One important comprehension strategy that keeps readers engaged in text is visualizing, or making mental images. Included in this list, are books and poetry that use a mixture of the five senses to help kids make mental images while reading.
*This post contains affiliate links.
Picture Books for Making Mental Images
Often times, picture books can be read without showing the pictures. Kids can draw or verbalize the mental images at various stopping places throughout the text. Here are a few of our favorite picture books for elementary kids.
- Puddles by Jonathan London
- I’m in Charge of Celebrations by Byrd Baylor
- Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
- Night Sounds, Morning Colors by Rosemary Wells {not currently in print}
- Night in the Country by Cynthia Rylant
- The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer
- See the Ocean by Estelle Condra
- Bedhead by Margie Palatini
- A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon
Books with Figurative Language & Nonfiction Books
Books with figurative language are a GREAT source of text that encourages readers to visualize and engage in their readings. You can view our book list here or click on the image below.
Often times, we leave out nonfiction, but it can also be a great source for visualizing. For example, the text may say that a particular kind of shark is as big as a bus. This use of comparison helps readers visualize the shark! To see the nonfiction chapter books we enjoy, visit our book list.
Poetry Encourages Mental Images
Poetry is an AMAZING resource for readers and visualizing! Some of our favorite poetry for older readers can be found in our Poetry book list. Here are a few more:
- Creatures of the Earth, Sea and Sky by Georgia Heard
- Color me a Rhyme by Jane Yolen
- 20th Century Children’s Poetry Treasury selected by Jack Prelutsky
- Where the Sidewalk Ends, Falling Up, & A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein- One of the things that makes his poetry so funny for kids is that their mental image is seldom the same as his illustrations. Typically, his illustrations depict the literal meaning of the text. I love to have readers draw their mental image first and then see his.
- Older kids may also enjoy the Poetry for Young People Series, which features poetry by poets such as Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, and Emily Dickinson
Chapter Books that Evoke Mental Images
I love using chapter books to help kids make mental images, too. Because there aren’t as many pictures, kids are kind of forced to make these images. For example, I love, love, love, the description of the barn in Charlotte’s Web. It’s full of adjectives and words that use all of a our senses. Below are some of our favorite chapter books for 2nd/3rd grade as well as 4th/5th grades.
More Book Lists You May Enjoy:
- Books that Teach and Model Adjectives
- Rhyming Books & Poetry for Older Kids
- 50+ Texts for Modeling Comprehension Strategies
Visit our 10-week reading comprehension series.
~Becky