Ladybug Girl

Author: Jacky Davis

Title: Ladybug Girl

Illustrator: David Soman

Genre: Picture Book

Subgenre: Realistic Fiction

Theme: Playing Outside and use of imagination

Primary and Secondary Characters: Lulu, Bingo,Lulu's Brother

Awards: None

Publishing Company: Dial Books for Young Readers 

Date of Publication: 2008

Brief Summary and How to Use With Students:

Lulu loves dressing up and taking on the persona of ladybug girl. One day when Lulu’s brother goes to play baseball without her, she is left at home with nothing to do. She goes to the library but she can’t read yet so then she goes and measures to see if her plant has grown any. Still bored she goes outside where she finds… Da-Da-Da-Da! A mission for Ladybug girl! Lulu is able to help out hundreds of ants by movie a rock, jumps the “lake”, builds a rock wall, but her brother still thinks she is too little to play with him. She knows though, that she is as big as the whole outdoors.

Ladybug Girl is a fun book for any age. It stresses the importance of imagination and playing outside. This would be a great book to encourage children to play outside and use their imagination. You can have students make up an alter ego for themselves and then write a story on their character. In class you could also grow a plant like Lulu did. 

The Mitten

Author: Jan Brett

Title: The Mitten

Illustrator: Jan Brett

Genre: Picture Book

Subgenre: Folktale

Theme: Sharing 

Primary and Secondary Characters: Nicki, Baba, mole, rabbit, hedgehog, owl, badger, fox, bear,and a mouse.

Awards: None

Publishing Company: G.P. Putnam’s Sons 

Date of Publication: 1999

Brief Summary and How to Use With Students:

Nicki wants a pair of snow-white mittens so he asks his Baba to make him some. She warns him that snow-white mittens will be difficult to find if he was to lose one but makes them for him anyways. As soon as Nicki goes outside to play, he drops one of his mittens. Soon a mole comes along and finds the mitten and decides to climb in to stay warm. Next a rabbit, a hedgehog, an owl, badger, fox, and bear come along and also decide to fit inside the mitten to stay warm. Finally a little mouse scurries along and decided to rest on the bear’s nose. The mouse’s tail tickles the badger causing him to sneeze and the animals to fly out of the mitten and scatter across the forest. The mitten is now floating in the air and Nicki is able to bring both of his mittens back home.

This would be a good story to read to first graders to go over fantasy versus reality. Because it is a Ukrainian folktale, it can also be used to go over the origin of the story and the culture of that particular area. It can also be used with kindergarteners to go over sharing and to promote reading.

Little Owl's Night

Author: Dirya Srinivasan

Title: Little Owl’s Night

Illustrator: Dirya Srinivasan

Genre: Picture Book

Subgenre:  Fiction

Theme: Animals at night

Primary and Secondary Characters: Owl, possum, hedgehog, skunk, raccoon, various other forest animals

Awards: None

Publishing Company: Viking

Date of Publication: 2011

Brief Summary and How to Use With Students:

Owl is on a night journey to visit all of his forest friends. As he travels around the forest we see what the animals are doing and how lively the forest can be at night. As the moon begins to fade owl hears his mother’s voice calling to him telling him that the moon and stars are fading and the sun is rising. Owl sheepishly hurries home as night becomes day and the roster begins to crow.

This would be a great read for kindergartens to learn about the animals and their environment. It can also be used for first or second grade to expand on this learning concept and introduce a forest ecosystem. 

You Can't go to School Naked!

Author: Dianne Billstrom

Title: You Can’t go to School Naked!

Illustrator: Don Kilpatrick III

Genre: Picture Book

Subgenre: Fiction

Theme: Following Rules

Primary and Secondary Characters: Boy and Parents

Awards: None

Publishing Company: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Date of Publication: 2011

Brief Summary and How to Use With Students:

When their boy does not want to wear clothes to school his parents go over the consequences with him. He decides they are right but if he has to wear clothes, he will wear what he chooses.

This is a funny book to read to kindergarten or first graders just to build an interest in reading. You can also use the book to go over cause and effect for this age. You can also go over why we have rules and how they are meant to help students. 

Blue Chicken

Author: Deborah Freedman

Title: Blue Chicken

Illustrator: Deborah Freedman

Genre: Picture Book

Subgenre: Fiction

Theme: How to be helpful.

Primary and Secondary Characters: Chicken, Ducks, Cow

Awards: None

Publishing Company: Viking

Date of Publication: 2011

Brief Summary and How to Use With Students:

The picture on the page is colored perfectly, all except the barn. As you turn the page, you notice a chicken wanting to help, but accidentally spills the blue. This turns the chicken blue, the flowers blue, the ducklings blue, the cow blue, and you get the picture. If only now chicken could help turn things back into the color they should be.

This is a cute story for kindergarteners to help teach them their colors and also how to blend colors together to make new ones.