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Thursday, April 9, 2015

Every Hero Has a Story: Picture Book Reading List


This year's summer reading theme is all about heroes! Get your youngest readers into the spirit with these great picture books, organized into four heroic categories.



Superheroes


  • Princess Super Kitty by Antoinette Portis
    A little girl named Maggie uses her imagination to transform herself into the feline superhero Princess Super Kitty.
  • Question Boy Meets Little Miss Know-It-All by Peter Catalanotto
    A boy who has the ability to ask question after question meets his match in a little girl who seems to have an answer for everything.
  • Superhero ABC by Bob McLeod
    A series of silly superheroes illustrates the letters of the alphabet and their sounds.
  • Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy by David Soman and Jacky Davis
    Preschooler friends Lulu and Sam become Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy and save the playground from imaginary enemies.
  • Super Hair-o and the Barber of Doom by John Rocco
    Rocco is convinced his hair provides him with superpowers, so the prospect of a haircut is worrisome.


Heroes in History


  • Heroes of the Surf by Elisa Carbone and Nancy Carpenter
    When a steamship runs aground in 1882 New Jersey, two boys and many other passengers are saved by heroic surfmen.
  • Bill the Boy Wonder by Marc Tyler Nobleman
    This picture book biography tells the story of Bill Finger, the real creator of Batman, who was never given proper credit during his lifetime.
  • This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt and R.G. Roth
    This singable picture book celebrates great men in jazz history.
  • John, Paul, George, and Ben by Lane Smith
    A silly and irreverent look at the childhoods of famous Americans John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin. 



Community Heroes


  • Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
    Author-illustrator Patricia Polacco pays tribute to the special teacher who helped her discover that she had dyslexia.
     
  • The Impossible Patriotism Project by Linda Skeers and Ard Hoyt
    When Caleb is assigned to make something that will demonstrate the meaning of patriotism, he ends up creating a tribute to his father's service in the armed forces.
  • This is the Firefighter by Laura Godwin and Julian Hector
    Simple rhyming text describes the work of a firefighter.
  • Police Officers on Patrol by Kersten Hamilton and R.W. Alley
    When people need help, male and female police officers are ready to "rock and roll!"


Animal Heroes


  • Madeline’s Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans
    Beloved French schoolgirl Madeline is saved from drowning by a dog named Genevieve.
  • Swimmy by Leo Lionni
    After watching his own friends get eaten by a larger fish, a little black fish named Swimmy helps a group of red fish escape a similar fate.
  • Pretzel by Margret Ray and H.A. Rey
    In this classic picture book, Pretzel, a very long dachsund, rescues a female dachsund who has previously disdained his length.
  • Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
    A lively dog named Gloria helps add some excitement to Officer Buckle's otherwise dull safety presentations. 

2 comments:

  1. Great list!
    I also recommend:
    Dex: the Heart of a Hero by Caralyn Buehner
    "Dexter the dog is so little that Cleevis the tomcat bullies him. But little Dex has dreams—big dreams. He wants to be a superhero. So he reads all the comic books he can, builds his muscles, and even orders a hero suit. Suddenly, even Cleevis needs his help! Dexter has determination, spirit, and heart as he proves, above all, that no matter how little you are, you can still do very big things."

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  2. I'd also add Superdog by Mark and Caralyn Buehner. VERY readable. Good, easy narrative. Great illustratio...Oh. And now I read the post above me :) Great minds think alike.

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