Read Aloud Recommendations

In this spectacularly illustrated ode to Latinas in STEM and the beauty of sharks, we follow Meli on an adventure through the ocean, a university library, and a scientific expedition. Meli loves the ocean and everything in it, and is dismayed to see the effects of climate change and pollution on the underwater ecosystem. When she meets the Mother of Sharks, a Latina marine biologist who specializes in studying sharks and their behavior (and who seems very familiar to Meli…), she’s inspired to harness her passion for the ocean and continue on her journey. This engaging narrative is rich enough to entice even older readers, and would be a great read aloud option for Grades 1 through 4. Students of all ages will appreciate the colorful, almost Disney-like illustrations and the tidbits about sharks sprinkled throughout the text.

From Joseph Kuefler, the acclaimed author-illustrator of The Digger and the Flower, comes a new book in his popular Digger picture book series, about a crew of building trucks who befriend a caterpillar and witness its metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly. Perfect for readers who love the machines in Sherri Duskey Rinker's Construction Site series. Digger and the other big trucks work all day, smashing and building and transforming their jobsite. But when a caterpillar weaves its cocoon onto Digger's bucket, he is forced to stop and be still. In the stillness, Digger begins to notice the world beyond his worksite. And when the butterfly finally emerges, it's clear that Digger and his friends have also been changed forever. The story includes an accessible guide to metamorphosis for young readers.

This creative take on picture book illustration may require a bit of fiddly finagling to manage a sideways hold, but it’s worth it! Each two-page spread, held vertically, shows Simon, a fluffy brown dog with a penchant for bones, reflected in the pond on the lower page. Students will get a kick out of Simon’s confusion about his own reflection, and will learn about the importance of generosity and sharing along the way. Younger readers may need a quick explanation of the book’s formatting, with the pond reflection pictured on alternating pages, but this book would make a great read-aloud option for grades PreK through 2.

Some classroom pets crawl. Others fly. Some even swim! But Room 109’s class pet doesn’t do much of anything. Arlo is fed up with having a class plant for a class pet, but with a little imagination, the plant is given its very own name and a whole new persona. Soon, everyone’s a lot more enthusiastic about caring for Jerry the plant, and students in other classrooms even offer to trade their class pets for Jerry! This is a sweet and silly story about appreciating all kinds of nature and sharing responsibility, and it may even spur some discussions about the most inventive class pets students can think of. Recommended for students in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade.

This poetic and artistic take on the shift from day to night stars Max, a little boy with a special box tucked amongst the toys in his bedroom. As birds snuggle into their nests and foxes wonder if it’s time to wake up, Max and his mother prepare for bedtime. When Max opens the night box, night comes pouring out, and the book’s illustrations take on a darker, calming hue until it is time for day to return, and night returns to the box. This soothing story would appeal to a wide variety of readers, but would be especially helpful for little ones who need a bit of reassurance about the dark. Recommended for kindergarten through third grade, though a preschool audience with a longer attention span would enjoy the text as well.

In this sequel to The Proudest Blue, little sister Faizah receives a hand-me-down dress that used to belong to her sister Asiya, and their mother before that. That day at school, Faizah’s teacher asks the class to think of their ideal world, and Faizah imagines a world filled with kindness. With the help of her friend Sophie, she spends recess completing acts of kindness for her classmates and the trend catches on, with Sophie eventually offering her own dress sash to help Faizah create the perfect red hijab for picture day. This book is sure to spark a fantastic discussion about what we want the world to look like and how we can share kindness with those in our communities. Recommended for preschool through second grade.

This hilarious and fairly frustrating read-aloud follows young Chester van Chime (and his pet fox) around on a day when he can't quite seem to make a rhyme. Try as he might, even surrounded by environmental visual rhymes and classmates trying their darndest to help, Chester can't come up with a single rhyme. Instead, he suggests ridiculous, over-descriptive synonyms to describe what would be a rhyming word. It isn't until the day is almost over that he realizes the pressure of trying to match up two sounds has taken all the joy out of rhyming. Only then is Chester able to find his rhyming words for a satisfying conclusion. This read-aloud is great for engaging children to come up with the missing rhyming words as well as identifying the plethora of rhymes depicted in the oh-so-silly background images. It offers a great lesson reminding us that putting too much pressure on our work can take the fun out of what we are most passionate about.

Meet Lou. He’s a….toilet? As Lou laments his daily fate, being peed on by neighborhood dogs, he holds onto the hope that he could have a greater purpose in life. When a firefighter crew shows up, it’s Lou’s time to shine and finally be what he was meant to be: a fire hydrant and a hero! Kids (and adults) of all ages will love this uproariously funny and charming tale, and it offers a great opportunity for enthusiastic voice acting during Lou’s more trying moments. Recommended for preschool through third grade, though older students could be persuaded to look past the short and simple text and appreciate the hilarity.

Anything can be a hat if you believe it is! Very Good Hats takes us on a creative journey, challenging the notion of what makes a hat a hat with a solid dose of silliness. Readers will get a kick out of the more outlandish hat suggestions – clouds, bubbles, and even a cat! When you’ve finished reading, consider asking students to think about what they might choose to wear as a hat. Recommended for preschool through second grade.

What could we learn about the world and ourselves if we took a moment to pay attention and truly notice? In Noticing, we meet a young girl and a painter who helps her see the beauty, meaning, and worth of everything around her, including herself. From the clouds in the sky to the light within each person, the painter encourages her to take moments to use compassion and imagination to notice. This thoughtful and heartfelt book carries a meaningful message that could spur discussion as simple as what you notice about the shapes of the clouds or as complex as what you see when you look inside yourself. Beautiful, detailed illustrations accompany a fairly lengthy text, making this a great option for older readers in grades two through four.

Nyla’s dad has a new job, which means that they (and their cat, Fig!) have to move from the seaside to the city. The move comes with a lot of big changes, not all of them fun: the city is loud and lacks the sound of the ocean, Nyla’s new school is full of unfamiliar faces, and her dad always seems to be too busy to do the things they used to do together. Everything changes when Nyla sees a comet in the sky and feels inspired to create art that, unfortunately, covers the walls, making her dad mad. But soon, they work through the conflict and decide to make their new house a home. The Comet pairs simple text with richly pigmented, detailed illustrations perfect for a quick search-and-find activity. Recommended for preschool through second grade.

From Wichita author Kim Rogers and Swampy Cree and Red River Metis illustrator Julia Flett comes Just Like Grandma, a sweet story about intergenerational connection and family traditions. Becca watches her grandmother bead moccasins, dance in the garden, and paint a sunrise and wants nothing more than to be just like her. Grandma wants to be just like Becca, too. Both of Becca’s grandparents support her in her goals, whether they be to dance Fancy Shawl at the powwow or make the basketball team. This beautiful book makes a great read-aloud option for kindergarten through third grade.

This excellent nonfiction option takes readers on a journey through the ocean where we meet a variety of bioluminescent creatures. From the creepy-looking anglerfish to tiny dinoflagellates, each and every creature makes its very own light. With rich vocabulary and a lesson about the impact of light pollution, this book is as educational as it is engaging. For a shorter reading experience, you could choose to read only the story text and names of the creatures illustrated in the book, skipping the smaller text that goes into greater detail about each bioluminescent animal. Recommended for all ages, though younger audiences with shorter attention spans may require the abbreviated version of the text!

This picture-book adaptation of the famous song by Cree singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie is a peaceful journey through the four seasons. With gorgeous, muted illustrations, the reader is taken through fields of summer flowers and snowy winter fields. All the while, the never-ending love goes on and on. The repetitive nature of the text is soothing, making this a great bedtime story, as well as a calm read aloud option for pre-K through second grade. For a fun, interactive twist, ask students to count how many animals they can spot throughout the story – some are easier to see than others! The final pages of the book include simple sheet music for Sainte-Marie’s song, and the copyright page includes a brief glossary of Cree terms.

Sometimes family is more than blood, and it really does take a village. Mama’s Home follows the unnamed protagonist, a young Black girl, through a week of evening visits to the homes of women in her community while her mother works late. These women, affectionately referred to as her Big Mamas, have diverse families, occupations, and approaches to connecting with the main character, but all offer her affection and teach a variety of life lessons. The illustrations are high-contrast and colorful, making them easy for students to see from several feet away in a classroom read aloud. The language is straightforward and accessible, and each page contains one to three sentences, making this a great choice for younger readers in kindergarten through second grade. At the same time, the thoughtful message behind this story means that this book could still engage slightly older students in third or fourth grade and serve as a jumping off point for discussions about family and community, or serve as a mentor text for studen

In this bright and colorful rhyming book, a diverse group of children leave school at the end of the day and move through the neighborhood in a variety of ways. Some ride bikes and skateboards, some use wheelchairs, and others run, but everyone gets to participate in activities like drawing with chalk and playing in the spray of the fire hydrant. While the use of mobility aids is not elaborated on in the text, the inclusion of children with disabilities as regular participants in play with their peers goes a long way to normalizing disability as a part of the human experience. Teachers may also find this book a useful jumping off point to discussing the many ways we move through space, and the tools we use to help us, whether they be cars, bikes, crutches, or wheelchairs. Because of its simple rhyming text, this book would be a great choice for pre-k and kindergarten students, and possibly for first graders. Regardless of the grade level of students you share this book with, you’ll want to have additional books with you if you plan to read for fifteen to twenty minutes – this one is a quick read!

Skin comes in a variety of beautiful shades, and so should our crayons! Written by 11-year-old author and crayon activist Bellen Woodard, More Than Peach tells the story of Bellen’s journey to changing language, minds, and art supplies. When Bellen realizes that her classmates think of the peach crayon as the only ‘skin color’ option, she begins to subtly encourage them to think more critically about color and diversity. This is an excellent read aloud option for inspiring on-the-ground activism, and would be an engaging choice for pre-K, kindergarten, first, and second grade, when in-class coloring projects are common. A short biography of the author, as well as instructions for starting a drive or charitable collection, are included in the back of the book.

In Meanwhile Back on Earth,, Oliver Jeffers so sensitively displays our place in the universe through an intergalactic road trip that a father takes his two children on. Through this road trip he invites his children to look at our history back on earth through its conflicts. It is a beautiful way to show perspective on the importance of focusing on what brings us together versus what pushes us apart. This book is a fabulous addition to the many unique topics Jeffers so beautifully illustrates and writes. A wide range of age groups will enjoy this book, but you'll get the most impact with older students in grades one to four.

This book charts the life and career of Professor Tu Youyou, the scientist who discovered a malaria treatment rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the first Chinese woman to win a Nobel Prize. Tu Youyou’s perseverance in the face of repeatedly failed experiments offers an example for young readers while also normalizing failure as a part of learning and creating new things. While this nonfiction book is based on a true story, the text is written in an engaging and accessible way that brings Tu Youyou’s work to life for students. The final pages of the book offer a timeline of Tu Youyou’s life, a brief bibliography, and an explanation of the scientific method in context. This book would make an excellent read aloud option for second, third, and fourth grade classes, where students’ attention can extend through the entire story. It also offers opportunities for discussion about the contributions of a variety of cultures around the world to science and other fields, strategies for persisting in the face of adversity, and the scientific method.

This fictionalized retelling of the Wild Stork Project’s work to reintroduce storks to England follows Beanie, a young girl who hears about storks after the birth of her baby brother. After learning about injured storks in Poland in need of a home, Beanie teams up with Andy, an employee at the nature preserve, to raise enough funds to build the storks a living space. With time and encouragement, the storks are able to flourish, and the community is once again home to a wild stork colony. The book’s illustrations are stunning and expressive, rendered in a muted color palette, and several pages in the back of the book offer photographs of storks and information about the species. Perfect for second through fourth grade classrooms, but even adults will fall in love with this heartwarming tale.

Yoshi, an injured sea turtle, spends 20 years in a rehabilitation center, but the majority of this nonfiction book focuses on her journey home. We follow Yoshi across more than 20,000 miles, full of moments of peril and fortitude, through the power of a GPS tracker attached to her shell. Every few pages, a different font indicates that Yoshi is speaking through her GPS signal, reassuring the rehabilitation scientists (and us!) that she is still here. A poetic take on a nonfiction tale, this book would be an excellent choice for older students in grades 3 and 4, but is accessible enough for younger students in grades 1 and 2. If you have a few extra minutes, students may enjoy checking out the illustrated diagrams of sea turtles in the back of the book!

Despite the name, this book is something special. This intergenerational tale tells of the relationship between Jax, a six-year-old boy, and his grandparents, who he spends each summer with. The story is sweet, but the illustrations are what really knock it out of the park -- each page is filled with people, pets, and scenery made entirely from textiles. As you read, ask students to look a bit closer. Can they tell what the corn husks are made out of? How about the swing set? Recommended for just about any grade level, especially if you lean into the materials discussion with older students.