientific terms for the regions of the earth and for the seasons: e.g., Northern Hemisphere, solstice, equinox.

Comments:  This book could extend knowledge of science curriculum and seasonal changes. It may best be used as a library resource. The cartoon illustrations imply that the text be used with young children. However, the sophistication of the language may limit its use in the classroom.  Back to List

Where Does the Teacher Sleep?

Summary:  This predictable fun text explores the places in school where a teacher might sleep.

Comments:  Beginning readers can use the picture clues to ask the question, ‘Do you sleep in the ….?’  The bright and amusing pictures hold the reader’s interest. Back to List

Summary:  A gardener uses insect killer in his garden. Once he notices an upset in the balance of insects, he needs to make another choice to eliminate pests. Taking advice from a neighbour, he imports ladybugs into his garden. The ladybugs curb the overpopulation of aphids that have overrun the garden. In the following growing season, the garden is balanced.

Comments:  The illustrations and text strongly support the study of interdependence, ecology and insects in science. Decision-making figures highly as the gardener must deal with the effect of using insecticides in his garden. The text is written as a circular journey.  Back to:  K-2 List | 3-4 List | Canadian List

GRANFIELD, Linda 

 Summary: Dr. John McCrae’s poem, “In Flanders Fields”, made an immediate impact on the world when it was first published in 1915. It is believed to have been written in response to the war death of Alexis Helmer, McCrae’s good friend. The book begins with a handwritten copy of the complete poem. A second type-set version of the poem follows McCrae’s manuscript with an accompanying full page illustration for each line. The painted illustrations provide a historical context for the poem. Personal stories, as well as the national and the world political climate prior to World War I, illustrations of life in the trenches, and a brief biography of John McCrae provide further background to enhance the meaning of the poem. War is realistically portrayed with little romanticism.

 Comments: *** This is a must-have book for any school library, as it provides much needed background for the honoring of Remembrance Day. Inviting a veteran to share his/her experiences with a class can extend the picture book experience. The illustrations clearly capture the mood of the war. Discussion of the text’s structure can lead to students writing their own stories within stories within stories. Back to: K-2 List | 3-4 List | 5-6 List | 7-9 List | Canadian List

TOOKE, Susan (illus.)

A Seaside Alphabet

Summary: Canada’s East coast as well as a few locations in New England feature prominently in this alliterative text. Hidden in the illustrations are several more alphabetic surprises that can be referred in the key at the end of the book. Susan Tooke’s realistic illustrations capture the many moods of Atlantic Canada. 

Comments: As an accompaniment to Canada’s other two Tundra book alphabets, A Mountain Alphabet and A Prairie Alphabet, children can compare and contrast these varied regions and the people who live there. Each painting invites the reader to discover intriguing animals, plants and a hidden letter of the alphabet. A lyrical text and useful notes make this book as informative as it is beautiful.  Back to:  K-2 List | 3-4 List | 5-6 List | 7-9 List | Canadian List

GRIFFITH, Helen V.

STEVENSON, James (illus.) 

Summary: Janetta cannot wait! Grandaddy is coming to Baltimore for a visit. Janetta makes a list of all her favourite things that she wants to share with Grandaddy. He likes everything on the list and gives her one more thing that they both can share- the stars just outside the bedroom window.

 Comments: Janetta and Grandaddy are characters in several other books: Georgia Music, Grandaddy's Place and Grandaddy and Janetta, all of which were ALA notable books. Simple watercolour illustrations bring the text alive. Grandaddy and Janetta's relationship is worth discussing in a family theme. Back to List

Summary:  Children learn to count to ten along with illustrations which celebrate Native American traditions.

Comments:  Personification of the rabbits is featured in the illustrations. Children quickly chime in on the rhyme and identify the counting patterns. This book can highlight aboriginal traditions.  Back to List

Over on the Farm 

Summary: A counting, rhyming picture book, children are encouraged to stretch, splash, leap, flap and snuggle with their favourite barnyard animals in their appropriate locations on the farm. Modeled on, “Over in the meadow where the green grass grows…” the story invites children to explore life on the farm. 

Comments: Used to support a unit on the farm, brightly coloured illustrations capture the close-knit and happy relationships between a mother animal and her children. Strong verbs and descriptive adjectives help children develop strong vocabulary for their own story-telling and writing. The book ends with the animal families grouped from one to ten.  Back to List