Must Have Picture Books

I am linking up with Lindsey over at The Teacher Wife to share my favorite picture books. Good thing we don't have to pick just one because that would be way too hard.

1. Hooway for Wodney Wat. 

I love this book! It is funny to listen to and a blast to read, but still tells a very important lesson. The sequel Wodney Wat's Wobot is pretty amazing too!

2. Tacky the Penguin

This is another book I love for the humor and the story it tells. This past year it was a class favorite, so much so that we did a readers theater for our end of the year celebration. 

3. Chrysanthemum

I love this story. I like to use it at the beginning of the year. 

4. Elephant and Piggie Books

I must admit I was a little slow to understand what the fuss was about with Mo Willems's books. I know now! These are so great. I like to use them in guided reading groups as mini readers theaters for some students who spend a lot of time looking for a 'perfect' book. 

5. Thundercake

I have always liked this book since I was a kid. I find it to be very useful in my own classroom especially for a writing workshop unit. Students are always amazed to find out tomatoes really can go in a cake. 

6. M is for Mitten

This is such a great book that covers all the special places and things about my home state. I know this is part of a series. My first graders really liked this book last year as when we were learning more about Michigan. They treated it like a special book (which it is but I didn't tell them that). One student was beyond ecstatic when he won it as a prize. 

7. My Great Aunt Arizona

This is another favorite from when I was a kid. I loved the pioneer times and wanted to be a school teacher and this covers all of it. Even better is that I get to read it every spring when we cover pioneers and one room school houses in my class. 

I gotta stop before my list goes on and on.