Circus Ship (Chris Van Dusen)

 

I first got to love Chris Van Dusen's work from the Mercy Watson series. The more I read his books, the more I think I could do an author study with them! His illustrations are awesome. 

The back of the book says the idea for this story came from a real life incident when a ship sailing from St Johnson New Brunswick to Portland, Maine that had been carrying some circus animals sank. What could have happened to those animals? In this book, he presents one idea! 

Goodreads says:

With stunning artwork and a rhyming text, the illustrator of the Mercy Watson books tells a tale of human-animal connection full of humor and heart.

When a circus ship runs aground off the coast of Maine, the poor animals are left on their own to swim the chilly waters. Staggering onto a nearby island, they soon win over the wary townspeople with their kind, courageous ways. So well do the critters blend in that when the greedy circus owner returns to claim them, villagers of all species conspire to outsmart the bloated blowhard. With buoyant rhymes and brilliantly caricatured illustrations evoking the early nineteenth century, Chris Van Dusen presents a hugely entertaining tale about the bonds of community — and a rare hidden-pictures spread for eagle-eyed readers of all ages.

Squidtoons: Exploring Ocean Science with Comics (Garfield Kwan and Dana Song)

Non-fiction graphic novels are a win! Lots of funny stuff and plenty of facts to satisfy kids. This one is a winner!

Goodreads says:

Dive deep into the latest, most interesting (and weirdest!) science about underwater creatures with Squidtoons!

These educational comics combine fun science facts about marine life and a strong environmental message. From whale vomit to bone-eating worms, narwhals to sea dragons, Squidtoons presents real ocean science in a series of easy-to-understand comics. Venture from the seashore to the deep sea, and learn about the ocean’s diverse life forms straight from the experts.

Stella Diaz Has Something To Say (Angela Dominguez)

This will be a great book for Grade 3 Book Club. The lessons are quite overt and easy to find, which is a great way for children to learn to discover the theme in a story. We could practice it as a class. This is also the Global Read Aloud book for this year. I am tossing around the idea of connecting with another class and also reading it aloud.  It was also a quick work to find Notice and Note Signposts.

Goodreads says:

In her first middle-grade novel, award-winning picture book author and illustrator Angela Dominguez tells a heartwarming story based on her own experiences growing up Mexican-American.

Stella Diaz loves marine animals, especially her betta fish, Pancho. But Stella Diaz is not a betta fish. Betta fish like to be alone, while Stella loves spending time with her mom and brother and her best friend Jenny. Trouble is, Jenny is in another class this year, and Stella feels very lonely.

When a new boy arrives in Stella's class, she really wants to be his friend, but sometimes Stella accidentally speaks Spanish instead of English and pronounces words wrong, which makes her turn roja. Plus, she has to speak in front of her whole class for a big presentation at school! But she better get over her fears soon, because Stella Díaz has something to say!

Stella Díaz Has Something to Say introduces an infectiously charming new character with relatable writing and adorable black-and-white art throughout. Simple Spanish vocabulary is also integrated within the text, providing a bilingual element.

The Rainbow Fish (Marcus Pfister)

My daughter has a video of this movie when she was little and she watched it over and over and over. It really does have a great story. I've never really thought about reading it in my classroom because I have always thought of it as a book for pre-schoolers. I think it could work though.

These guys do a fabulous job reading it:




Goodreads says:

The Rainbow Fish is an international bestseller and a modern classic. Eye-catching foilstamping, glittering on every page, offers instant child-appeal, but it is the universal message at the heart of this simple story about a beautiful fish, who learns to make friends by sharing his most prized possessions, that gives the book its lasting value.

My Old Pal Oscar (Amy Hest)

The illustrations in this book are beautiful. I am a fast reader and tend to skim though picture books but the topic of loss and the beautiful ocean pictures brought a sense of peace that made me want to slow down and really feel what the character was sharing. And also because dogs and oceans are good for the soul.

"I know what you want. You want to be pals. Well, we can't be pals. No sir. No way. Won't. Ever. Do. That. Again. Ever."

Goodreads says:

After a young boy’s beloved pet passes away, he encounters an adorable stray dog on the beach. The boy tries to walk away and ignore the cuddly creature, but the puppy continues to follow him, undeterred. Though the boy is still dealing with the pain of his loss and feels afraid to care about a new pet again, as the two walk the sand together, the boy slowly opens himself up to the joy of having a new dog in his life and making peace with the past.
 

New York Times bestselling Amy Hest and Amy Bates, the beloved team who created The Dog Who Belonged to No One, have created a touching story about new beginnings and how friendship and love have the power to heal.

Swimmy (Leo Lionni)

We read some of Leo Lionni's French stories when my children were in elementary school. His books are beautiful and usually involve animals.

I love the problem solving in this story. Swimmy escapes disaster and learns to be happy. When trying to talk his new fish friends into an adventure, he has to help them work through their fears. They come up with a great solution.

It would be good to use this book as an example of different styles of illustrations. It is quite unique and very beautiful.

Goodreads summary:

Deep in the sea there lives a happy school of little fish. Their watery world is full of wonders, but there is also danger, and the little fish are afraid to come out of hiding . . . until Swimmy comes along. Swimmy shows his friends how—with ingenuity and team work—they can overcome any danger. With its graceful text and stunning artwork, this Caldecott Honor Book deserves a place on every child’s shelf.