2013
READING IDEAS
Episcopal School of Dallas
For students entering
Beginner
ESD Lower School Librarysummer hours:
June 3, 10, 17, 24 (9:00-12:00 noon)
We do not have required reading for our Pre-Elementary students, but we hope you will set a goal of reading at least one book from each of the seven categories listed. Exposure to a variety of genres is important for the development of life-long readers. We have attached a guide to the six early literacy/pre-reading skills at the end of this list. We are happy to assist you in making additional selections. Parents are welcome to use our library throughout the school year. Feel free to contact me with questions or comments: Bonnie Tollefson, ESD Lower School Librarian:
Award Winners for 2013
Caldecott Medal:It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
This Is Not My Hat, written and illustrated by Jon Klassen
In this darkly humorous tale, a tiny fish knows it’s wrong to steal a hat. It fits him just right. But the big fish wants his hat back. Klassen’s controlled palette, opposing narratives and subtle cues compel readers to follow the fish and imagine the consequence.
Caldecott Honor Books:
Creepy Carrots!, illustrated by Peter Brown, written by Aaron Reynolds
Jasper the rabbit loves carrots until he notices they are everywhere. He is convinced they’re coming for him! Pronounced shadows, black borders and shaded edges enhance this ever so slightly sinister tale with a distinctly cinematic feel. This is one serving of carrots children will eagerly devour.
Extra Yarn, illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett
A selfish archduke threatens to halt a little girl's transformation of a colorless town and steal her box of magical yarn. Klassen's innovative digital technique results in shifts of color that signal character change and critical turns of plot -all done with just the right stitches of humor.
Green, illustrated and written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
In this original concept book, Seeger engages all the senses with her fresh approach to the multiple meanings of “green.” Using thickly-layered acrylics, word pairings and cleverly placed die cuts, she invites readers to pause, pay attention and wonder.
One Cool Friend, illustrated by David Small, written by Toni Buzzeo
Energetic line and dizzying perspective combine for a rollicking tale of Father, Elliot and a highly improbable pet (or two). Buzzeo’s text, brimming with sly wordplay, earns its perfect counterpoint in Small’s ink, watercolor and pencil illustrations with chilly details and visual jokes that invite many repeated readings.
Sleep Like a Tiger, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Mary Logue
Surrounded with dreamlike images of crowns, ornate patterns and repeated visual motifs, her parents coax her into bed. Using mixed media artwork on wood enhanced with computer illustrations, this is a whimsical story with universal appeal.
Geisel Award:The Geisel Award is given annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year.
Up, Tall and High!, written and illustrated by Ethan Long
A bevy of birds perform a play in three acts, while teaching the concepts of up, tall and high. The large font, word repetition, occasional rhyming and simple, but clever illustrations support the very beginning reader’s effort to read independently. Children will delight in reading additional words hidden beneath thick flaps
Geisel Honor Books:
Let’s Go for a Drive!, written and illustrated by Mo Willems
In “Let’s Go for a Drive!” good friends Elephant and Piggie, sharing their high spirits through song and dance, prepare for a drive. Best plans go awry when they realize they have no car. Text clues in color-coded speech bubbles, white backgrounds and bold mixed-media illustrations add to the book’s appeal for beginning readers.
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons written by Eric Litwin, created and illustrated by James Dean
In a picture book format accessible to beginning readers, a blue mellow-eyed feline keeps losing his groovy buttons in “Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons.” But does he cry? Goodness no! Bold backgrounds and rhyming refrains encourage beginning readers to look for the bright side of every situation. For after all, it’s all good!
Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover, written and illustrated by Cece Bell
In “Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover,” Rabbit and Robot disagree on everything on rabbit’s “To Do” list at their sleepover, including Robot’s insistence of pizza toppings of nuts, bolts, and screws. Everything comes to a halt when Robot’s batteries run low. Humorous cartoon-style illustrations accompany four episodes, perfect for readers transitioning to easy chapter books.
Stories in Rhyme (to help develop Phonological Awareness)
Here Comes Mother Gooseed. by Iona Opie; ill. By Rosemary Wells
Presents more than sixty traditional nursery rhymes, including "Old Mother Hubbard," "I'm a Little Teapot," and "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe," accompanied by illustrations of various animals.
Each Peach, Pear, Plum by Janet and Allen Ahlberg
Rhymed text and illustrations invite the reader to play I spy with a variety of Mother Goose and other folklore characters.
Cat & Mouse by Ian Schoenherr
Illustrations, rhyming text, and nursery rhymes accompany a story about a cat and mouse who sometimes play nicely together and sometimes not so nicely.
Chuck’s Band by Peggy Perry Anderson
Chuck and his barnyard friends form a band, but they have trouble finding an instrument for Fat Cat Pat to play, since all the cat wants to do is sleep all day.
Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Waking Up?by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson ; ill. by Laura J. Bryant
Instead of getting ready for school, Kitty Cat finds all kinds of activities to distract, until she realizes the bus is coming for her.
Llama, Llama, Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
Baby Llama frets when Mama Llama doesn’t give him immediate bedtime attention.
Naamah and the Ark at Night by Susan Bartoletti
Noah’s wife, Naamah sings a lullaby and settles down the animals on the ark for the night. The structure of the lullaby is based on an Arabic form called a ghazal, which requires each couplet to end in the same word, preceded by a rhyming word.
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox
Rhyming text compares babies born in different countries and in different circumstances, but they all share the commonality of ten little fingers and ten little toes.
Alphabet Books and Picture Puzzle Books (to help develop visual acuity forLetter Knowledge)
Apple Pie ABCby Alison Murray
This ABC book tells the story of a small girl who bakes a pie and her dog who longs for a bite. In the end the dog (Z)zzzzzz… goes to sleep dreaming sweet apple pie dreams.
I Spy: a Book of Picture Riddlesby Jean Marzollo; photos by Walter Wick
Simple verses challenge readers to identify the everyday objects used to construct twelve three-dimensional scenes in Look-Alike Land.
LMNO Peas by Keith Baker
Busy little peas introduce their favorite occupations, from astronaut to zoologist.
Press Here by Herve Tullet
One of my personal favorites, since it lets kids interact with a real book instead of a computer screen! Instructs the reader to touch the illustrations,where upon turning the page it appears to manipulate yellow, blue, and red dots.
Where’s Walrus? by Stephen Savage
An adventurous walrus escapes from the zoo and dons a number of different disguises in order to avoid being caught by the zookeeper.
Who’s Hiding? by Satoru Onishi
Young readers are asked to identify which animal picture answers a specific question, such as "Who's crying?"
Cumulative and Predictable Stories (to help develop Narrative Skills)
The Doghouse [by Jan Thomas]
Cow, Pig, Duck, and Mouse are afraid to retrieve their ball when it goes into the dog's house, but when they do go in they are pleasantly surprised.
Jump Frog Jump by Robert Kalan; ill. By Byron Barton
A cumulative tale in which a frog tries to catch a fly without getting caught itself.
Move Over, Rover by Karen Beaumont ; ill. By Jane Dyer
When a storm comes, Rover expects to have his doghouse all to himself but finds that various other animals, including a skunk, come to join him.
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
In this cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping creatures causes a commotion, with just one bite.
Preschool to the Rescue by Judy Sierra; ill. By Will Hillenbrand
When a mud puddle traps a pizza van, police car, tow truck, and other vehicles, a group of preschoolers comes along and saves the day.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback
Ever-expanding die-cut holes show exactly what is happening in the old lady's stomach as she swallows an assortment of creatures, beginning with a small fly, and ending with a fatal horse.
Non-fiction /“True” books (to help develop Vocabulary)
Cats by Gail Gibbons
Presents information about cats. Gail Gibbons has written many non-fiction books on subjects ranging from dragons to weather.
Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? by Susan A. Shea
Fold out illustrations and question and answer text take a look at things that grow and things that do not.
First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
A picture book about transformations in the nature, but ending with the example of how one word develops into a story.
Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell
Children will enjoy reading about influences in Jane Goodall’s childhood, including her dream of going to Africa one day to take care of the animals
Meet the Dogs of Bedlam Farmby Jon Katz
Rose, Izzy Frieda and Lenore each have a distinctive personality that qualifies them for a special and valued role at Bedlam Farm.
Wordless/Nearly Wordless/Large Print/Comic Style books (to help develop Print Awareness)
A Ball for Daisyby Christopher Raschka
Daisy’s delight in her favorite toy, as well as her dismay at its accidental destruction, is clearly evident in the wonderfully expressive illustrations in this wordless picture book.
Bow-Wow Bugs a Bugby Mark Newgarden & Megan Montague Cash
A wordless story in which a small dog grows annoyed by the bug in his environs and sets out on an eventful trek after it, down his street.
“Hi, Pizza Man!” by Virginia Walter
While a young girl waits for the delivery of a hot pizza, she provides the appropriate animal sounds for a variety of pretend animal pizza deliverers.
Jack Wants A Snack by Pat Schories
Children will love exploring the illustrations and following this wordless story of puppy dog Jack as he attempts to obtain a snack of popcorn during an outdoor tea party.
Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
Poor kitten is sure the full moon is a bowl of milk and she tries her best to reach it.
Meeow and the Little Chairsby Sebastien Braun
Simple, large, colorful illustrations with simple vocabulary will delight little listeners as well as beginning readers in this story about a cat who makes something wonderful with his little chairs and his friends.
Uh-Oh! by Rachel Isadora
This little toddler's energy pops off the pages as he gets into mischief. Children will love to chime in on the Uh-Oh!'s repeated after each of the child's antics, with a surprise ending to make everyone laugh.
High Interest Topics(to help develop Print Motivation)
Construction Countdown by K.C. Olson
Introduces numbers and subtraction as the reader counts construction equipment from ten to one.
Firehouse!By Mark Teague
Join Edward and his cousin Judy as they spend the day learning how to be firefighters.
Jon Scieszka’s Trucktown: Smash! Crash!by Jon Scieszka
Jack, a big-rig truck, and his best friend Dan the dump truck, spend their days having fun crashing and smashing things all across town.
I’m Bad by Kate and Jim McMullan
A hungry Tyrannosaurus rex searches for food in the prehistoric forest but is thwarted in its attempts to find something to eat. The McMullan’s have also written I Stink, about a garbage truck, I’m Dirty about a back-hoe loader, and I’m Mighty about a tugboat.
My Truck is Stuck! By Kevin Lewis and Daniel Kirk
A dump truck causes quite a traffic jam when it gets stuck in a hole.
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
To an imaginative little bunny, a box is not always just a box.
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoesby Eric Litwin
Originally written as a song, the rhythm easily “gets stuck in the reader’s head.” I love this book!
Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann
A little girl who is obsessed with the color pink eats so many pink cupcakes that she herself turns pink.
Police: Hurrying! Helping! Saving! By Patricia Hubbell
Illustrations and rhyming text celebrate police officers and what they do.
The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood
Quiet comes in many varieties, from “Sleeping sister quiet” to “First snowfall quiet” to “Right before you yell ‘SURPRISE’ quiet.”
See Me Run by Paul Meisel
A dog has a fun-filled day at the dog park, in this easy-to-read story.
Tales for Very Picky Eatersby Josh Schneider
Children and parents alike will enjoy reading these stories as a father encourages his child to try “just one bite”.
Timothy and the Strong Pajamas by Viviane Schwarz
After his mother mends his favorite pajamas, Timothy finds that he has super strength and decides to use it to help others, but when the pajamas rip again, he loses his strength just when he needs it most.
So Many Cats! by Beatrice Schenk DeRegniers
A family explains through counting rhymes how they end up owning a dozen cats through several rescues.
What is a Princess? by Jennifer Weinberg
Simple text and illustrations describe the qualities shared by some of Disney's princesses, including Snow White, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, and Ariel.
Books:
- Choose books you enjoy.
- Choose books your child enjoys.
- Give your child opportunities to choose and look at books.
- Follow your child’s interests; use true books and stories.
Book Sharing:
- Keep the interaction around the book positive and enjoyable. Your child picks up on your attitude.
- When you are reading a book you particularly enjoy, tell your child you like this book.
- Keep your child involved, even if it means not reading the book word for word.
- Remember that your child’s age, stage, personality, and mood affect how he interacts with books.
- If your child is not interested in reading, start out reading just a page or two at a time. Keeping the interaction positive will help their interest grow.
If they are still not interested, try another time.
- Share books throughout the day, not just at specific times like bedtime or naptime.
- Read with your child every day. Even if the time is short, if it is positive, it will help develop your child’s interest in reading.
Research tells us:
When the interaction around the book is negative, the child associates books and reading with that negative experience. It is important to keep the interaction around the book a positive one.
Books:
- Some books have writing as part of the story (My Splendid Friend; Bunny Cakes; Click, Clack, Moo).
- Some books have writing as part of the pictures (Hi Pizza Man, Martha Speaks).
- Any book helps develop print awareness.
Book Sharing:
- Let your child turn the pages of the book.
- Point to words of the title as you say them.
- Point to the words in a repeated phrase as you say them. This helps your child see that, in English, we read from left to right and from top to bottom of the page.
- Point to a word that interests your child. Show your child that written words have a space on each side.
- Play around with the orientation of the book. Start with it upside down and backwards. Tell your child you are turning it around so you can read it. Use the words “front” and “back” of the book. If your child hands you a book upside down or backwards, explain that you are turning it to start at the beginning.
- Use the terms author and illustrator each time you read a book with your child.
- Encourage drawing. Your child can draw a picture of what is happening in the book.
- Encourage scribbling. Your child can “write” words to the story on a piece of paper.
Research tells us:
Research shows that pre-readers focus on the pictures in a book. 95% of their visual attention is directed toward the pictures. With the help of adults children can explore print, and help them realize that the written word has meaning.