August Picture Book 10 for 10

Happy August, everybody!

I hope this post finds you enjoying your summers - playing, visiting, traveling, and of course reading!  My summer has been a lot of fun and I'll fill you in soon with lots of pictures and stories.  For now, though, I wanted to share with you a fun top-10 list that I've been thinking about a lot!  Lots of teachers, librarians, and readers of all types are participating in an event today, August 10th.  Mrs. Williams told me about it and I'm so glad she did.  The idea comes from two teachers.  (Here are their blogs - Reflect & Refine: Building a Learning Community and Enjoy and Embrace Learning).  It's called "August Picture Book 10 for 10" and it's all about picture books!

If you were in my class already, you know how much fun we have reading picture books - funny ones, serious ones, and always ones that have important messages.  I thought it would be fun to think of my top 10 favorite picture books of all time.  Then, I sat down to write the list and it was HARD!  Picking only 10 favorite picture books is not an easy task.  Once I felt good about my list, another book popped into my head and I'd have some tough decisions to make.  I found some awesome new picture books this summer, but how could I get rid of my old favorites?!  After lots of time thinking, I feel happy to share my list with you!  I promise that you won't be disappointed if you pick up any one of these at the library or the bookstore.  Here goes (in no particular order...)  Enjoy, readers!

Also, check out the other 4th grade teachers' top-10 lists!
Mrs. Williams at The Shiny Red Apple
Mrs. Merten at Ladybugs on Learning
Miss Farrell at The Shining Stars of Room 21

1. Rosie Revere, Engineer Written by Andrea Beaty & Illustrated by David Roberts

This book is new to me and I'm so grateful I found it!  I am always looking for books that are related to science and this one was not just about science (engineering), but had such an inspiring life lesson about perseverance, determination, and how making mistakes makes you smarter!  We will definitely be reading this in the fall!

2. The Kissing Hand Written by Audrey Penn & Illustrated by Ruth E. Harper & Nancy M. Leak

This is an old favorite, but it's still one that I treasure reading from beginning to end each time.  I remember very well the mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety when starting a new school year, especially about leaving my mom.  Now I read this book to my son, George.  I don't think he understands it yet, but it's sweet to think about him taking my love, confidence, and encouragement with him when he's not with me!

3. The Day the Crayons Quit Written by Drew Daywalt & Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

This book is just so clever and funny!  Seriously, it makes me laugh every time I read it.  Written in a series of letters from the crayons to their owner, Duncan, it is a great book to think about perspective / point of view.  Seriously, how funny is it when the peach crayon loses its wrapper and won't come out of the box because he's naked?!  I laugh out loud every time I read it!

4. How Rocket Learned to Read Written & Illustrated by Tad Hills

Learning to read and learning to LOVE reading are two of the highlights of my childhood and one of the reasons I love teaching elementary school so much!  This book captures readers' attention from the start and makes us feel as readers like we're going through those same wondrous feelings along with Rocket as he learns how books are adventures!  I love his teacher, the little yellow bird, most of all.

5. Harold and the Purple Crayon Written & Illustrated by Crockett Johnson

This is an old book, originally published in 1955, but a new find for me!  While I'd heard of Harold and the Purple Crayon in the past, I never actually read it until recently.  I love the unpredictable feeling that the book has - we never know where Harold is going to go next!  It makes you think of where you'd go if you had a crayon and could draw your own adventures as quickly as they came to mind.  The page about a "hungry moose and a deserving porcupine" eating leftover picnic pie always makes me giggle!

6. Abe Lincoln's Dream Written & Illustrated by Lane Smith

I just love Lane Smith's illustrations and this book is no different!  It's an interesting concept - a little girl visiting the White House on a field trip meets up with Abe Lincoln's ghost!  She fills him in on what the country's been up to since his presidency and what still needs to be done.  I like that the whole book feels like you're right there for the little girl and the president's conversation.  

7. The Seven Silly Eaters Written by Mary Ann Hoberman & Illustrated by Marla Frazee

This book was given to my son from a dear friend of mine and I am so grateful for it!  Mr. Adams and I frequently pick it off the shelf for bedtime stories and it's already become a family favorite because it's just so stinkin' fun to read aloud.  At school, I frequently recommend Mary Ann Hoberman's poetry for my students and this book features her telltale rhythm and rhyming along with valuable lessons on cooperation (and giving your mother a break!)

8. The Numberlys Written by William Joyce & Illustrated by William Joyce & Christina Ellis

Another new book (just released in May), this one caught my eye due to the illustrations, shiny front cover, and vertical orientation of the pages.  It's just really cool to look at!  Once you start reading, re-reading, and thinking about it, though, you realize that it's so much more than the spellbinding illustrations.  In a world made entirely out of numbers, five friends think there must be more to life.  Without numbers, there are no jelly beans, no colors, no books!  The friends work together to create something magical, but not after a few failures along the way.  Great book - I will definitely be reading this one in the fall!

9. The Polar Express Written & Illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg

Another old favorite!  I grew up reading The Polar Express and still am just as enchanted now when I open it up as when I was 7 years old.  The illustrations alone are breathtaking and the magical feeling that builds from the first page is infectious.  Just writing about it here makes me want to grab a cup of hot chocolate and curl up with The Polar Express right now!

10. The Dark Written by Lemony Snicket & Illustrated by Jon Klassen

This book was introduced to me by a colleague and, to be honest, I was creeped out the first time I read it.  "The Dark" is a character in this book - it has dialogue for goodness sakes!  Creepy!  Then, this book - the characters, the plot, the ending - kept popping into my head - in the car, while brushing my teeth, at night in the dark.  I couldn't stop thinking about it.  When I read and re-read this, it became less creepy and more empowering.  Lazlo, the main character, is afraid of the dark and by the end of the book he feels differently.  It makes me think about things I fear in a whole new "light."  (Pun intended!)