Making reading fun!

Sierra, Judy. Imagine That! How Dr. Seuss Wrote The Cat in the Hat. New York: Random House, 2017.
Imagine this assignment: write a story that makes reading fun and that uses only 50 different words! That was the inimitable Theodore Geisel’s task in 1954: write something fun for children in the first grade.  Of course, he did it. In fact, he created 47 books in all. This nonfiction picture book illustrated by Kevin Henkes will fascinate readers young and old. And maybe even inspire some budding writers and artists.

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Ideas for making reading fun!

The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss by Kathleen Krull with paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher (New York: Random House, 2004). A heart-warming picture book biography with softly coloured full-page illustrations and small drawings by Dr. Seuss. The old-fashioned style of the paintings and the gentle rhythm of the words create a story that feels like a memory told by a grandparent. Additional information about Dr. Seuss’s adulthood is provided at the end of the book. Highly recommended for readers and listeners 8 years old and up. (Kathleen Krull has written many biographies, both picture books and chapter books, and they’re all a joy to read. Her flowing style of writing makes the informative content sound like someone talking to you, telling you about someone you might like to meet.)

More biographies

 

Tailored to perfection…

Kraulis, Julie. A Pattern for Pepper. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2017.
Pepper is getting a new dress to wear to her grandmother’s birthday celebration. What fabric should she choose for the occasion? Herringbone? Seersucker, tartan, or houndstooth? Ikat, argyle, pinstripe, or dotted swiss? Toile? Paisley? The history of each textile becomes part of the story in this delightfully elegant picture book for readers 5 years old and up.

More books by Canadian authors

More informational picture books

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Escaping…

Cole, Tom Clohosy. Wall. Somerville, Mass.: Templar Books, 2014.
In 1961, families found themselves suddenly separated by the Berlin Wall. East Berlin was under Communist rule and people were not permitted to cross the wall and join their relatives in the West.  In this evocatively illustrated picture book, a young boy is determined to find a way for his family to be reunited. Told from the first person point of view and based on true stories, Wall is recommended for readers 8 years old and up. (Artists interested in seeing how to depict night-time scenes may appreciate analyzing the illustrations which were created digitally but provide ideas for working with pastels.)

More picture books for artists

More stories set in Europe

More stories about conflicts since 1945

“Thar she blows!”

DaCosta, Barbara. Mighty Moby. New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2017.
Beautifully designed. Powerfully illustrated. Wondrously retold with a new ending. A perfect bedtime story for listeners 6 to 10 years old. 

Every word – except one – in this picture book is taken from the original version of ‘Moby Dick’, written by Herman Melville and first published in 1851.  Learn how to write your own ‘found’ poetry

Learn more about this amazing picture book

More picture books created with mixed-media collages

More books illustrated by the award-winning Ed Young:
The House Baba Built: An Artist’s Childhood in China
Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China
Nighttime Ninja
Tsunami!
Twenty Heartbeats
The Turkey Girl: A Zuni Cinderella Story
Wabi Sabi 

More classic stories

 

Moving to a new home…

O’Brien, Anne Sibley. I’m New Here. Watertown, Mass.: Charlesbridge, 2015.
Maria, Jim, and Fatimah arrive at their new school. Back home, they could read and write and talk with their classmates. But here, they feel all alone. Slowly, though, they learn to speak English and they make new friends. This lovely gentle picture book – told from the perspective of newcomers from Guatemala, Korea, and Somalia – is recommended for readers 6 to 9 years old. 

More books about migration

Living in Alaska

Hitchcock, Bonnie-Sue. The Smell of Other People’s Houses. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2016.
Abandonment. Loneliness. Grief. Friendship. The lives of four Alaskan teenagers – Ruth, Dora, Alyce, and Hank – overlap in this coming-of-age novel set in 1970. A strong sense of place and a captivating sense of voice make this an outstanding story for thoughtful readers 13 years old and up.

More stories told from alternating points of view

More stories set in Alaska

More young adult novels

More stories of indigenous people of North America

More stories of runaways

Note: This publisher’s novels are notable for the quality of writing and the depth of insight. If Wendy Lamb publishes a book, pick it up!

Finding love…

High, Linda Oatman. One Amazing Elephant. New York: Harper, 2017.

All sorts of surprises await twelve-year-old Lily when she leaves her father in West Virginia and travels to Florida to attend the funeral of her grandfather. She stays with her grandmother in a circus community. She spends time with her mother, a trapeze artist. She makes a new friend, Henry Jack. And she discovers that her grandfather’s beloved elephant, Queenie Grace, is not frightening after all. This 258-page novel told from alternating points of view is a surprising delight, a heartfelt story of finding unexpected love. Highly recommended for animal lovers 11 to 15 years old. 

More stories set in Florida 

More stories of grief

More stories told from alternating points of view

“Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them.” – Leo Tolstoy