book list from bloggers & friends

Don't you love when you get MORE IDEAS FOR BOOKS from people who love to read books to young children just like you?!

Yes, of course, absolutely, yes!

Here is a list from bloggers and friends via my Zella Facebook Page.

(you can follow me on FB via the button on the right column ... OR JUST CLICK HERE).

Give the list a look, check out on Amazon if the title looks interesting to you or for your child! Add them to your "look for" list during your next library visit! There were only a couple books that I couldn't include on the list because the title given didn't quite match up to a title I could find with an author, so my apologies to any favorites that are missing!

To note: while I am so excited and appreciative of the contributors' ideas on this list, it does not mean I have read all of them and therefore need YOU to be the evaluator of what books you like for your family or your school. Perhaps some are too young, too scary, too commercial, too short, too long...ahhhh, yet perhaps so many are just fabulous and a bit of a treasure to find :)

HAPPY READING!

Special THANKS to book idea contributors:

Natalie Giulianelli, Alida Fernandez Chacon, Learning for life, Jo Pentony, Randi London Albertsen, Angie McLaren, Lucy Kiermaier Michaud, Images of Learning Project, Rachel White, Stephanie West, Courtney Floyd, Playing in Prep, Sara Brooks Long, Maria Navaratne, Rainbows within Reach, Jaana Swanson

Books recommended by bloggers, educators and parents:

Bitsy and the Bear ~ Angela McAllister

Captain Flinn & the Pirate Dinosaurs ~

     Giles Andreae

Charlotte's Web ~ E.B. White

Dear Zoo ~ Rod Campbell

Duck on a Bike ~ David Shannon

Fox in Sox ~ Dr. Seuss

Funny Face ~ Nicole Smee

Go Dog Go ~ P.D. Eastman

Good Night,Me Andrew Daddo

Green Eggs and Ham ~ Dr. Seuss

Hiccup: The Viking who was Seasick ~

    Cressida Cowell

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World ~ Marjorie Priceman

Hush Little Baby ~ Sylvia Long

I Was So Mad ~ Mercer Mayer

Little Rabbit Foo Foo ~ Michael Rosen

Love you Forever by Robert Munsch

Mrs. Wishy Washy ~ Joy Cowley

On the Way Home ~ Jill Murphy

Owl Babies ~ Martin Waddell

Popcorn ~ Frank Asch

Purple, Green and Yellow ~ Robert Munsch

Pussy Willow ~ Margaret Wise Brown

Red, White and Blue ~ Debbie Clement

Remember the Night Rainbow ~ Cooper Edens

Room on a Broom ~ Julia Donaldson

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes ~ Mem Fox

The Giving Tree ~ Shel Silverstein

The Gruffalo ~ Julia Donaldson

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry & The Big  Hungry Bear ~Don & Audrey Wood

The Spiffiest Giant in Town ~ Julia Donaldson

The Very Busy Spider ~ Eric Carle

The Wolves in the Walls ~ Neil Gaiman

Today I Will Fly ~ Mo Willems

Too Many Pumpkins ~

    Linda White

Where is the Green Sheep? ~  

    Mem Fox

Where the Wild Things Are ~ 

    Maurice Sendak

Wild Child ~ Lynn Plourd

Zero ~ Kathryn Otoshi

+ books and poems by:

Eric Carle, Beverly Cleary, Lois Ehlert, Mem Fox, Virginia Lee Burton, Shel Silverstein

WHAT? YOU NEED more BOOK IDEAS???
CHECK OUT MY Favorite Read-Alouds page
And, of course, I would LOVE to add more books to our great starter list! What are some of YOUR favorite books for young children? Please comment below & offer 1 or 2 or 3...or more!

the ink monster

How to create an ink robot monster while sitting next to your best friend at the art table:

Space Station guys in all yellow ink and Robot Monster in all black ink. Of course.

Start with one black pen, then draw!

[So simple]

Here are two boys who chose to work next to each other at the art table  - they are best friends - and both have their own vision of what will come to life on their paper: their unique vision, their unique hand-eye coordination, their unique motivation to create what they will create.

Doesn't it fascinate you to see what children will create 

when their time is THEIR TIME?

Robot Ink Monster. Completed. Please admire.

Consider the alternative IF I HAD TO BE "in charge" of art time:

How would I know to offer the one boy only a yellow pen and the other boy only a black pen?

How would I know that one paper should be turned wide and the other paper turned tall?

How would I know to direct them to outer space for their vision and to write space terms?

How.

Would.

I.

Know?

I wouldn't.

Art and time is for the children.

Our job is to provide materials, variety of spaces to create, and time. 

How hard is that? it is not.

[so simple].

no doubt fearless

Children just ARE who they are - absolutely - even at a very very young age. They already have that sense of self, somehow, that brings some attitude, some "of COURSE I can do that", some leadership and charisma.

It is one of my favorite parts of my role as an early childhood educator - to meet 4-year-olds who just "get it" already, can socialize, have opinions, have plans and questions and don't want to miss a second of school life.

Didn't matter to Ava that supplies were high - she always got what she needed!

Here is one such girl. I will call her Ava [yet I change all the names of students in my blog for their privacy].

Ava was a Go-Getter, a Do-It-My-Selfer, and a Nothing Is Too Hard For Me kind of girl.

However, I didn't know that Ava at first.

When her family first visited our school to consider applying, I met with them and with Ava. I loved the family, loved Ava and certainly thought they could be a match for our school.

My concern was that I was a teacher of young-fives at a school where we were the youngest and everything in our school was set for elementary-AGED children and, accordingly, elementary-SIZED students.
Ava was not petite - she was strong and a fast runner and capable - yet her height was far below a typical range for height for 4 or 5 year olds.

I was fearful she would not be able to participate in some things, that she wouldn't be able to climb on the big playground climber, that all the stairs and steps at our big school would wear her out everyday.

However, none of that was a concern for the family. Ava was talkative, busy and full of energy. She was a great match for a young-fives program and would be a great addition to our class culture. We discussed that time would allow us to see how Ava would adapt to school and that we would make adjustments on her behalf if necessary.

Nothing was needed. No changes were necessary. Ava embraced her school environment and it embraced her.

In the classroom, Ava had no issues that kept her from doing what she wanted to do, used materials as she needed, and navigated her way around independently.

Ava was NO DOUBT FEARLESS. 

Teachers and families often have concerns for their children that are grounded in the right ideals of wanting children to be safe, capable, successful. 

Yet, we often don't realize that we equally must give credit to the child that they can adapt and meet the challenges or expectations of whatever [school, a sports team, a transition]. 

Ava reminds me that each person is THEIR OWN PERSON. 

Ava has been herself HER WHOLE LIFE and never considers anything impossible.

Ava knew she could do school before her family or myself knew she could do school.

OF COURSE Ava could do school...of course.
 

How many NO DOUBT FEARLESS children have you met?