Two (Kathryn Otoshi)

So many puns and so much fun. We loved Zero and One. This is a great one too.

Goodreads says:

Two is best friends with One. Whenever they'd get the chance, they'd dance! She'd sing and snap. He'd tappity-tap. What a pair they made! At the end of each day, they'd always say, "ONE, TWO, I'll count on you, 'til the end, we'll be best friends." Until Three jumps in between them . . . Suddenly One only wants to play with Three. "ONE, THREE, odds we'll be!" they chant. Two feels left out. But what can she do? Another character-building counting book by award-winning author Kathryn Otoshi, Two is a powerful story of friendship, loss, letting go, and self-discovery.

Where's the Baboon? (by Michaël Escoffier)

We thought this would be a really fun read with Reading Buddies. We could read the big words and the grade ones could figure out the little words in the words. Lots of fun! The pictures were very interesting too.

Goodreads says:

Step right up, fearless readers! Today, in this very book, we will PROVE to you that a snake can hide in a snowflake, that pigs can paint, and that the ones who copy the most are not necessarily cats! Prepare to be AMAZED by the game of hide-n-seek the words play! These tricksters are true experts in the art of camouflage!

Michaël Escoffier was born in France in 1970. Raised by a family of triceratops, he discovered his passion for writing and telling stories at a young age. He lives in Lyon with his wife and two children.

Kris Di Giacomo is an American who has lived in France since childhood. She has illustrated over twenty-five books for French publishers, which have been translated into many languages. This is her seventh book with Enchanted Lion Books. 

The Upper Case: Trouble in Capital City (Tara Lazar)

Tara Lazar did it again. This story is hilarious. There is so much on every page that we could have stopped and discussed all the way through. Instead, I read it and took note of when they caught the puns. It is a story that my kids will read again and again and discover new funny things each time, I'm sure.

Goodreads says:

Just when Private I thinks all is calm-now that he's cracked the case of 7 Ate 9-Question Mark storms into the office.
Mark is worried. All the uppercase letters are M-I-S-S-I-N-G! But that's absurd. This is CAPITAL City!
Private I is the last letter standing. Will he solve his BIGGEST mystery yet, the UPPER CASE, before it's too late?!
Filled with the same humor, wit, and quirkiness of the hit 7 Ate 9: The Untold Story, comes another laugh-out-loud whodunit.

The Friend Ship (Kat Yeh)

Super cute and with just enough of a repetitive pun that my students felt pretty clever about catching on to it. They also liked feeling like they figured out that they were all enjoying friendship before the animals realized it. Sometimes we need the reminder that the best things in life are sometimes right in front of us.

Goodreads says:

Little Hedgehog is very lonely. But then she overhears passersby talking about something that gives her hope-something called a Friend Ship!

Hedgehog imagines a ship filled with friends of all kinds, and soon she's ready to hit the open seas in a boat of her own to track it down. Along the way, she meets other lonely animals eager to join her quest.

They search north. They search south. They search east. But Hedgehog and her new friends can't find the Ship anywhere! Until she realizes she knows just where the Friend Ship is. . .

This heartwarming tale by Kat Yeh, with charming illustrations by Chuck Groenink, proves that sometimes, what you're searching for is right in front of you.

7 Ate 9: The Untold Story (Tara Lazar)

There were so many puns in here that it was hard to stop and help my students appreciate them all - but I enjoyed them! This is a book we could read again and again and find something new to laugh at every time.


Goodreads says:

6 has a problem.

Everyone knows that 7 is always after him. Word on the street is that 7 ate 9. If that's true, 6's days are numbered. Lucky for him, Private I is on the case. But the facts just don't add up.

It's odd.

Will Private I put two and two together and solve the problem . . . or is 6 next in line to be subtracted?

Looniverse: Stranger Things

I'm learning how to do better book talks and get kids excited about a book. One of the sure fire tricks is to read the first couple of chapters. Then everyone is dying to read the rest.

I took it home and finished it...because I felt the same way. I needed to know what happens! When I finished it I thought, "Gee, this seems familiar!" Then it struck me. David Lubar! We read Punished for the Battle of the Books a few years ago. This one is pretty similar.

The Branches series are great for kids not quite into chapter books just yet.

Goodreads says:

This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

Porcupining: A Prickly Love Story (Lisa Wheeler)

This seemed like a great one for Valentine's Day! He sings a song again and again about his search for a wife.

I liked that the purcupine set a great example of kind words (okay, pretty nice words...he tried) with everyone he met.

My students were captivated by this story and had a good laugh.

Goodreads says:
What could be more poignant than a porcupine pining for a companion? With pun-filled prose and pleasing pictures, this passionate tale of love and friendship between two prickly creatures in a petting zoo makes a perfect read aloud (and a sublime Valentine).

That Stinks (Alan Katz)

This would be a good book to go with an Amelia Bedilia read aloud. The books is full of puns.

The illustrations are amazing! Great expression on the faces of these kids. You could also use this book for writing about how someone is feeling by describing their expression and stance.

Goodreads says:

From humorist Alan Katz and illustrator Stephen Gilpin comes a very punny picture book about a series of show-and-tell misunderstandings.

When the teacher says it’s too rainy to go outside for recess and the kids must stay inside for show and tell, she gets an unexpected reaction: “That stinks!” exclaims Jimmy. The class gasps—but then it turns out Jimmy has brought a skunk for show and tell! “Aw, nuts!” says Susie. She’s brought pecans, almonds, and walnuts. Yum! Kids will love shouting these exclamations and more along with the characters in this brand-new picture book from comedy writer Alan Katz, brought vividly to life with cartoonish illustrations by Stephen Gilpin.

Chopsticks (Amy Krouse Rosenthal)

The other day when we read The Straight Line Wonder I was doing a little research to figure out if Marc Rosenthal is related to Amy Rosenthal. I still don't know the answer. Along the way though, I found a fun new book of Amy Krouse Rosenthal's!

There are a ton of hilarious little puns and jokes in here. My students have enjoyed reading it together and finding more and more laughs each time.

Goodreads says:

Meet Chopsticks! They've been best friends forever. But one day, this inseparable pair comes to a fork in the road. And for the very first time, they have to figure out how to function apart. From New York Times best-selling author Amy Krouse Rosenthal and rising artistic talent Scott Magoon, this witty and inventive tale celebrates both independence and the unbreakable bonds of friendship. 

The Alphabet Thief (Bill Richardson)

Clever! Great for phonemic awareness. It is full of all sorts of puns too, which are great for discussion in class.

It was interesting to see who could quickly figure out what the new words would be when the letters were taken by the alphabet thief.

And best of all, it's a Canadian author! Thanks for helping me get to my goal of 150 Canadian books this year :)


Goodreads summary:

The alphabet thief stole all of the B’s, and all of the bowls became owls…

When night falls, along comes a peculiar thief who steals each letter of the alphabet, creating a topsy-turvy world as she goes. It seems that no one can stop her, until the Z’s finally send her to sleep so that all the other letters can scamper back to where they belong.

Bill Richardson’s zany rhymes and Roxanna Bikadoroff’s hilarious illustrations will delight young readers with the silly fun they can have with language — and may even inspire budding young writers and artists to create their own word games.