ABC School Riddles

ABC School Riddles, compiled and edited by Susan Joyce and illustrated by Freddie Levin, is a fun compilation of school words from A to Z.  This was another great find for us since we love reading alphabet books! 

Rhyming riddles give clues to a word.  The first letter is given with blanks that denote the number of letters that must be completed to answer the riddle.  This is a good book to read as a family activity.  I think even reluctant readers who like to solve riddles would be encouraged to try solving these riddles.  An answer key is given with additional ideas for parents and teacher.

Question Collection:

*Which puzzle was the hardest to solve?

*Which was easiest?

*Can you make up some riddles like these?

Chicken Socks

Celebrate National Poetry Month!  Chicken Socks, by Brod Bogert and illustrations by Tim Ellis, is a collection of funny poems that young children will enjoy.  One example is The Easter Kitchen bringing out some good laughs if you’ve experienced the accidents that can happen while dyeing eggs!  After reading the humorous poems, I was touched by the concluding poem, The Thank You Poem.  It was a nice way to close the book with leaving the reader thinking about being thankful. 

Question Collection:

*Which poem did you think was funniest?

*Which poem was the most unusual?

*What would you add to The Thank You poem?

I Am the Book

April is National Poetry Month.  We hope you and your children enjoy poems as much as we do!  We're going to take a few days to look at some of our favorite books of poems.

 I Am the Book, poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by Yayo, is a great book of poems to start looking at poems.  This collection by Hopkins sparks thinking about the written word through different poems by different poems with the common theme of celebrating reading.  The illustrations by Yayo are fun to explore while also being thought provoking.  We recommend a picture walk to discover all of the clever ways that books are depicted by the artist.   This book would make a great gift to a child or a child’s teacher.  I think this book should be in every library!

Question Collection:

*Which poem is your favorite?

*Which illustration makes you smile?

*Where are all of the places a book can take you?

*Can you think of a way to draw another illustration that corresponds to this book?

The Wild Little Horse

A fictional book about a horse that we like to read is The Wild Little Horse, by Rita Gray and illustrated by Ashley Wolff.  The reader follows the journey of a young horse as he listens to the wind, which encourages him to run.  The story is told in rhyme and uses much onomatopoeia to add to the feeling of running with the horse.  The softly illustrated pages add to the beauty of the story.  The Wild Little Horse is a book that can be enjoyed over and over.  We hope you like this beautiful story!

Question Collection:

*Which words did the author use to make you hear the sounds?

*Can you name all of the other animals in the story?

*How do you think the wild little horse felt as he was running?

Puppies and Piggies

Puppies and Piggies, by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Ivan Bates, is a beautiful rhyming book that tells about various animals and what they like to do. Puppy, Kitty, Bunny, Piggy, Chicky, Mousey, Goosey, Poney, and finally, Baby all have pages in the story.  The illustrations add depth and enjoyment to the story as it is read.  This book is a great bedtime story and can also be read by young readers.  We hope you have fun reading it!

Question Collection:

*Can you name the animals in the story?

*What rhyming words did you hear?

*What things from the story do you like to do?

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!  Oh, the Places You’ll Go! is one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books!  The whimsical rhymes impart important life messages making it a favorite gift for end of the year celebrations.  The reader is encouraged by positive messages and also told about slumps and waiting in life. The messages can be understood by children and is still appropriate for thought provoking discussions. This is a great book to read to anyone who is embarking on new journeys.  We hope you enjoy Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Question Collection:

*What kind of places do you want to go?

*What’s your favorite message in the book?

*Why do you think Dr. Seuss talks about positive and negative things in life?

*What things have you already experienced in life?

1-2-3peas

1-2-3peas, by Keith Baker, follows with the same kind of fun reading and illustrations that is found in LMNOpeas.  In this book the peas count to 10, then count to 100 by tens with a rhyming pattern.  This is an amusing book that children will enjoy.  It’s fun to see how the peas will be depicted on each page and to count along with them.

If your family enjoyed LMNOpeas we think you’ll enjoy this book also.  Have fun counting!

Question Collection:

*Which page is your favorite?

*Can you tell some rhyming words you heard in this book?

*What activity do you like best in this book?

A Child Was Born, A First Nativity Book

A Child Was Born, A First Nativity Book, written by Grace Maccarone and illustrated by Sam Williams, is a good example of simple verse used to tell the story of the birth of Jesus.  The muted colors of the detailed pictures invite discussion as the book is read to children.  Beginning readers will also find the book easy to read to younger children.  We enjoy reading this book, but we also make a point to clarify the Child is named Jesus, which for some reason is omitted in this book.  We still find the book has merit due to its way of unfolding the birth, but we want to make it more concrete Who the book is revealing.  We hope your family enjoys this book.

Question Collection:

*What are some of the names used for the Child in this book?

*What’s your favorite scene in the book?

*Can you draw a picture to go along with the book?

Christmas in the Manger

From the star to Baby Jesus, Christmas in the Manger, written by Nola Buck and illustrated by Felicia Bond, describes the characters in the Christmas story through first person rhymes.  This board book is good for children who enjoy simple pictures and a break-down of the figures usually seen together in Nativity depictions.  Although a board book, the text lends itself to being read by early readers, so it’s a book that can be used through several years.  For children who like riddles, the reader can use the clues in the rhyme to formulate questions about each character.  This simply written, simply illustrated book is able to convey the greatest story so that children can learn about Baby Jesus.

Question Collection:

*What’s your favorite picture?

*Why do you think these characters are important?

*Can you remember some of the characters from the book?

Santa Paws

If you and/or your children like looking at funny pictures of dogs and cats, then you’ll enjoy Santa Paws, by Rachael Hale.  This board book, written in rhyme, has delightful photos of dogs and cats dressed for Christmas to accompany the story.  This is a great book to introduce very young children to a picture walk.  The photos are cute and fun.  Even primary children will enjoy reading the book.  Have fun!

Question Collection:

*What is your favorite picture in the book?

*Do these animals remind you of any pets?

*Can you count how many dogs are in the book?  How many cats?

Hungry Monster ABC

For Halloween we thought we would share a funny book that uses monsters to tell a story using the alphabet.  Hungry Monster ABC, written by Susan Heyboer O’Keefe and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger, is a board book that has the top corner “bitten off” as a monster might have eaten it!

The ten monsters visit a classroom where a boy leads them through the alphabet by showing them words that begin with the letters.  The story, told in a rhyming pattern, is humorous and inviting.  Have fun visiting the monsters!

Question Collection:

*What would you show the monsters for each letter of the alphabet?

*Which part of the story was the funniest to you?

*Where do you think the monsters will go next? 

Read more children's ABC books here!

A is for Amazing Moments--A Sports Alphabet

A is for Amazing Moments (A Sports Alphabet), written by Brad Herzog and illustrated by Melanie Rose, is a book that will interest any sports fans.  Some letters stand for specific athletes and some represent an accomplishment.  Each letter is told in rhyming verse and accompanied by an in-depth narrative with more facts about the athlete or event.  The quality of the illustrations enhance the reading of A is for Amazing Moments.  Also included is a timeline of amazing moments at the conclusion of the book. Younger children will enjoy the rhymes while older children can gain knowledge from the narrative.  Enjoy learning more!

Question Collection:

*Do you have a favorite athlete?

*What did you learn from this book?

*How do you think these athletes met their goals?

*Are there any of these sports you would like to try?

*Which illustrations do you like the best?

Read more children's ABC books here!

Come Rhyme With Me!

We love to read Come Rhyme with Me!, by Hans Wilhelm.  The author uses the alphabet to introduce animals via a rhyming pattern that’s completed by the reader.   Each two-line rhyme ends with a paper flap (with lines to indicate how many letters the rhyming missing word has) covering the rhyming word.  After the reader/listener has guessed the word, the flap can be lifted to reveal the correct word.  The rhymes are high interest and are illustrated by bright, humorous pictures.  This book invites interaction with the reader and listener.  It’s a great book to use to introduce children to rhyming in a fun way. 

Question Collection:

*Were some rhymes harder than others?

*Which picture did you like the best?

*Can you think of some other rhymes to add to the book?

Read more children's ABC books!

The ABC Mystery

Do your children like to read mysteries?  The ABC Mystery, by Doug Cushman, is an easy to read alphabet book that uses each letter of the alphabet to take the reader through the steps of solving the mystery of a missing art piece.  The rhyming cadence and clue-filled illustrations add to the enjoyment of this book.  This book would make a good mentor text in writing classrooms to show sequential writing.  We think this is a fun book to share with others!

Question Collection:

*Did you know who stole the artwork?

*What clues helped you solve the mystery?

*Can you name some rhyming words used in the story?

*Do you think you could write a mystery like this?

Read more children's ABC books!

Hand Rhymes

Hand Rhymes, collected and illustrated by Marc Brown, is an interactive way to introduce simple rhymes to your young child. We love the way the simple illustrations accompanying each line help us act out the rhyme.  Some rhymes were familiar (Five Little Babies, The Church) to us, while others were new to our reading. This book is a fun way to make reading and memorizing more kinesthetic for children.  It’s also a great book for children who are learning to read to share their new skills with younger children.  Then they both can act out the rhymes.  However you enjoy this book, you’ll be able to have a set of rhymes which can also be used during those transitional times for children (waiting in grocery line, doctor’s office, etc.) so that you have a “literacy plan” when you need it!  Enjoy!

Question Collection:

*What is your favorite rhyme?

*Can you do one of the rhymes by yourself?

*Can you think of a rhyme that’s not in this book and figure out a way to make a hand rhyme to go with it?

Wild About Books

Wild About Books, by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Marc Brown, is one of the most creative children’s books I’ve ever read!  This award-winning book is a great read-aloud to start a new school year.  Children, parents, and teachers will all enjoy Sierra’s creativity. She writes a delightful book that emphasizes different authors and reading through the use of Molly McGrew’s bookmobile, zoo animals, and rhyming.  Some examples of the creative uses of literature include the otters that read Harry Potter and the baby bunnies that read Goodnight Moon.  This is a book that lends itself to re-reading as children get older and can find the humor in Sierra’s delightful writing!  This is a book that we think belongs in every child’s library!

Question Collection:

*What books have you read that are mentioned in this book?

*What was your favorite animal and book?

*Why do you think the animals started writing after reading so much?

Math For All Seasons

We’ve been looking for more nonfiction books to add to our home library.  We found Math for All Seasons, by Greg Tang, to be a fun way to add a book about math (pun intended!).  Cleverly written rhyming math riddles and a companion visual page help young children (author recommendation for ages 5-8) with problem solving.  For children who learn visually this book is especially fun.  The illustrations are bright and clear, and the math question in the riddle is written in a different color font than the rest of the rhyme.  As suggested by the title, there are math riddles for the seasons and various holidays.  This is a book that can be picked up for a few minutes to solve a few riddles or to read in its entirety.  I also think this book could serve as a mentor text by encouraging children who enjoy math to write their own riddles.  We hope you have fun solving these math riddles!

Question Collection:

*Which is your favorite riddle?

*Which picture did you like best?

*Was there a riddle that was more difficult for you?

*Can you think of your own math riddle?

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten, by Joseph Slate, is a delightful book to read to children approaching Kindergarten.  The colorful, detailed illustrations by Ashley Wolfe  can be enjoyed in a picture walk before you and your children read this book.  This is a book that appeals to visual and auditory learners. 

Miss Bindergarten, the teacher, prepares for her class as the students also prepare to arrive.  What makes this book so fun is that there are twenty-six animal students whose names correspond to each letter of the alphabet. Adding to the fun is that each sentence about the students has rhyming words.  The cadence of this book makes it one that can be enjoyed over and over again.  We hope you enjoy this kindergarten adventure!

Question Collection:

*Who is your favorite character?

*What rhyming words do you hear?

*What’s your favorite thing in Miss Bindergarten’s room?

Read more children's ABC books here!

A Year Full of Holidays

A Year Full of Holidays, by Susan Middleton Elya, provides reading material about holidays as a little girl, Nell, celebrates her birthday in August.  She asks when her birthday will return so her parents tell her that there are monthly holidays that will help her pass the time.  We found this book to be a good way to understand the passage of time and how we celebrate various holidays.  Simple, memorable illustrations by Dianna Cain Bluthenthal add to the text by providing visuals that are easily understood by a child.  An added bonus is that the story is written in rhyme.  This is a book that is picked up various times during the year for a re-read as we approach holidays.  Enjoy!

Question Collection:

*What month is your birthday?

*What’s your favorite holiday?  What month is it?

*What picture would you draw for your favorite holiday?

What Time Is It, Mr. Crocodile?

What Time Is It, Mr. Crocodile?,  by Judy Sierra, is a fun book for children learning to tell time.  Mr. Crocodile’s hilarious antics with the monkeys in this book will have you and your child laughing!  On each page, the monkeys ask Mr. Crocodile what time it is.  He tells them in rhyming verse, while the reader can look at the clock and read the time.  We won’t spoil the twist in the story that makes Mr. Crocodile change his schedule.  You and your child can read to find out the change!

Note:  This book could also be used in primary grades to teach editing marks.  Mr. Crocodile’s change of schedule involves editing and revising which could be pointed out to children as they are learning about writing.

Question Collection:

*What do you think is the funniest thing in this book?

*What rhyming words did you hear?

*What’s your favorite time of the day?