Sharing Picture Books with Grades 3 and 4

I have been working on a project for our National Centre for Australian Children's Literature. They are compiling a database of picture books to use with older students. My task was to prepare annotations for five titles and to source free teacher support materials. The database titles (over 300 of them) are being prepared this year ready for release in 2023. 

By coincidence my friend, a Teacher-Librarian, asked me this week for a list of picture books to share with her staff. The class teachers wanted 15-20 picture books. One set for Grades 3 and 4 and one set for Grades 5 and 6 and they also wanted teachers notes for each title. I will post my Grade 5 and 6 titles in the next post. Teachers sometimes use the words "Quality Literature" - all of these fit this criteria.

I have listed fairly mainstream titles but if you want more ideas click on the Senior Picture Book label on my side bar (over 100 titles to choose from). 

Here are some of the titles (mostly Australian) that I suggested for Grades 3 and 4. I am not going to search for teachers notes because you will find these in the database next year. Some of these books might be out of print but I am sure nearly all of can be found in your school library. I have not listed any books from the CBCA Awards for 2022 as clearly we are heading into Term 4 here in Australia and so all students are sure to have seen Iceberg; Stellarphant; Just one Bee and the other 3 short listed Picture Book titles.

Colour link takes you to my blog post:

The Greatest Treasure of Charlemagne the King by Nadia Wheatley illustrated by Deborah Klein

The Duck and the Darklings by Glenda Millard illustrated by Stephen Michael King

Suri's Wall by Lucy Estela illustrated by Matt Ottley

The Coat by Julie Hunt illustrated by Ron Brooks

Clancy the Courageous Cow by Lachie Hume

The Feather by Margaret Wild illustrated by Freya Blackwood

A prayer for the 21st Century by John Marsden

Way Home by Libby Hathorn illustrated by Gregory Rogers

Sonam and the Silence by Eddie Ayres illustrated by Ronak Taher

Littlelight by Kelly Canby

How to make a bird by Meg McKinlay illustrated by Matt Ottley

A boy and a Ball by Phil Cummings illustrated by Phil Lesnie

Anisa's Alphabet by Mike Dumbleton illustrated by Hannah Sommerville

Mallee Sky by Jodi Toering illustrated by Tannya Harricks

Mirror by Jeannie Baker

Teacup by Rebecca Young illustrated by Matt Ottley

The Tin Forest by Helen Ward illustrated by Wayne Anderson

Storm whale by Sarah Brennan illustrated by Jane Tanner

The Robber Girl by Margaret Wild illustrated by Donna Rawlins

Scary Bird by Michel Streich

One Tree Chris Cheng

Glass Tears by Jane Jolly illustrated by Di Wu (teachers notes)

Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett illustrated by Jon Klassen

Tusk Tusk by David McKee

War and Peas by Michael Foreman

Once Upon an alphabet by Oliver Jeffers

If you come to earth by Sophie Blackall

Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Stepping Stones: A Refugee family's Journey by Margriet Ruurs

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson illustrated by EB Lewis

Snow White in New York by Fiona French

The Stranger by Chris van Allsburg

The stinky cheese man illus Lane Smith

The King and the sea by Heinz Janisch illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch 

The Bear who wanted to stay a bear by Jörg Steiner illustrated by Jörg Müller

Ada's Violin by Susan Hood illustrated by Sally Wern Comport

How to pose open-ended questions. Here are a selection of questions to use before, during (keep this to a minimum) and after reading a Picture Book - do not ask every question these are just suggestions:

Before reading:

• What makes you think this book is going to be interesting?
• What do you think the book is going to be about?
• Does this book remind you of anything else you’ve already read or seen?
• What kind of characters do you think will be in the book?
• What do you think is going to happen?

During reading (use selectively):

• Will you catch me up on the story? What’s happened so far?
• What do you think will happen next?
• If you were that character, what would you have done differently in that situation?
• If the book was a TV show, which actors would you cast in it?
• Where is the book set?
• If the main character in that story lived next door, would you be friends?
• What does the place look like in your head as you read? Would you want to visit there?
• Did you learn any new words or facts so far?

After you have finished a book:

• What was your favourite part of the book? Why?
• Who was your favourite character? Why?
• What was the most interesting thing you learned from the book?
• Why do you think the author wrote this book?
• Would you have ended the book differently? Did it end the way you thought it would?
• Did the problem of the book’s plot get solved?
• If you could change one thing in the book, what would it be?

Taken from 21 Questions (abridged).