Picture Book Prompts 2

Terrible Storm, by Carol Otis Hurst with pictures by S.D. Schindler, is based on a true story of the author’s two grandfathers. In their later years, the grandfathers both recalled their experience in the devastating storm of 1888 in New England.

As young men, the shy and reserved Grandfather was stranded and required to spend three days in a busy Tavern. On the other hand the outgoing grandfather, that frequently visited his friends in the Tavern, was stranded alone at his farm.

Both remembered it as a ‘terrible storm’ as they experienced the very thing that the other thought was idyllic. Differences, likes and dislikes, are illustrated in a charming way.

There are many versions of the story about making soup out of prctically ‘nothing’. In Cactus Soup, by Eric A. Kimmel with pictures by Phil Huling, the stone or nail is replaced with a cactus thorn.

Set during the Mexican Revolution, the town of San Miguel is sure that the troop of soldiers headed to their town will eat every last tortilla. The townspeople hide their food and wait to tell the soldiers that their pantries are bare. The thorn and the water begin to boil and the ‘poor’ people of San Miguel find what one adds only makes the soup better and before long in addition to a cactus thorn the pot is full of chicken, beans, chilies, tomatoes, carrots, onions and more.

What is a pot of savory soup without the rest of the fiesta? The town and the soldiers come together and learn that the recipe for true success is working together.

In Clever Jack Takes the Cake, written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by G. Brian Karas, a princess having her 10th birthday invites all the children to her party. A poor boy, Jack, after some thought, knew the perfect gift. He would bake her a cake.

After a lot of work, Jack’s gift was complete. The cake was beautifully done and looked tasty too; the trick would be getting it to the princess. A trick indeed, as Jack had to get by blackbirds, a troll, a dark wood, and a hungry bear.

By the time Jack got to the castle the only remaining part was a beautiful strawberry he wished to give the princess. Unfortunately, due to an allergy to strawberries the princess had, the guard ate the strawberry as well.

Jack stood before the princess empty handed with nothing but a great story, which totally delighted the princess, and turned out to be a fine gift indeed.

In this book, by Barney Saltzberg, Stanley Birdbaum is excited and ready for his school's Crazy Hair Day. With his orange and blue hair gelled into spikes, he enters class just as the teacher announces that it is actually picture day, not what he was dressed up for.

Your students will relate to how Stanley feels, maybe even how he deals with his embarrassment. Stanley learns what being a friend means. Laugh at the ending to Stanley’s embarrassing day.

What name do you give an absolutely perfect little mouse? Why Chrysanthemumof course. The main character of this delightful book, written by Kevin Henkes, loves everything about her name: the way it sounds, the way it looks when it is written; whether that be in ink, frosting or crayon.

On the first day of school, however, the way she feels about her name takes on a whole new light. Classmates giggle, pointing out that her name is too long, 13 letters in all... and that she is named after a flower.

Chrysanthemum’s parents do their best to counter these feelings, but it is not until Mrs. Twinkle, the music teacher, shows up that she regains the love for her name.

Hello Ocean, written by Pam Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Mark Astrella, tells of a young girls return to the ocean…her old and very good friend. Approaching the experience by describing the ocean and beach through each of the five senses. What she sees, hears, touches, smells and tastes describes the experience almost taking you to the beach using poetic imagery.

If your students have had a beach experience previously they will relate well to the author’s ability to capture the experience. If your students have never had a beach or ocean experience this book will treat them to one. Beautifully illustrated.

          

Here are two, great, idiom picture books, written by Denise Brennan-Nelson and illustrated by Jane Monroe Donovan

Hasn’t every mom, dad, teacher, or grandparent, used an idiom, maxim or cliché when talking to the younger generation and hasn’t every child wondered what in the world were they talking about?

These two books are great resources if you are trying to teach students about this kind of figurative language.

Each page in these two books deals with a different expression of speech. It states an expression whether it is ‘button your lip’, ‘Cat got your tongue’ or something similar. The illustration and verse will give you a guess at the visual and childlike interpretation. Then, in small print, off in a corner is the origin or literal meaning of the phrase.

For a new twist on a picture book prompt try this non-fiction book on Robots, a Kingfisher Young Knowledge book by Clive Gifford.

The pictures alone will get your students thinking. There is Marvelous Marv, small as a dime or some that are large enough to crush cars.

You can read about smart machines that go underwater, in space, into a volcano or help at home or on the farm. There are others that look like animals and some that mimic insects.

Surely your students will find something interests them. The summaries are short, yet give you enough information for a little background. Each feature has a color picture to go with it.

This story on big feet, written by Mary Koski and illustrated by Dan Brown is a picture book that everyone can relate to.

We all have something we don’t like about ourselves. For Pamela, it’s her feet; they’re huge. After days of sulking and turning her back on everything she has enjoyed in the past her parents take her to soccer practice. Running up and down the field, she hears her coach yell about her great footwork and starts to feel better.

Pamela then realizes there might be some advantages to her over-sized appendages. For the present they were great for kicking, especially a soccer goal.

How was the class trip to the farm? You won’t believe what this field trip was like in The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash, written by Trika Hakes Nobe with pictures by Steven Kellogg. A word to the wise, don’t take your pet boa on a field trip, unless of course you want to see pigs on the school bus, an egg fight and other antics.

In Class Two at the Zoo, students see all sorts of zoo animals. The one animal they don’t see is the huge and hungry anaconda that decides to wander.

Before the class is entirely consumed however, a quick thinking Kate saves the day with a sturdy stick. Perhaps a little slimy but none the worse for wear the students learn a valuable lesson and pass the warning on to you.

          

Hasn’t every mom, dad, teacher, or grandparent, used an idiom, maxim or cliché when talking to the younger generation and hasn’t every child wondered what in the world were they talking about?

These two books are great resources if you are trying to teach students about this kind of figurative language.

Each page in these two books deals with a different expression of speech. It states an expression whether it is ‘button your lip’, ‘Cat got your tongue’ or something similar. The illustration and verse will give you a guess at the visual and childlike interpretation. Then, in small print, off in a corner is the origin or literal meaning of the phrase.

Written by Diane Adams and illustrated by Kevin Luthardt, Zoom! is another quick recounting of a ride on a roller coaster. Written in rhyme, it is simple and yet very descriptive. Written with few but well selected words the reader feels as though they themselves are on the ‘Dino Coaster’. Let your students see what word choice can do for their writing experience.

Good Dog, Carl is only one of many books starring Carl, a loveable Rottweiler. When no one but baby is watching Carl and his charge have the time of their lives jumping on the bed, making lunch, sliding down the laundry chute, dressing up, swimming in the aquarium, etc. To prove he truly is man’s (woman’s and for sure baby’s) best friend, he cleans up and everything is back to normal by the time Mommy is home.

Any of Carl’s books would work for this particular writing prompt as they all follow the same theme of the fun between dog and baby when no one else is around. This is a fun approach.

The Cats in Krasinski Square is a historical fiction is based during World War II in German controlled Poland. The Jewish held ghetto receives help at great risk, as those on the outside smuggle in food, medicine and supplies through the cracks in the wall. The Cats in Krasinski Square recounts the courageous intervention to prevent the Nazi held dogs from sniffing out the bread and food brought by those secretly providing aid on the incoming train. The cats befriended by a young girl are let go just in time to divert the dogs and the save the mission to help those held in the ghetto.

Inside the back cover is a short history providing additional background and information regarding the setting of this story.

This biographical narrative, written by Kate Lied and illustrated by Lisa Campbell Ernst, tells about the author’s grandparents and their experience during the Great Depression tells of the struggles faced by so many during that era.

After losing their home and job the young couple and their daughter in the story spend two weeks picking potatoes in Idaho. The young family is given permission to gather any potatoes left behind during the night which they do returning to Iowa with their borrowed card loaded with bags and bags of life-saving potatoes. The author draws the conclusion that perhaps this is why she has come to love potatoes as much as she does.

Suddenly, written and illustrated by Colin McNaughton, demonstrates the power and use of a simple adverb in writing. Preston the pig narrowly (another adverb) escapes his demise from the big bad wolf by ‘suddenly’ changing his plans. A quick fun read and a great reminder to your class authors how a little language can go a long way.

In this Caldecott Honor Book, written by Vera B. Williams, a young mother, daughter and grandmother struggle after their house burns down destroying all of their belongings. The daughter often helps her mother when she works at a diner. They decide to save all their coins in a huge jar to buy a chair. After a long time of saving coins the jar is full, buying the most wonderful chair in the world is well worth it.

In The Signmaker's Assistant, Norman is a lad who has dreams of being a signmaker one day. In the meantime he is the assistant to a well-respected old signmaker. Norman wonders if people would do anything a sign told them and he seized the opportunity to find out just how far they would go when the old signmaker goes out of town. Norman has great fun but realizes that his trick played more than havoc. Correcting a mistake proves a valuable lesson indeed.

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