Shopping? Let's Get Started! Early Elementary Ideas

Holidays are upon us. Some suggestions for ages 5 and up.
To start, check out
New York Public Library's, 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
and my holiday list from last year
and School Library Journal's list of 100 Greatest Picture Books.

Recent Gems for Emerging Readers

Aggie the Brave by Lori Ries. Although Ben is worried about his dog Aggie when the veterinarian spays her and while she recovers, he comes up with a comic and kind solution to her humiliation at wearing a cone on her head.








Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator by Mo Willems. Amanda and her alligator have lots of fun together, but when Amanda’s grandfather buys her a panda, Alligator must learn to make new friends.




Any Elephant & Piggie title by Mo Willems. Friendship, empathy, vanity, rationalization and joy in these fabulous early readers. For more about the genius of Mo Willems, read his speech and this analysis.




Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo. Two roller-skating best friends--one tiny, one tall--share three comical adventures involving outrageously bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion.




Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! by Grace Lin. Ling and Ting are identical twins that people think are exactly the same, but time and again they prove to be different.





Dodsworth in Rome by Tim Egan. Dodsworth and his duck companion have a lovely time in Rome, even though the duck tries to improve the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and takes all the coins from the Trevi Fountain. The whole Dodsworth series is a treat.



Fabulous picture books to share:

Art and Max by David Wiesner. Max wants to be an artist like Arthur, but his first attempt at using a paintbrush sends the two friends on a whirlwind trip through various media, with unexpected consequences.




April and Esme, Tooth Fairies by Bob Graham. On their first assignment, two young tooth fairy sisters journey by night into the huge world of humans to collect Daniel Dangerfield’s tooth and fly it safely home.




Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown. When Lucy, a young bear, discovers a boy lost in the woods, she asks her mother if she can have him as a pet, only to find him impossible to train.




LMNO Peas by Keith Baker. Busy little peas introduce their favorite occupations, from astronaut to zoologist.





Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein. Little Red Chicken wants Papa to read her a bedtime story, but interrupts him almost as soon as he begins each tale.




Lucky Beans by Becky Birtha. During the Great Depression, Marshall uses lessons learned in arithmetic class and guidance from his mother to figure out how many beans are in a jar in order to win her a new sewing machine in a contest.




Pecan Pie Baby by Jacqueline Woodson. When Mama’s pregnancy draws attention away from Gia, she worries that the special bond they share will disappear forever once the baby is born.





A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Christian Stead. Zookeeper Amos McGee always makes time to visit his friends who live at the zoo until the day he stays home because he is sick.




Socksquatch by Frank Dormer. Socksquatch tries to find a sock to warm his cold foot.





Dust Devil by Anne Isaacs. Having moved to Montana from Tennessee in the 1830s, fearless Angelica Longrider--also known as Swamp Angel--changes the state’s landscape, tames a wild horse, and captures some desperadoes. Sequel to Swamp Angel, another fabulous tall tale.



Joha Makes a Wish by Eric Kimmel. An original story, based on the Joha tales of the Arabic-speaking world, in which a hapless man finds a wishing stick that brings him nothing but bad luck. Includes an author’s note about the history of Joha tales.



Zen Ghosts by Jon Muth. On Halloween night, Stillwater the giant panda tells Karl, Addy, and Michael a spooky and unusual story. Based on a Zen koan.





Banana by Ed Vere. Colorful illustrations and brief text show how two monkeys learn to share when there is only one banana between them.

Grandpa Green by Lane Smith. A child explores the ordinary life of his extraordinary great-grandfather, as expressed in his topiary garden

Yucky Worms by Vivian French. While helping Grandma in the garden, a child learns about the important role of the earthworm in helping plants grow.





How To Clean a Hippopotamus by Steve Jenkins. A series of illustrations describing some of the most unusual relationships between various animals in the wild.





For older children:

These Hands by Margaret Mason. An African American man tells his grandson about a time when, despite all the wonderful things his hands could do, they could not touch bread at the Wonder Bread factory. Based on stories of bakery union workers; includes historical note.

Winter's Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again by Juliana Hatkoff. Recounts the true story of Winter, a dolphin who lost her tail and had to relearn how to swim using a specially-created prosthetic tail.

Back of the Bus by Aaron Reynolds. From the back of the bus, an African American child watches the arrest of Rosa Parks.




And, just off the top of my head, a grandparent asked me for a list for her 4 year old grandson and I listed these favorites:

Karen Beaumont, I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!
Bonnie Becker, A Visitor for Bear
Suzanne Bloom, A Splendid Friend Indeed
anything by Eric Carle
Pam Conrad, The Tub People
Anna Dewdney, Llama Llama Red Pajama and sequels
Jules Feiffer, Bark George
Crockett Johnson, Harold and The Purple Crayon
anything by Leo Lionni
Kate McMullan, I Stink! and I'm Dirty!
Eric Rohmann, A Kitten Tale
Esphyr Slobodkina, Caps for Sale
Linda Urban, Mouse Was Mad


And apropos of nothing, I loved this video about the Anchorage Public Library that Anna Watkins, our fabulous high school librarian, sent me. If the embed doesn't work, click here.
And please click the comments button below to share what you loved about your public library as a child.