Oh Gayle,
I am so sorry that you are burned out on picture books. My suspicion is that
picture book burn out occurs when we have stopped having fun reading aloud, when
you are looking at the same old books over and over and when perhaps you are having
trouble finding the right book for the right class.
Sooooo short of beaming you to my class... Selecting and Evalutating New Children's
books ( it really is a short class to experience the best of the year) here are a
few suggestions.
Give yourself a break... a poetry break. Get a heads-start on poetry month. Find
someone/ principal/ PA... State...
to give you a big pile of money or partner with the public library and clean them
out of
Jack Prelutsky...The Dragons are Singing, Pizza the Size of the Sun.... Good Sports
w/ Raschka (great for choral readings)
Kristin O'Conner George... Little Dog Poems, Little Dog and Duncan...
Joyce Sidman- Grab the new Red Sings From Treetops...
Paul B. Janeczko- Poke in the Eye- concrete poems
Marilyn Singer- the brand new Mirror Mirror
Nikki Grimes- an old favorite- Meet Danitra Brown
David Elliot- On The Farm...
Jane Yolen- Here's a Little Poem...
Judy Siera- Monster Goose, Antarctic Antics
Doug Florian- Mammalabilia....
Pat Mora- Confetti, Delicious Hullabaloo
Javako Steptoe- In My Daddy's arms I am tall
Ashley Bryan- Beautiful Blackbird
You don't have to read aloud the whole book... read a few poems and plan a writing
or drawing response lesson.
Provide paper ( We use clipboards) markers or crayons or colored pencils ( I keep
these supplies in our Writing Boxes corralled in zip bags)
Have children
create their own concrete poems
write colors paired with verbs and illustrate
break into groups to practice then read aloud their favorite poems (3rd and 4th
grade)
Break into groups and memorize a short poem- Florian and Yolen are good for this.
For newer picture books that might rev your engines-
go to
http://www.bankstreet.edu/childrenslibrary/isblackwinners.html
This is a list of recently published books appropriate for first through fourth
grade that children picked as the best of the year.
Don't forget non-fiction-
My hands down favorite non-fiction picture books this year are Andrea and Brian
Pinkney's Sit-In- fine for 3rd grade and up and sparked amazing conversations about
civil rights.
Moonshot - written and illustrated by Brian Floca- This is a delight to read aloud.
Lisa Von Drasek
Coordinator of
School Services/
Children's Librarian
Bank Street College of Education
School for Children Pre-K- 8
610 West 112th St
NY NY 10025
lisav@bankstreet.edu
212 875 4452
>>> Gayle Hodur <ghodur@REDSHIFT.COM> 3/1/2010 11:58 PM >>>
I used to love picture books, but my tastes have changed. Now I really
only enjoy the intermediate and YA chapter book stuff. Unfortunately, both
of the schools I cover are elem. I'm having real trouble feeling enthused
to read or talk about picture books. Restore my faith! Please suggest your
fave read alouds. (Except for The Giving Tree and Love You Forever. Sorry,
but I hated those even when I loved picture books.)
************************************************
Gayle Hodur
District Librarian
Soledad Unified School District
Soledad, CA 93960
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