Clementine and Mungo by Sarah Dyer
Clementine and Mungo is a great picture book about a little brother, Mungo, who asks lots and lots of questions of his wise big sister. ‘Why do the stars come out?’ ‘How do cats stay cool in the summer?’ Clementine’s answers are creative and imaginative (cats take off their coats?!), but not necessarily correct answers. Adorable illustrations make this cute story even cuter, and the message of siblings taking care of each other is a nice ending. This would be a great book to use to stimulate creative thinking by posing questions like this to kids and seeing what they can come up with. I can already picture a class book of illustrations and answers to a question.
You Can Do It, Sam by Amy Hest
Amy Hest’s character of Sam is one of my new favorites, and I can’t get enough of this series. The language, the imagery, the illustrations, the beautiful relationship between mother and child–they are all gorgeous. Simple enough for independent reading yet long enough to provide good character information, these would make for a great character study in kinder or grade one.
Koala Lou by Mem Fox
Just about one of the sweetest books ever, and one of my personal favorites. Koala Lou is a young koala who loves more than anything when her mama says, “Oh, Koala Lou, I do love you!” When younger brothers and sisters arrive, Koala Lou doesn’t hear that as much, and so she sets out to find a way to get her mother’s attention again. The ending has a lovely message about family love and how it’s always present.
p.s. Any book by Mem Fox is simply fantastic!
