Primary (UPK-2) Children's Books
These books are categorized based on different subjects taught in ELA. These books are more appropriate from younger emergent readers and beginning readers as well. The subjects included are: interactive read aloud, pattern books, phonemic awareness books, and books just for fun.
Interactive Read Aloud1. Listen to My Trumpet! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
By: MO Willems (2012) Summary: Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can. Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to. Piggie can't wait to play her new instrument for Gerald! But is she ready to listen to his reaction? Theme: Making Good Choices, Friendship 2. Happy Pig Day By: MO Willems (2012) Summary: Gerald and Piggie are best friends. In Happy Pig Day! Piggie Celebrates her favorite day of the year. But will Gerald the Elephant be included in the festivities? Theme: Beginning reader independent book, Making Good Choices, Friendship, Decision Making 3. Pirates Don't Change Diapers By: Melinda Long (2007) Summary:When the pirate crew turns up at Jeremy Jacob's house and accidentally wakes his baby sister, that wee scallywag howls louder than a storm on the high seas. Sure, there's buried treasure to be found, but nobody's digging up anything until Bonney Anne quits her caterwauling. So, quicker than you can say "scurvy dog," Braid Beard and his swashbuckling pirates become . . . babysitters? Blimey! Theme: Vocabulary (adjectives), imagination/questioning 4. Those Shoes By: Maribeth Boelts (2007) Summary:All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. Though Jeremy’s grandma says they don’t have room for "want," just "need," when his old shoes fall apart at school, he is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that are much too small. But sore feet aren’t much fun, and Jeremy soon sees that the things he has — warm boots, a loving grandma, and the chance to help a friend — are worth more than the things he wants. Theme: Vocabulary (Want vs Need) 5. If You Give a Cat a Cupcake By: Laura Joffe Numeroff (2008) Summary:If you give a cat a cupcake, he'll ask for some sprinkles to go with it. When you give him the sprinkles, he might spill some on the floor. Cleaning up will make him hot, so you'll give him a bathing suit . . . and that's just the beginning! The lovable cat who first appeared in If You Give a Pig a Party now has his very own book! Written in the tradition of the bestselling If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond's newest story will show everyone that Cat is where it's at! Theme: Sequence |
Pattern Books1. Wow! Said the Owl
By: Tim Hopgood (2009) Summary: Here’s the story of a curious little owl determined to see what the world looks like during the day. And what does she discover? A wow-worthy symphony of colors—from red butterflies to orange flowers, from white clouds to green leaves. This boisterous and bright book is the perfect read-aloud to savor with curious little owls everywhere who are exploring the world of colors for the first time Theme: "W" sound 2. Is Your Mama a Llama? By: Deborah Guarino (2007) Summary:Lloyd the llama is looking for his mama. "Is your mama a llama?" he asks a bat, a swan, a cow, a seal, and a kangaroo. Young children will share Lloyd's delight when the answer to his question is finally, "Yes!" With rhyme and riddle, and the perfect narration by Amy Madigan, this charming story has become a favorite. Theme: Rhyme, Repetition 3. Bears Snores On By: Karma Wilson (2007) Summary:One by one, a whole host of different animals and birds find their way out of the cold and into Bear's cave to warm up. But even after the tea has been brewed and the corn has been popped, Bear just snores on! See what happens when he finally wakes up and finds his cave full of uninvited guests -- all of them having a party without him! Theme: Repetition, Sequencing, Patterns 4. We Belong Together: A Book About Adoption and Families By: Todd Par (2007) Summary:In a kid-friendly, accessible way, this book explores the ways that people can choose to come together to make a family. It's about sharing your home and sharing your heart to make a family that belongs together. Theme: Repetition, Adpotion, Diversity 5. A Sick Day for Amos McGee By: Phillip C. Stead (2010) Summary:Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee’s case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it’s time they returned the favor. Theme: Repetition, Rhyme, Sequence |
Phonemic Awareness Books1. Messy Bessy Garden
By: Pat McKissack (2007) Summary: Messy Bessy plants a garden. Read along to watch how a graden grows and the steps to create one. Theme: Rhyme, SIght Words, Plants (Science) 2. Pass the Peas, Please By: Dina Anastasio (2007) Summary:A delightful offering for children ages four to seven, Pass the Peas, Please, is a lavishly illustrated picture book that introduces the concept of manners through a cast of lovable animal characters. Theme: "p" sounds, manners 3. One Mole Digging in a Hole By: Julia Donaldson Summary:The parrots are pulling up carrots, the bears are picking pears and a swarm of bees are pruning the trees with their miniature shears. Julia Donaldson’s whimsical rhymes and Nick Sharratt’s hilarious illustrations make this early introduction to animals, the outdoors, and gardening a delight to share out loud. With plenty to giggle at on every page, counting—or gardening—has never been so much fun! Theme: Rhyme 4. Pickles in my Soup By: Mary Pearson (2008) Summary:A girl loves to eat pickles in all kinds of unusual combinations. Theme: Sight Words, Letter Sounds 5. Mrs. McNosh and the Great Big Squash By: Sarah Weeks (2009) Summary:Your 3-year-old loves the silliness of outrageous stories. Tips for reading and sharing: Your child will also love Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash Ask your child to describe the story by looking at the pictures Make up other silly events that could happen in the story. Theme: Rhyme, letter sound |
Books For FUN!1. Never Smile At A Monkey: and 17 Other Important Things to Remember
By: Steve Jenkins (2009) Summary:When it comes to wild animals, everyone knows that there are certain things you just don’t do. It's clearly a bad idea to tease a tiger, pull a python's tail, or bother a black widow spider. But do you know how dangerous it can be to pet a platypus, collect a cone shell, or touch a tang fish? Some creatures have developed unusual ways of protecting themselves or catching prey, and this can make them unexpectedly hazardous to your health. In this dynamic and fascinating picture book by Steve Jenkins, you'll find out what you should never do if you encounter one of these surprisingly dangerous animals Theme: Just for FUN, Hilarious 2. Little Oink By: Amy Krouse Rosenthal (2009) Summary:From the creators of Little Pea and Little Hoot comes this tidy tale of a decidedly different pig. Little Oink is a neat little fellow. Clean clean clean that's all he wants to do. But Mama and Papa won't have it! They say in order to be a proper pig he has to learn to make a proper mess. "Don't come out until your room is a pigsty " says Papa Pig. "I won't have any child of mine going out looking so neat and clean. It's just not acceptable " says Mama Pig. Readers who hate to clean up will love this humorous twist on a universal dilemma. Theme Hilarious, Just for FUN, talking animals 3. Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy By: Jacky Davis (2009) Summary:At the playground, Lulu asks her friend Sam if he wants to play with her. Sam likes Diggers, while Lulu thinks Monkeys is the best game. Sam suggests playing under the castle, but Lulu knows that the top is the most fun. They just can’t agree! And then Lulu asks, “Have you ever played Ladybug Girl?” As Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, Lulu and Sam save the playground from hairy monsters and big mean robots, and have their very own parade on the bouncy dinosaurs. They figure out that when they work together, they can create fun games that they both like to play. Theme: Imagination, Just for FUN 4. Lets Do Nothing! By: Tony Fucile (2009) Summary:Frankie and Sal have already played every sport and board game invented, baked and eaten batches of cookies, and painted a zillion pictures. What’s left to do? Nothing! Ten seconds of nothing! Can they do it? Can they act like stone statues in the park? Can they simply hold their breath and not blink an eye? With a wink to the reader and a command of visual humor, feature film animator Tony Fucile demonstrates the Zen-like art of doing nothing...oops! Couldn’t do it! Theme: Creative, Just for FUN! 5. The Curious Garden By Peter Brown (2009) Summary: One boy's quest for a greener world... one garden at a time. While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world. This is an enchanting tale with environmental themes and breathtaking illustrations that become more vibrant as the garden blooms. Red-headed Liam can also be spotted on every page, adding a clever seek-and-find element to this captivating picture book. Theme: Just for FUN!, Science |