The Good Egg

Summary: The Good Egg by Jory John and Pete Oswald considered a children’s fiction Picture Book story for grades kindergarten- second. The Good Egg is about the one good egg in the carton, while the other 11 eggs in his carton aren’t so good. The Good Egg is the only one keeping his friends in line when they misbehave. One day, he's finally had enough and sets out on an adventure of self-discovery. He roams the land, grows a beard, finds ritual and relaxation, and learns enough about himself -- and others -- to finally find happiness and acceptance.

Art Style: Almost every page is wrapped in color and humor, making it appealing and relatable for young kids. Every page is fun and playful, and the overall message is a valuable one for readers of any age.

Personal Thoughts: Personally, I love how this funny adventure is full of great messages about the importance of balance, self-care, and acceptance of self and others. The stress that the Good Egg experiences because of others' behavior and things he has no control over, and the methods he learns to use to heal and prioritize his own well-being I believe will help children as well. HE learned about courage, contemplation, leisure, meditation, etc. all great things that children should learn about.

Discussion Questions:

Why does the Good Egg get so stressed out when the other eggs misbehave?

Do you get bothered by the activity and energy of those around you?

What helps you keep calm and not get upset?

Motivational Activities:

One activity to help students understand that they aren’t in control of or responsible for others’ behaviors, I would talk about what’s in and out of their control. I would have them trace their hands and then have them write the things that are in their control inside the hand and things that are not in their control outside the hand.

Another activity that I would have planned out is to help students with self-care. I would do a self-assessment first. I would have the students think about what they are currently struggling with and how they are dealing with it. Then have them look at their strategies and see if they are healthy or less healthy ways of managing pressures. I will have students choose 1-2 strategies from the healthy list to practice throughout the week. I will also remind students that not all self-care activities work for each person and it takes practice to find self-care activities that work for them!

If you enjoyed this book, check out some other books written by Jory John and/or Pete Oswald!

Some Examples:

The Terrible Two

The Bad Seed

Goodnight Already!

Resources:

John, J., & Oswald, P. (2019). The good egg. New York: HarperCollins Childrens Books.

The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story

Summary: The First Strawberries by Joseph Bruchac and Anna Vojtech is considered a children’s folklore for grades kindergarten- second. This book is a re-telling of a Cherokee legend, which explains how strawberries came to be. Long ago, the first man and woman quarreled. The woman left in anger, but the Sun sent tempting berries to Earth to slow the wife's retreat.

Art Style: I love almost every page of this book, because of the glowing paintings which perfectly complements the simple, lyrical text. She uses bright colors to keep the reader’s attention and to lighten the mood.

Personal Thoughts: Personally, I love everything about this story, I am signed up with the Dolly Parton series, and this was one of the books that I received. I absolutely would read it repeatedly. This would be a nice story for children who are studying the Cherokee people and folklore. The values and life lessons in this story are relatable and shows is about knowing when to stand up for yourself, apologize for your actions, and to forgive and move on.

Discussion Questions:

What is the woman doing in the picture on the cover of the book?

What was life like for the man and the woman at the beginning of the story?  

How did the man express his anger?

How did the strawberries help the woman to forgive?

Motivational Activities:

One activity that I would do is have my students retell the story by making paper bag puppets of the characters (the man, woman, sun, strawberries, etc.) and use them to retell the story in a puppet show.

Another activity that I would have planned out is (hopefully) have a strawberry farmer visit the class and talk about how strawberries grow, propagate by tubulars rather than seeds, etc. I would have each student ask at least one question.

If you enjoyed this book, check out some other books written by Joseph Bruchac and Anna Vojtech!

Some Examples:

A Tree Can Be…

Bartleby of the Mighty Mississippi

Elephant Walk

Resources:

Bruchac, J., & Vojtech, A. (2013). The first strawberries: A Cherokee story. Columbus, O.H.: Zaner-Bloser.

Rainbow Soup Adventure in Poetry

Summary: Rainbow Soup: Adventures in Poetry by Neal Layton and Brian Cleary is considered a children’s poetry book intended for children in grades third-fifth. This book is a fun way for students to learn about different types of poetry. The author includes short explanations of each type of poem with his humorous verses. This fun collection has something for everyone!

Art Style: I love almost every illustration in this poem book. With every poem that is written in this story, the illustration follows along with it. They are hilarious and bring a lot of meaning into the text.   

Personal Thoughts: Personally, I love everything about poems, funny, sad, real, etc. They are a much easier read for me, and this book provides many different examples, and it even tells what type of poem each one is, and it provides an index for words that children wouldn’t be able to understand.

Discussion Questions:

What are some of the different types of poems?

What is your favorite type of poem and why?

Do all poems have to be funny? Do they have to make sense?

Motivational Activities:

One activity that I would do is have my students create their own poem. I would do it in a fun way though. The students will be able to choose what type of poem that they want, but they have to choose from my box what their topic will be. My box will include funny topics such as, socks, toes, teeth, hair, animals, etc.

This activity also ties in with my first one, but after the students are done with their poems, I would collect them and send them off to create our very own classroom book. Students will be able to check out our classroom book and will be able to read it at any time.

If you enjoyed this book, check out some other books written by Neal Layton and/or Brian Cleary!

Some Examples:

Bow-Tie Pasta

How Long and How Wide?

A Dollar, a Penny, How Much and How Many?

Resources:

Cleary, B. P., & Layton, N. (2011). Rainbow soup: Adventures in poetry. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda.

If You Decide to Go to the Moon

Summary: If You Decide to Go to the Moon by Faith McNulty and Steven Kellogg is considered a children’s science fiction intended for children in grades Kindergarten -Fifth. In this book, readers accompany a boy on a trip to the moon. It’s a wonderful combination of poetry and science: the boy must prepare properly, spend two and a half days in a ship, contemplate the immensity of space, bounce around the moon’s airless, waterless grey surface, and find a way to get home.

Art Style: I believe that through the illustrations, children can imagine what outer space looks like. This book will encourage their fascination with the moon, Earth, and everything in between. The illustrations in the book give children the opportunity to engage with the text. 

Personal Thoughts: I believe that this is a great science fiction story for kids in 4th-5th Grade! It is a great picture book with vast amounts of detail to get students interested in space and scientific content! I would use this in my classroom as an introduction to a lesson about the moon and its relationship with earth. It could be a great read aloud to peak student's interest since it is a story that involves real facts!

Discussion Questions:

What would you pack if you went to the moon?

When you see the moon in the sky, do you see the whole moon? Why or why not?

What do you think we will need to do before we go? What will we need to take with us? How will we get there?

Motivational Activities:

When I was younger, I loved the whole “if you were stranded on an island and could only have one thing what would it be and why?” So, for my first activity, I would ask the students, if they were to go to the moon and could only bring three things with them what would they be? I would have them write their essay based off of these questions.

Another way to incorporate this into the classroom would be to have them read this story, and then utilize a writing activity by having them discuss and reflect on three things they took away from the story!

If you enjoyed this book, check out some other books written by Faith McNulty and/or Steven Kellogg!

Some Examples:

The Lady and the Spider

Endangered Animals

When I lived with Bats

Resources:

McNulty, F., & Kellogg, S. (2014). If you decide to go to the moon. New York, NY: Scholastic.

I am Rosa Parks

Summary: I am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer is considered a children’s biography intended for children in grades PreK -Second. This book narrates Rosa Parks' daring effort to stand up for herself and other African Americans by helping to end segregation on public transportation. It provides a lot of examples and proof as to what Rosa Parks did, I highly recommend not only this story, but this whole series to be used in a classroom.

Art Style: I believe that the illustrations show a lot of emotion and captures the readers with the truth as to what Rosa Parks did. It provides multiple pictures throughout and even a timeline of the events.

Personal Thoughts: I believe that this engaging series is the perfect way to bring American history to life for young children, providing them with the right role models, supplementing some curriculum in the classroom, and inspiring them to strive and dream.

Discussion Questions:

Can separate be equal? Why or why not?

What do you know about Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement? Segregation?

How do you protest something you don’t like? How do you effect change?

Motivational Activities:

I would have my students first create a timeline for Rosa Parks in the classroom with their group. After presenting their timelines, I would ask the students to go home and talk with their families about what their timeline would consist of (big events and milestones). I would give them about a week to gather and create their final product, and I would have them present it to the class.

Another activity I would do is have the students brainstorm something that they think needs to change, it could be anything (example there shouldn’t be uniforms in school). I would have them create their own picket sign and present.

If you enjoyed this book, check out some other books written by Brad Meltzer!

Some Examples:

I am Helen Keller

I am Albert Einstein

I am George Washington

Resources:

Parks, R., Haskins, J., & Clay, W. (2011). I am Rosa Parks. New York: Penguin Young Readers.

The Ugly Duckling

Summary: The Ugly Duckling by Sarah Delmege is considered a Fairytale book intended for children in grades Kindergarten -Second. This book is about a duck who does not seem to fit in with the other ducklings. Because he is very different from the rest, he is picked on and left out by the other ducklings in the pond. Eventually the ugly duckling gets tired of being made fun of and being left out, so he ends up running away from the pond and runs into a few other creatures. After a long journey, the duck realizes he is a beautiful swan, not an ugly duckling.

Art Style: I believe that the illustrations show a lot of emotion and captures the readers with the bright colors. I believe that the children reading this story would be so into the pictures, they are so life like.

Personal Thoughts: I believe that this story can teach a lot of different things. For example, being different and bullying. This book would make a great fit into a unit of being different of bullying. It shows that it’s okay to be different. I also like that this story is a simple retelling story which will help the children with their speech and language skills.

Discussion Questions:

Why did the ugly duckling run away from the pond?

What were some things that you think made the duckling "ugly" in this story?

How did you feel when the other ducklings were being mean to him?

Motivational Activities:

If I were to use this in a lesson with my kindergartners, I would most likely ask the children if they have ever chosen not to play with someone because they looked, behaved, or dressed differently? I believe that role playing ways to be a good/kind friend to others will help them to see and understand why they need to be nice, and how to incorporate it in real life.

Another activity that I would do is have them create their own animal tale. For the students that struggle with creating a story I will have them create a rough draft by filling in the blanks on a story that I have created. The students will have to fill in their animals, for example “Once upon a time, a little _______ went for a walk. He met some mean ___....” Eventually I would have them expand.

If you enjoyed this book, check out some other books written by Sarah Delmege!

Some Examples:

The Gingerbread Man

My life as a Pup

Three Little Pigs

Resources:

Delmege, S., & Lovsin, P. (2012) The ugly duckling. New York, NY: Parragon Books.

Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom

Summary: Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom by Shane W. Evans is a historical fiction book intended for children in grades PreK-Fifth. This book is about a family who silently crawls underground. They run barefoot through dark woods, sleep beneath bushes, and take shelter in a kind stranger's home. This story shows the journey of a family who are heading for Freedom by way of the Underground Railroad.

Art Style: The illustrations, I believe, are what makes this book shine. They are dark, with the houses barely different from the night sky. They’re done with quick dark lines and rough pencil shading. In some images, you can hardly make out the escaping slaves in the darkness. The sprinkling of stars in many of the pictures, the frightening light of a slave catcher’s torch, or the soft glow of a lantern on a way station porch is often the only bright spot in the entire page.

Personal Thoughts: I believe that teaching difficult topics (like slavery or the holocaust) to children can be hard but are obviously necessary. Books like this do a nice job of remaining age appropriate but still telling a story.

Discussion Questions:

What roles do wealthy people play, or people of other races?

How might the mood of the story be changed if he had used different words or pictures?

Where are they heading? How? Why?

Motivational Activities:

One of the most striking features of Underground is its simple, yet effectively terse text. I would engage students in a discussion about how Evans manages to convey so much with so few words. This may naturally involve discussions and activities involving synonyms and deliberations about the different connotations certain synonyms have. I will encourage students to revisit some of their own writing and try revising their language with more precise, concise, and powerful words.

Evans employs both language and illustration to evoke a particular mood in Underground. I would ask the students “How might the mood of the story be changed if he had used different words or pictures?” For example, the book opens with just two words: “The darkness.” I would have students write a short story that specifically highlights a certain mood—or have them revisit a piece they have already begun and revise it to really emphasize the mood they want their audience to feel.

If you enjoyed this book, check out some other books written by Shane Evans!

Some Examples:

Chocolate Me!

Mixed Me

We March

Homemade Love

Resources:

Evans, S. (2015). Underground: Finding the light to freedom. New York: Square Fish/Roaring Brook Press.

Underground by Shane Evans. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/books/underground-by-shane-evans/