“Long ago, First Father Bear, First Mother Bear and First Baby Bear, lived here“

This story could be introduced to the classroom for multiple purposes. One may be the general idea and introduction to folktales about common life experiences. Bear tells mole the story of the first star which is a folktale so it could be a deeper pondered idea. This story could also instead be taken to learn deeper about stars and the science behind them.

First Star :A Bear and Mole Story, was written in 2018 by Will Hillenbrand. The author used expressions throughout his writing with capitalization. The story also introduced new vocabulary such as clambered, and whimpered to describe the characters actions and words. The author also used a dark outline of the pages to signify a story being told and the blue colors to show night falling over the sky.

“He felt alone and happy and absolutely free“

You could use this book in the classroom in many ways. I would use it when educating my class about the events of 9/11 (before reading the book) or for social-emotional ideas. Never be afraid to follow your dreams, work hard, and don't give up.

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein, published in 2004 uses many colors, lines, and space to tell a story. In the pictures, you can see the use of different lines to create perspective, depth, and texture. The illustrator used pictures each with a black outline. This allowed for multiple stories to be told on one page. There were also pages that folded outwards, extending the image. It is more interactive for the reader.

“So like the people who came before us, we lifted our arms even higher, closed our eyes even tighter, breathed in even deeper, and flew the ways we'd always known how to“

I would use this book in my classroom to help my students think outside the box. I think this book would also be good to highlight during Black history month.

The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson was written in 2022. This was a story of 2 young African American children who “learn to fly“ when they were bored one day. The children are always the vocal point, they are composed of simple designs with bright colors. This story also references times of slavery within the words and the drawings. The illustrator captures the past in dark colors but also warm colors when they “learned to fly“.

“So did Sandy's tail“

This book would be great to explain homophones to older grades as the title is a play on words. There is also personification as the main character draws the tail in the sand- “swish-swoosh“. There is also repetition throughout the story.

A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams published in 2010 follows a young main character as he creates a drawing in the sand who he names Sandy. The pictures are of the perspective of the young boy as he continues on and on with the tail of Sandy. The almost grainy looking illustrations help bring a nostalgic feel to the picture book. In the end, Sandy becomes more useful than just a fun activity.

This book would be great for any ages. I especially think that this book would be great for students who may feel like they don't fit in, as they would be able to relate to the main character, Mr.Tiger. There are also lots of things to point out about the book features such as speech bubbles, characterization, and comparing and contrasting.

“And then one day, Mr. Tiger had, a very, wild idea,“

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, published in 2013, is a playful picture book which features an “unruly“ tiger. However, the tiger really just wants to just be a normal tiger! This is a great book for students who may feel like they don't fit in, or could just be a fun read for students of all ages. The illustrations are fitting and really make the book humorous and enjoyable.

“Cinderella asked them to rise, embraced them and told them she forgave them with all her heart“

This book could be used in the classroom to teach about the moral lesson that kindness will be rewarded. This would be a good activity to use in the beginning of the year to set the tone for how students should treat each other in the classroom.

Cinderella by Marcia Brown won the Caldecott Award in 1955. This story is a classic tale that is known across many age groups. Although Cinderella herself might not be relatable, the feelings that she goes through are (exclusion and sadness). The simple yet detailed pictures will catch the attention of children because there is much to look at and different things to focus on, from the dresses to the facial expressions.

I can definitely see this book being used in my classroom. It is a great way to introduce other cultures and traditions, as well as understand more about people can overcome hardships and how to turn the hardship situation around into doing good for the world.

“No matter how they hurt her, she stayed as strong as the mountain and did not give up“

Jovita Wore Pants by Aida Salazar was published in 2023 and won the Caldecott Medal in 2024. The illustrations are breathtaking throughout the book. The vivid bright colors of Jovita as she is young and having fun versus the dark, sad tones of a page where her father died helps to evoke strong emotions and make the readers feel as if they are there. I also love that this book is a true story!

It could be beneficial to read this book in a classroom if there were some type of death or loss. While it is really simplifying death, it could be a good starting point and loss is likely a topic that a lot of students could relate to.

“Until the older cat got older and one day he had to go... and he didn't come back. And that was hard.“

Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper is a short story, with illustrations mostly written in black and white. The book was published in 2017 and won the Caldecott Honor Award in 2018. The illustrations are simple and in black and white. These illustrations adds to the story through really bringing to life the story of the cats, which stands out against the simple illustrations.

“Boy, what do we need a car for? We got a bus that breathes fire, and old Mr.Dennis, who always has a trick for you.“

This book would be a great book to read in a class of students who have a lot of differences from one another. While the main character in the story is unappreciative of some things, his grandma helps to remind him how grateful he should be for what he has and that it is okay to be different and enjoy different things.

Last Stop on Market Street is a book about a young boy and his grandmother and their adventures while riding a public transit bus. This book was published in 2015, and received the Caldecott Honor Award in 2016. The book follows a young boy who is inadvertently not very thankful for some of the things in his life. His grandma is his reminder and a reminder to readers to notice the beautiful things in life.

“He said 'together' when others said separate. He said 'peace' when others said 'war'.“

I can see this book being used in my classroom to introduce the Civil Rights movement. Children often recognize Martin Luther King Jr as the face of this movement, and he is usually the only one that the students are aware of. Some other names were briefly mention in this book. This book would make a great stepping stone to begin to understand those other faces of the civil rights movement.

Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport was published in 2001 and recieved the Caldecott Honor in 2002. I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it included both Dr. King's story, as well as real quotes from his life. The illustrations were enjoyable and conveyed the emotion that was felt through the words. It included the good, the bad, and the ugly, and helped the reader feel like they were actually a part of the story through the illustrations