Last week, I got invited to an author/ book lunch by Candlewick, a publishing company. I was introduced to picture books that are now in my shopping cart to purchase for our library in the fall. This is one of the great benefits of going to our annual conference--we get to learn about fabulous new books to add to our collection!
Twenty Questions, by the super-creative team of author Mac Barnett and illustrator Christian Robinson, is a perfect fit for our IB-PYP school with inquiry at the heart of instruction.
Each question in the book is open-ended, which will lead to a variety of answers and explanations for answers. I could see using an illustration a day as a morning activity for several weeks.
Aaron Becker's new wordless book, The Tree and the River, is so full of detail that it just begs to be read again and again.
While readers of any age will get something from the illustrations, I think it is especially suited for third grade on up, with students who have background knowledge of ancient civilizations, agriculture and industrial commerce, and even an interest in sci-fi. The Tree and the River had me pondering the cycles of nature and our existence and impact on this precious planet.
My Dog Just Speaks Spanish, by Andrea Cáceres, is also available in Spanish--so you know I'll be getting both copies!
Aurora learned to speak English when she moved to the United States--but Nena, her dog, only knows Spanish. The repeating juxtaposition of Spanish and English commands for Nena make it easy for readers of both languages to understand the text, and the story offers the kind reminder that it's okay if you're still learning--there are helpers to guide you.
Carole Boston Weatherford has a host of great nonfiction picture books in her resume, but I think this may be one that elementary students will most easily relate to--the story of MacNolia Cox, the 1936 Akron spelling bee winner who went on to experience discrimination at the national event.
How Do You Spell Unfair? will be a welcome addition to our Black History collection and should spark some engaging discussion among students.
It's Monday, and I'm glad I was introduced to these great new picture books at our annual Texas Library Association conference. What picture books have you read lately? Were they fiction, nonfiction, even wordless?
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