Miss Nelson is Missing by Henry Allard and James Marshall
Picture Book Favorites
Book Summary: Miss Nelson was the nicest teacher in the school. She never yelled and she gave the easiest assignments. She was always smiling and cheery, even when her students cut up in class or would not open their arithmetic books nor pay attention during story hour.
Until one day Miss Nelson did not come to school – a substitute teacher came instead. What an opportunity for everyone to be even more naughty. Not so! Miss Swamp immediately laid down the law – no talking, no goofing off in class – and she gave every student loads of homework.
Click, Clack, Moo Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
Book Summary: Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows like to type. All day long he hears:
Click, clack, MOO.
Click, clack, MOO.
Clickety, clack, MOO.
But Farmer Brown's problems REALLY begin when his cows start leaving him notes....
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
Book Summary: Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: We quit! Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown. Blue needs a break from coloring all that water, while Pink just wants to be used. Green has no complaints, but Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun.
What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best?
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
Book Summary: A box is just a box... unless it's not a box. From mountain to rocket ship, a small rabbit shows that a box will go as far as the imagination allows.
Inspired by a memory of sitting in a box on her driveway with her sister, Antoinette Portis captures the thrill when pretend feels so real that it actually becomes real — when the imagination takes over and inside a cardboard box, a child is transported to a new world where anything is possible.
Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Book Summary: Good night, Gorilla. Good night, Elephant. It's bedtime at the zoo, and all the animals are going to sleep. Or are they? Who's that short, furry guy with the key in his hand and the mischievous grin?
Good night, Giraffe. Good night, Hyena.
Sneak along behind the zookeeper's back, and see who gets the last laugh in this riotous good-night romp.
The Dot by Peter Reynolds
Book Summary: Her teacher smiled. "Just make a mark and see where it takes you."
Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can't draw - she's no artist. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. "There!" she says.
That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti's journey of surprise and self-discovery.
No, David! by David Shannon
Book Summary: When David Shannon was five years old, he wrote and illustrated his first book. On every page were these words:
No, David! ...And a picture of David doing things he was not supposed to do. But some things never change...
Here's the semi-autobiographical story of writer and artist David Shannon, the once little kid who broke all his mother's rules. He chewed with his mouth open (and full of food), he jumped on the furniture, and he broke his mother's vase! As a result, all David ever heard his mother say was "No, David!", and this is his story.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
Book Summary: For 53 years, the Grinch has lived in a cave on the side of a mountain, looming above the Whos in Whoville. The noisy holiday preparations and infernal singing of the happy little citizens below annoy him to no end.
The Grinch decides this frivolous merriment must stop. His "wonderful, awful"idea is to don a Santa outfit, strap heavy antlers on his poor, quivering dog Max, construct a makeshift sleigh, head down to Whoville, and strip the chafingly cheerful Whos of their Yuletide glee once and for all.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Book Summary: "Once there was a tree...and she loved a little boy."
So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein.
Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk...and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave.