Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky (1992)

 

Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringold references the history of slaves escaping from the United States to Canada. Her paintings are powerful, and yet, they offer a little visual blurring of the cruelty in her text. The "hundreds of bedraggled men, women, and children" who board a train at the beginning of the story are shapes that only hint at the horror of this scene. Later, these shapes become more human when Ringgold gives them distinct line, and we see the whites of their eyes. This is a story of young Cassie who travels the underground railroad alone. Railroad agents assist her while bounty hunters stalk her. There’s a two-page history lesson at the back of the book.

This story is read aloud online by Storytime with Lorelei.

My Picture Book Talk for this story is here. 

This is a complete rewrite of the lesson in my store in 2021, which TPT took down. 

On Classful this resource is here. 

Owl Moon (1987)

 Owl Moon by Jane Yolen is for the nature lover. Both Jane Yolen and illustrator, John Schoenherr went owling as children. Their intimacy with this experience creates a story about sights, sounds, touch, and emotions. Anyone who has been outside on a cold, snowy night in a rural setting will understand the inferences that give this story depth. The reader without this background will welcome Jane Yolen's frequent use of metaphor, simile, and analogy to convey the experience. This story is one of the most well-crafted texts I've ever read. Feel the hope and wonder of the natural world in the wild  I this beautiful story.

This story is read aloud online by Story Time with Owl

This resource is a complete revision of the one in my TPT store 2020 – 2023. It can be found here.

It is also on Classful, but without references to related TPT products.

Ben Has Something to Say (2000)

     Ben doesn’t like to talk. He does not read aloud at school, share at Morning Meeting, nor speak to other children at lunch. One day, when he goes with his dad to Wayne's Junkyard, Ben befriends the owner's dog, Spike. Ben brings a rubber bone to the junkyard and gestures to ask permission to give Spike the bone. Mr. Wayne has to guess at Ben's message, "Do you want to give that to my dog?" Another day, Ben writes Mr. Wayne a note rather than risk speaking with a stutter. Ben uses these communication strategies, because "I . . . I'm not t-talking until my sss . . . stuttering goes away!" says Ben. Ben finds the power of his voice when Mr. Wayne says that Spike is going to the pound.  

 

   This book begins with information for Parents and Teachers of Children Who Stutter written by Nina Reardon, MS, CCC-SLP. When a child is reluctant to speak, it is "important that the adults in their lives encourage the expression of their ideas. By listening to the message and not the way in which it is delivered, adults can help children see that their ideas are more important than their stuttering." Ms. Reardon writes a list of What Stuttering Is and Is Not and advice for those who know someone who stutters.

 

I could not find this book read aloud online.

My Picture Book Talk for this lesson on TPT is here.

It is also on Classful.

The Important Book (1942, 1977)

 The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown is a lesson in observation. In my opinion, this is a book for the young artist learning to see, hear, taste, and smell carefully. This is a book about paying attention. It invites readers to slow down and focus.

Leonard Weisgard's illustrations have minimal distraction. The two-page spread about grass has only grass and a sign for the text. “But the important thing about grass is that it is green,” writes Margaret Wise Brown, and that’s all we see—green—many shades of green. In this age of multi-tasking, busy schedules, and video images that last only a few seconds on screen, we need this book to remind us to pause. Pause to fill our senses with the awesome wonders of the natural world. And as Margaret Wise Brown says on the final pages, “But the important thing about you is that you are you.”

 This book is read aloud online by Mrs. Moon’s Library.

The Picture Book Talk resource for this story on TPT is here. It includes links to resources by oher sellers on TPT. 

The Picture Book Talk resource for this story on Classful is here. 

Harlem's Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills (2012)

       Harlem’s Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills by Renée Watson is a book for children. However, many links for background knowledge are appropriate for mature readers, making this deceptively simple picture book  a history lesson. Thank goodness Renée Watson appears at the Young Readers Center at the Library of Congress to talk about this book for the young readers. Christian Robinson’s pictures welcome all ages.

        The older reader may appreciate this book when given historical context. With context, the cakewalk is more than just silly dance. When a theater denies entrance to Negroes, mature readers will benefit from more context regarding the time of Jim Crow. Trigger warning: the documentary about Coney Island listed in the references includes the euthanizing of an elephant by electrocution. I found most websites about the Harlem Renaissance are for mature readers.

     This book is read aloud online by Andrea Malek , the Oregon Symphony, and by the author, Renée Watson.

    My Picture Book Talk lesson for this story is here. 

 

Roger is Reading a Book (2012)

      Roger is Reading a Book, by Koen Van Biesen, packs plenty of literacy lessons into a deceptively simple book. Children will love imitating the onomatopoeia on nearly every page. The repetitive sentence building that is the text will be easy to memorize, which  means youngsters will soon “read” the book independently. The narrative is  a disguised lesson in grammar. “Roger is reading. Roger is reading a book. . . Emily is playing. Emily is playing a game.” The story has a rising action as Emily's sounds and Rogers responses escalate—the  onomatopoeia (capital letters in a green font)  grows larger on the page, and Roger’s reactions become more dramatic. There is a satisfying resolution to this conflict between noisy Emily and her neighbor who needs quiet. Roger's dog enacts a parallel narrative throughout the book and completes the story like icing on a cake. Van Biesen’s illustrations are unlike any I’ve seen before. They’re original and hilarious. 

    This book is from The Picture Book Club as part of the  Themed Subscription “English as a Second Language: Picture Books in Translation.”

    This book is read aloud online by The Lilys Read.

    My Picture Book Talk for this story is here. 

Sebastian's Roller Skates (2005)

     Sebastian's Roller Skates by Joan de Dé Prats is one of my favorite picture books. “Sebastian didn't talk very much, even though he had a lot to say.” Sabastian is a young boy who would like to talk with his neighbors, share his knowledge of geography, defend his preference for a haircut, and talk to a girl in class. But he just “couldn't seem to say anything”. His personal transformation over the course of the story is insightful and inspiring. Francesc Rovira’s illustrations reveal Sebastian’s personal growth in clever and entertaining ways.

     One day, Sebastian discovers a pair of old roller skates left on a park bench. He tries them on and “Whammmm! Right on his rear end!” The next day, he tries again, and the next day and the next. He moves slowly, taking tiny steps and grabbing on to anything that will help him stay on his feet.  He’s making slow and steady progress when, suddenly,  Sabastian is literally pulled into a feeling of joy and empowerment that changes his life.

     This book is read aloud online by Purple Pebble.

      My Picture Book Talk lesson for this story is here.