Top 5 Must Have Picture Books

Hi Friends!

So there's this amazing Linky going around of the "Must Have Picture Books" {by the way, to join Lindsey's linky simply click HERE to link up and get the grab button code}.  I am a *HUGE* collector of children's books, especially picture books (yes, I have an addiction and the first step is admitting it! Ha!)... I have always had a love for books, which only became *worse* as I got older and decided to become a teacher...now I can't visit any store {especially Goodwill} without checking out their book selection and of course leaving with bags full a couple .  I am explaining this so that you understand just how difficult it was for me to choose only a couple of picture books to share with y'all.  I have seen a couple of posts from other teachers and wanted to try and share books that y'all have probably never heard of so that you can add them to your collection.  Everyone knows the classics... so, I decided to do a Top 5 of picture books that are *new* to many of you.  They are listed below (in no specific order) and I truly hope that you will like my list (if not love it) as much as I do:

1. 

You can't go wrong with, The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray, especially during the first week of school! This book is a necessity to add to your collection.  It was written by a teacher, and as a matter of fact, if you go to the author's website she even includes lessons and ideas on how to use this book in your classroom during the first week of school.  I plan on using this book during the first week of school to introduce the students to important staff members and places they need to know in the school.  The way I plan to use this book is to leave different "clues" with the staff around the school about the Gingerbread Man's whereabouts.  As the students go through the school, they will learn the faces of the staff members plus learn how to get around.  The tour ends when we "catch" the gingerbread man in our classroom! I plan on leaving him there with a plate of those Pepperidge Farm Gingerbread People cookies for them to enjoy!  If you would like to get your own copy of this book, you can order it HERE.

2.

My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza has to be one of my all-time favorites and every.single.time I read it to ANY class it becomes a class favorite, too!   This story is full of wit and humor... I absolutely love it.  I highly recommend this book.  It is great for teaching cause/effect, making predictions, teaching about predictable patterns,etc. and I'm sure you can use it for loads more! I kid you not, this book is A-MA-ZING!  If you are interested in purchasing it, you can do so HERE.

3.

You Can't Eat a Princess! by Gillian Rogerson was a real crowd pleaser when I read it aloud to my 2nd Graders during my Internship... I kid you not when I tell you that they were ALL mesmerized by this book.  I mean, I had NO idea what it was about when I bought it, but I fell in love with the cover and the title was just plain catchy! So, it came as no surprise to me that I would fall in love with Princess Spaghetti as she tries to teach the aliens (who kidnapped her father, King Cupcake) some manners! The book is hilarious and the illustrations are to die for! This book is great to teach about kindness and manners...though when I used it during my internship it was to teach about descriptive adjectives {and let me tell you now, this book is chalk-full of describing adjectives).  To order this book click HERE.

4.

Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies is a great story to teach Personification and/or rhyming patterns.  This book, that I am aware of, is only available as board book but if you click on this link HERE it is featured as a bargain-priced book so if you're a Prime member you can get it with free 2-day shipping.  This is a very charming book that is just *PERFECT* to use when you are doing a camping theme in the classroom.  It is truly a darling book and I know for a fact that your students would love it!

5.

I can absolutely, positively guarantee that Other Goose by J. Otto Seibold is definitely a book that you want to have in your possession as a teacher.  This book is amazing!!! It takes all of the classic Mother Goose stories and gives them a twist! This is a great book to use to teach about poetry, rhyming patterns, making comparisons and making text-to-text connections! Definitely need to add this one to your shopping cart! Click HERE to buy it! It is a pleasure to read aloud and to boot your student's will connect with it almost instantaneously.

I hope y'all found my list of books to be helpful; and if you have any questions regarding my list, the books or ideas on how to use them in your classrooms please do not hesitate to send me an email.

Happy Reading!