Flock of Shoes (Sarah Tsiang)

I totally get this kid! I have things I love and can't let go of even when it is time.

Goodreads summary:
Abby loves her pink and brown sandals with the lime green trim, and she wears them wherever she goes. But as summer draws to a close, Abby’s mom announces that it’s time for the sandals to go. Abby is determined to keep them on—until one day, while swinging at the park, her sandals flip off and fly away. All winter long, Abby wonders what her sandals are up to. Postcards of sandy white beaches and glorious sunsets reassure her that they are having a wonderful time in far away places. Come February, Abby realizes that she has also grown to love her cozy, comfy boots. As the warm weather comes, she watches sadly as they march off, but a swish in the sky announces the return of her pink and brown sandals—all ready for another summer of fun. Full of whimsy, this circular tale is enhanced by rich, evocative language and delicate pastel illustrations that are sure to delight any young child. 

Baa Baa Smart Sheep (Mark and Rowan Sommerset)

This book was a huge hit in my class. I'm sure a lot of people will look down their nose about this book since it involves poop and tricking. Perhaps a conversation about harmless tricks and not appropriate tricks would be a good follow up (or introduction). Or perhaps a lesson in gullibility?

All I know is they really loved it when I read it. Later in the week we had Family Literacy Day. They picked it to read with one of the dads. There was howls of laughter. Fun!


Goodreads summary:

Little Baa Baa is bored. When Quirky Turkey comes along, the opportunity to make some mischief proves too hard to resist.

Goodnight Already! (Jory John and Benji Davies)

Ever feel like no one around you understands you? This is a good one for that! I think this book is actually about me and Mr. Ackroyd. We seem to be opposite style sleepers. *sigh* Or is it about kids and adults?

Goodreads summary:

Meet Bear. He's exhausted. All he wants is to go to sleep. Meet Duck, Bear's persistent next-door neighbor. All he wants is to hang out . . . with Bear.

Jory John, author of All My Friends Are Dead, and Benji Davies join together to create this standout hilarious picture book that will make bedtime memorable.

This Is Not a Picture Book (Sergio Ruzzier)

I love how how the pictures could tell an entire story. When he says this one is difficult the pictures are all tricky and complicated objects. When he says some are funny everything on the page is weird and funny. When he same some are very sad, everything on the page is dead and burnt out and seems to have just endured a war.

Goodreads summary:

In this quirky yet sweet picture book about the joy and power of reading, Duck learns that even books without pictures can be fun. While he and his friend Bug may struggle at first to decipher their book, they stick with it, and before long they discover that not only can they read it, but it deserves a place on the shelf with all their favorite picture books. Author-artist Sergio Ruzzier has created a fanciful tribute to books of all kinds. It includes both words AND pictures.

Look Up! (Jung Jin-Ho)

There are very few words in this story. You have to pay attention to little details to get more from it. It is hard to notice that the main character is a girl in a wheelchair. You can really only tell in one picture, as far as I can see. Once one person looks up and notices her, other people do as well. Interesting symbolism about how we miss things and it just takes one person to make a difference for someone we don't usually see?


Goodreads summary:

Dramatic aerial views and an expressive, subtle palette tell a story about a wheelchair-bound girl looking down from her balcony at passersby below and urging them to Look up!

Dog walkers, a bike rider, a kite flier, and dozens of commuters walk by without taking any notice. Then a boy stops and looks up. He lies on the sidewalk so the girl can see him better. A woman joins him. Soon nine people and one dog are lying down and looking up. The girl looks up at the reader and smiles.

Art and text that are dramatic and elegant tell a story of kindness, compassion and friendship. This book was awarded an Opera Prima Honor at the Bologna Book Fair."

Postcards from Chicago (

Splat the Cat (Rob Scotton)

Read January 5, 2017 Cute story! It would be great to read this book in September when school starts. Splat has many of the feelings kids have when they're starting school. His attempts at trying to not go to school are quite funny and relate-able. The teacher is hilarious. Splat has a pet mouse, which of course, is going to cause a problem at cat school. We could see that one coming! We noticed that all the other cats are grey in this book and Splat is black.

Reread Sep 1, 2018 - My students mentioned that perhaps we should have read this on the first day of school. They caught on to the subtle humor where Splat is knocked over and it says "splat!" on the page. Many students were familiar with other books in the series and had comments about patterns in the series.

Goodreads summary:

It's Splat's first day of school and he's worried. What if he doesn't make any new friends? Just in case, Splat decides to bring along his pet mouse, Seymour, and hides him in his lunchbox. The teacher, Mrs. Wimpydimple, introduces Splat to the class and he soon starts learning all his important cat lessons. But when Seymour escapes and the cats do what cats do (they chase mice!), Splat's worried again. Maybe now he'll lose all his friends, old and new! Just in time, wise Mrs. Wimpydimple takes charge and teaches everyone an important new lesson. Maybe Cat School is going to be okay after all!