Ten More Wonderful Picture Books

Here are the rest of the books my theatre class and I read. Maybe you will find one that you really like.

Rabbit Makes a Monkey out of Lion byVerna Aardema
Rabbit and Bush-rat have found some honey and begin eating it until lion comes along. He tells them it is his honey. They get away by fooling the lion. This is called “making a monkey” out of him. The next day rabbit goes back with turtle. Once again they get away by fooling the lion. The lion realizes that the rabbit is behind all of this and decides to hide in rabbit’s house and gobble him up when he returns home. The rabbit is smart and fools the lion once again.

Federico and the Wolf by Rebecca J. Gomez
This is a modern Spanish version of the Red Riding Hood story. It is full of Spanish words and rhymes. Federico must do some shopping for his mom and take it to his grandfather’s shop. He is met by the wolf. The wolf rushes off to the grandfather’s shop. Of course Federico get the best of the wolf and rescues his grandfather.

Cindy Ellen A Wild Western Cinderella by Susan Lowell
This is a western re-telling of the Cinderella story. This version takes place in the old west. Instead of a ball they have a rodeo and a square dance. Instead of a glass slipper, Cindy Ellen has diamond studded spurs. Instead of turning a pumpkin into a carriage she rides in a stage coach. This was a fun and refreshing twist on a common fairytale.

The Girl Who Wore Too Much by Margaret Read MacDonald
This a folktale from Thailand. This story tells about a young girl who has been spoiled by her parents. They have given her the best of everything. When the young girls of the village are invited to a party Aree can’t decide which of her finest dresses, or beautiful jewelry to wear. She puts one dress on over another. The she puts all of her jewelry on. She thinks she will be the most beautiful girl there. She meets her friends outside. The hold their laughter in. As they walk along Aree can’t keep up and is left behind. Her friends come back for her twice. Both times when they try to help her she stops them because she doesn’t want her dresses messed up. She never makes it to the dance. The next morning her friends find her where she had sat down. She has no strength to move. They get her parents who realize and help her realize how wrong they were for giving her everything.

Oh, Kojo! How Could You! By Verna Aardema
In this African tale an old man named Ananse is a trickster. One day Tutuola goes to the river and asks the spirit of the river for a son. He warns her that the son will not want to work but will one day repay her. She goes home and is given a son. One day the son tells his mom he needs some gold because he wants to go to the market. On the way he meets Ananse and buys a dog from him. The second time Ananse tricks him into buying a cat. The final time he tricks him into buying a dove. On the way back home the dove tells him she is the queen mother of the chief of her village. If he will return her then her son will reward him. He takes the dove home and the son gives him a magic ring. He wishes for a village and people. Then he wishes for food to feed the people. Ananse is mad and believes the ring should be his. He steals it back. Kojo send the cat and dog to get the ring back. He is warned that Ananse will try to poison the animals. The cat doesn’t follow directions, but the cat does and returns the ring to Kojo. That is why cats are honored to this day.



Imogene’s Last Stand by Candace Fleming

Imogene loves history. She is saddened that the old historical society building is falling apart. She and her dad fix it up and she is ready for people to tour this wonderful place. However, no one comes. No one seems interested, especially after they learn that a shoelace factory is going to be put there and will put them on the map. Imogene tries everything. She even writes to a famous historian. The day the bulldozers arrive she locks herself in stocks. When they ask her father what he is going to do about it he joins her. People come and hang out. The mayor shoes up and so does the historian along with the President. They declare the house a historical monument and save the building and all of its history. The book is full of historical quotes and tidbits of history. This book shows that one person can make a difference.

We Forgot Brock by Carter Goodrich
Phillip’s best friend is Brock. No one else can see him. They call him Phillip’s imaginary friend. One day they go to the fair and Brock rides on the rides with Phillip. When Phillip goes to get some cotton candy Brock rides other rides. Brock gets sleepy and falls asleep in his father’s arms. They leave the fair, leaving Brock behind. Brock realizes Phillip is gone and begins to cry. He gets on the Ferris Wheel to get a better look and can’t find him. A young girl and her imaginary friend Princess Sparkle-Dust invite him home with them. Eventually they run into Phillip. Now when Phillip and Brock play with Anne and Princess Sparkle-Dust everyone thinks they are talking to each other.




Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Chrysanthemum, a tiny mouse loves her name until she starts school. Some of the kids make fun of her name. It isn’t until their music teacher, whom they all love,  tells them she too is named after a flower, that they change their mind.

The One and Only Dylan St. Clair by Kamen Edwards
Dylan spent his summer at theater camp. He is excited for the school play. There are no auditions, instead the teacher hands out the parts. Dylan is given the part of a squirrel in space. He is not happy at all. A kid playing the part of Saturn doesn’t like his role. It is through telling Dylan how lucky he is that Dylan decides he really does have the best part.





The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote by Tony Johnston

This is a wonderful Mexican folktale. In this version the rabbit tricks the coyote many times. He then climbs a ladder to the moon. That is why coyotes howl at the moon. Instead of referring to the man in the moon, they refer to the rabbit in the moon.

Six Wonderful Books.

  In my sixth grade theater class we have been reading picture books. Students will be turning them into scripts and then performing these small skits for the elementary students.  Here are the first of them

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

This is one of the picture books my sixth graders chose to turn into a script for theater.  I laughed so hard listening to them discuss this book.  Penelope is a dinosaur and on her first day at school with humans she eats them. Then yuck, the teacher makes her spit them out. She just can't seem to help herself. For me, one of the funniest parts was when she got home and her parents asked how her first day went. She cried and told them she had no friends and her dad asked her, "Did you eat your classmates?"  It will take something happening to her for her to learn the fear her classmates felt at being eaten.  The title is hilarious, the story is funny and the pictures are charming.  Loved this book.

 

Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

This is a cute book about a young boy at the pool with his brother and father. He has finished his swim lessons and wants to go off of the high dive. Fear over takes him. He tells his dad that maybe he'll jump next time. He begins to make excuses. The way he comes to his final decision reminded me of the self-talk kids and adults do when they are afraid. My sixth grade students loved this book.

 

 

The Barnabus Project by The Fan Brothers

Beneath the Perfect Pets store was a secret lab where they created Perfect Pets. Barnabus was half mouse and half elephant. He lived below the store in an area of the lab called failed projects. The guys in rubber suits fed the failed projects. Pip the cockroach told Barnabus all about the outside world. That is where Barnabus wanted to go. One day the men in rubber suits came in and stamped "failed" on all of their glass jars. Pip explained that since they were failed projects they had to be recycled. Barnabus decided to escape instead. Along the way they find another failed project who helps him reach his goal.

 

 

Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds

Jasper Rabbit loves chowing down on the carrots in Crackenhopper Field. They are free so he is
constantly eating them. Then one day he goes to get a carrot and thinks he hears something. He sees and hears carrots in the shed, his bedroom, and the bathroom. He gets so freaked out he decides to build a fence to keep the creepy carrots in, and keep anyone from eating them. This is exactly how the carrots planned to build a fence keep them in and keep anyone from eating them. This is exactly how the carrots planned it to end. I loved this book.

The Empty Pot by Demi

Honesty is the best policy. In this wonderful story we find Ping, a young boy able to grow just about anything. The emperor, like the other people in his empire, grows his own flowers. It is something he loves. He knows he is getting older and won't be able to continue so he must find someone to rule his kingdom when he is gone. He calls all of the children together and gives them each a seed. He says they are to tend it for a year then come back and he will choose. No matter what Ping tries his seed won't grow. He, unlike all the other children come with an empty pot and admits he tried his best, but couldn't get the seed to grow. He is chosen to be the next emperor because of his honesty The Picky Eater by Betsy Parkinson Piper the pig is a picky eater. I found this funny because pigs will eat just about anything. Whenever they make her try anything new they only make her try five bites. Finally her parents have had enough and tell her she has to eat more than just the five bites.  Like most children, when Piper gets hungry enough she tries other foods and realizes she likes them.  This is typical of most children. Another great book I highly recommend.

The Tree and the Girl by Andrea Hahnfeld

Genre: Children's Picture Book
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review, the opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a beautiful story of love and sacrifice.  In a forest lives a fir tree with its brothers.  He is magnificent, unlike his brothers. His vanity gets the best of him. Standing tall and proud, looking down on his not so perfect brothers he is noticed by someone out looking for a perfect Christmas tree.  His brothers had tried to protect him and are sad he is being chopped down.  He is taken home and decorated. He wishes he is back in his forest.  One night a young homeless girl comes and looks in the window at the warm fire and notices the tree.  This happens night after night. One night so cold and hungry she collapses. When death comes for her the tree is willing to give up his life for hers.  This is a beautiful story you will want to read every year to your young ones, and for yourself.