Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business: Esphyr Slobodkina

Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business

Author/Illustrator: Esphyr Slobodkina
Publisher: Viking Press
Publication Year: 1987
Brief Summary: A peddler loses his collection of caps to a group of mischievous monkeys.
Awards, Honors and Prizes:

Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002 ; California Department of Education

Ideas for using this book in classroom or library and/or brief notes on curriculum connections/content learning standards/Common Core, etc.:

• Talk about different color/pattern caps…give children each a cap template and have them design the caps.
• Math – counting number of caps; make a number pattern with the different caps.  Given four different colors, what kind of patterns can the hats be arranged?

Special features included (if applicable) — index; timeline; author’s notes; further reading; etc.   

Accessed at: Thrasher Elementary Library

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A Chair for My Mother: Vera B. Williams

A Chair For My Mother

Author/Illustrator: Vera B. Williams
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Year: 1982
Brief Summary: A family saves up for a new chair when their old one burned down in a house fire.
Awards, Honors and Prizes:

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children”s Literature, 1983′ ‘ Winner’ ‘ Illustration’ ‘ United States’ ” ‘
Parents” Choice Award, 2003′ ‘ Gold’ ‘ Best 25 Books in 25 Years’ ‘ United States’ ” ‘
Randolph Caldecott Medal, 1983′ ‘ Honor Book’ ” ‘ United States’ ” ‘Books That Comfort Us, 2002 ; Bank Street College of Education
Books to Read Aloud to Children of All Ages, 2003 ; Bank Street College of Education
Children’s Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001 ; H.W. Wilson
Children’s Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006 ; H.W. Wilson
Recommended Literature: Kindergarten through Grade Twelve, 2002 ; California Department of Education
Suggested Books for the Boys and Girls Club of America List, 2001 ; ALSC American Library Association

Ideas for using this book in classroom or library and/or brief notes on curriculum connections/content learning standards/Common Core, etc.:

• Social Studies: Discuss budgeting/saving/spending.
• Math — review coins and paper bills.  Give children pretend money and a flyer for furniture store, and see what they can afford, or what they would choose using the money they had. Have them do the math to make sure they have enough to cover the cost of their purchase.

Special features included (if applicable) — index; timeline; author’s notes; further reading; etc.   

Accessed at: Thrasher Elementary Library

Have You Seen My Duckling?: Nancy Tafuti

Have You Seen My Duck?

Author/Illustrator: Nancy Tafuti
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Year: 1984
Brief Summary: A mother duck looks for her one missing duck.
Awards, Honors and Prizes:

• Randolph Caldecott Medal, 1985′ ‘ Honor Book’ ” ‘ United States’ ‘
• Children’s Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001 ; H.W. Wilson
  Children’s Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006 ; H.W. Wilson

Ideas for using this book in classroom or library and/or brief notes on curriculum connections/content learning standards/Common Core, etc.:

• Practice counting
• Near wordless book: have kids supply words to the narrative
• Name all the animals you see in the book
• Science: discuss setting of book and habitat — what kind of plants grow in the settling?

Special features included (if applicable) — index; timeline; author’s notes; further reading; etc. 

Accessed at: Thrasher Elementary Library

Press Here: Hervae Tullet

Press Here

Author/Illustrator: Hervae Tullet
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Publication Year: 2011
Brief Summary: This simple but innovative book invites readers to interact with the illustrations.  Wonderful things happen when children press, shake, tilt, and do other things with the book and its contents.

Awards, Honors and Prizes:

• Cybil Award, 2011 Finalist Fiction Picture Book United States
• E.B. White Read Aloud Award, 2012 Finalist Picture Book United States
• Mind the Gap Award, 2012 Batteries not required United Statesundefined
• Amazon Editors’ Picks: Top 10 Books, 2011
• Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2012 ; Bank Street College of Education
• Choices, 2012 ; Cooperative Children’s Book Center
• Horn Book Fanfare, 2011 ; Horn Book
• Kirkus Best Children’s Books, 2011
• Kirkus Book Review Stars, March 1, 2011
• New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2011 ; New York Public Library
• Notable Children’s Books, 2012 ; ALSC American Library Association
• Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Books, 2011
• Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, January 31, 2011 ; Cahners
• School Library Journal Book Review Stars, April 2011 ; Cahners

 Ideas for using this book in classroom or library and/or brief notes on curriculum connections/content learning standards/Common Core, etc.:

• Encourage students to play with the book.  What does this book remind you of?  (iPads, perhaps?)
• Do you prefer reading a traditional book or books on iPads, Kindle, or other electronic formats?  Why?  Make a chart about the advantages and disadvantages of traditional/electronic books.
• Discuss shapes and colors
• Math – count the dots

Special features included (if applicable) — index; timeline; author’s notes; further reading; etc. N/A

Accessed at: B&N

Millions of Cats: Wanda Gag

Millions of Cats

Author/Illustrator: Wanda Gag
Publisher: Coward-McCann
Publication Year: 1928
Brief Summary: A very old man sets out to find the perfect cat for him and his wife.

Awards, Honors and Prizes:

• John Newbery Medal, 1929 Honor Book United States

Ideas for using this book in classroom or library:

• Review counting and number concept — how big is ten, hundred, thousand, million, etc.  What are different ways we can talk about numbers?
• Have children draw and decorate their special cat — then have them put it on a poster/bulletin board with the rhyme.
• Read an informational book about different cat breeds…what is the student’s favorite?  Make a chart to see if any one type of cat is the most popular.
• What makes a perfect pet?  Are some more appropriate depending on the house you live in?  The kind of neighborhood?  Describe your perfect pet.
• What do you need to do to take care of a pet?
• Plan a field trip to an animal shelter.
• Other lesson ideas can be found at http://minnesotahumanities.org/resources/MNMillionsofCats.pdf

Brief notes on curriculum connections/content learning standards/Common Core/etc.

• Text-to-self connections
• Text-to-world connections
• Social studies: taking care of pets
• Science: study of cats/pets
• Math – chart making; taking polls

Special features included (if applicable) — index; timeline; author’s notes; further reading; etc.
Accessed at: Thrasher Elementary Library

Just a Minute: Yuyi Morales

Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book

Author/Illustrator: Yuyi Morales
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Publication Year: 2003
Brief Summary: Learn how to count in English and Spanish as Grandma Beetle stalls Senor Calavera, who arrives to take her way on the day of her birthday.

Awards, Honors and Prizes:

• Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature, 2003 Winner United States
• California Book Awards, 2003 Silver Medal Juvenile United States
• Golden Kite Award, 2004 Honor Picture Book Illustration United States
• Latino Book Awards, 2004 Winner Best Children’s Picture Book-English United States
• Northern California Book Award, 2004 Nominee Children’s Literature United States
• Parents’ Choice Award, 2003 Approved Picture Book United States
• Pura Belpre Award, 2004 Winner Illustrator United States
• Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, 2004 Winner Texas
• Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2004 ; Bank Street College of Education
• Booklist Book Review Stars, Dec. 1, 2003 ; American Library Association
• Capitol Choices, 2004 ; The Capitol Choices Committee
• Children’s Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006 ; H.W. Wilson
• Choices, 2004 ; Cooperative Children’s Book Center
• Kirkus Book Review Stars, October 15, 2003
• Notable Children’s Books, 2004 ; ALSC American Library Association
• Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association, 2004 ; Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association

Ideas for using this book in classroom or library:

• counting in English and Spanish; have kids make a bilingual number mini-book
• look into Mexican culture…how does this family celebrate a birthday?  How is this different from how we celebrate birthdays?  Do you have special birthday traditions in your house?

Brief notes on curriculum connections/content learning standards/Common Core/etc.

• Social studies: Mexican culture
• Math: counting

Special features included (if applicable) — index; timeline; author’s notes; further reading; etc.
Accessed at: Thrasher Elementary Library