To say the least, I have A LOT of favorite picture books. {You can also see our Favorite Picture Books for Pre-K/K.} And once again, it was hard to narrow down our absolute favorite picture books for K-2nd grade. Many of these are texts that have such rich content, that I have used them over and over again for teaching comprehension strategies. And some are just favorites of our family. Be sure to share your favorite picture books in the comments, too!
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The first book on my list is one that I always used on the first day of school or my first session of private tutoring to introduce myself to my students. Why? Because Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? is one of my Top 10 favorite books. Sharing one of your favorite books is a great way to show students what you like and your sense of humor. My own 3rd grader knows this book well and even knows what a record player is (as it it mentioned in the book.) So, would you like to purchase a cheap rhinoceros?
The Empty Pot is one of those books that just touches your heart! Ping loves flowers and has such a green thumb. He is summoned by the Emperor as are all the other children in the kingdom. The Emperor needs a successor and whoever can grow the most beautiful flower will be chosen. The children all have one year to grow the most beautiful flower in the kingdom. But Ping’s seed will not even sprout, despite his best attempts to care for it. When the year is up, he is the only one with an empty pot. What will Ping do? Will he even go the Emperor? Oh, what a great life lesson this book teaches.
The Important Book is a different kind of picture book because it’s not a complete story. Each page tells a little story of its own in poetic form and helps kids to determine what is truly important, beginning with basic objects like a spoon. It’s a great book that begs a writing activity afterwards, too. 😉
William Steig has such a way with words! When teaching vocabulary, we want to focus on Tier 2 words {useful vocabulary words}. In every book he writes, William Steig includes so many of them. Doctor De Soto, an animal dentist, and his little wife are asked to treat a fox with a bad toothache. How will he and his wife outsmart the fox? This one keeps kids guessing.
Ira Sleeps Over is a wonderful little bedtime book that even 2nd graders can relate with. Ira becomes anxious about what his friend, Reggie, will think of him if he brings his teddy bear over to spend the night. This is a GREAT book to teach text-to-self connections, an important comprehension strategy for readers.
The Stinky Cheese Man {and Other Fairly Stupid Tales} is one that I like to read to 1st or 2nd graders AFTER they are familiar with the original fairy tales, such as The Gingerbread Man, Jack and the Beanstalk, or The Tortoise and the Hare. The favorite story in our house has got to be The Stinky Cheese Man, as he never is chased by any of the characters because of his stinky odor.
Owl Moon. The title alone is brilliant! I simply adore this book. It is chalk FULL of imagery, helping kids use their five senses to comprehend what they are reading. The metaphor that stands out the most is how the snow gleams “whiter than the milk in a cereal bowl”. This one is perfect for any time of year, but especially in the deep winter.
Max Lucado is a well-known writer in the Christian realm. His children’s books are well-written and always contain a moral or lesson kids can relate to. Even though he is a Christian and the theme running through all of his books is Christian, it is subtle, so his books could be read in a church setting or in a public school setting. You are Special is my favorite one of all the ones we own. I love how Eli, the woodcarver, explains to Punchinello that he is special, despite all the the gray dots he has been given by the other wooden Wemmick people. It seriously brings tears to my eyes each time I read it. Such good stuff for any young child to hear. They ARE special!
Anansi the Spider is an African tale that is that is humorous and enjoyable for kids. Anansi is a wise spider who is always able to out-smart his foes. Using quality literature, especially engaging texts like Anansi the Spider, is a great way to teach kids about different cultures and the history behind them. We have read several of the Anansi books. And although they are not all written by the same author, the ones we have read have also been favorites.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. A common phrase out of my mouth on those tough days as a mom is, “I think I’ll move to Australia.” The thing I love about this book is that it isn’t all happy and rosy and kids (adults, too) can relate to the way that nothing goes Alexander’s way all day long. 🙂 While this is Viorst’s most popular book, we have also enjoyed her other books, particularly Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday when we were learning about counting money.
While this is not a new book, it is a newer favorite at our house. There is seldom a day that has gone by in the last couple of months that I haven’t been asked to read it. A Bad Case of the Stripes has a great theme. Be yourself. You are unique and you don’t have to be like everyone else. It reminds me of several other books that fit the same theme, including Oliver Button is a Sissy, Amazing Grace, You are Special (mentioned above), and Chrysanthemum, just to name a few.
My Lucky Day. Oh, this book is hilarious! It is the perfect text for predicting AND helping kids infer what is happening based on facial expressions. And boy, does Mr. Fox have some. Even though I’ve read this book a million times, I laugh each time I read it. It’s also a GREAT book for working on reading with expression. So, whose lucky day is it? It may not turn out like it appears on the cover… 🙂
Enemy Pie is SUCH a fantastic book that has a GREAT story line and a great meaning underneath. When a bully (Jeremy Ross) moves into the neighborhood, the young boy’s summer is ruined. That is until the young boy’s father says he can help get rid of the bully (enemy) by making him some enemy pie. The boy wonders: What is “enemy pie” and how does it work? Will it get rid of enemies? What does it taste like? Does it have worms? The boy will just have to find out when his enemy eats it!
This fictional story of Booker T. Washington, More Than Anything Else, is compelling and moving. More than anything else, he wants to learn to read and write. He sees others do it is highly determined that he can, too. This is a great one for struggling readers because they can sometimes relate to the character. And I love how it helps kids understand the situation so many people were in after emancipation.
The War Between the Vowels and the Consonants is such a cute story that plays on the relationship that vowels and consonants have with one another. It is humorous and full of puns related to letters, their roles, and their sounds. Will the vowels and consonants ever become allies and learn to work together? Yes, but in such a clever way!
Tikki Tikki Tembo. Another one I remember well as a child. And when you can still pronounce his name is an adult, you know the book left a lasting impression! Kids will LOVE learning his long name and chanting it along with you as you read.
What picture books would you include on your favorite list?
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~Becky
I’m enjoying these lists! We have a collection of Five in a Row books which we initially used with the Five in a Row manuals but more recently have been used as favoured stories. “A New coat of Anna” and ” Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel” are particular favourites. One of my children has found learning to read very difficult but have books like this read aloud has meant that she has kept a love of books even if she doesn’t like reading!
I’m so glad to have found your website and this list! I just bookmarked about 6 different pages. 🙂 My 6 year old is a strong reader and, with the right book, will read on his own. We still read together every night, though, and while we’ve started some chapter books that I read to him, I’m missing picture books. The ones on our shelf are starting to seem to baby-ish — except for ones like those by Virginia Lee Burton and the Bartholomew Cubbins books by Dr. Seuss, also Sylvester and the Magic Pebble… Finding this list is just perfect for us right now! Thank you.
Glad you found it! 🙂