Beautiful Butterflies!

Hello, Little one: a monarch butterfly story written by Zeena M. Pliska

Caterpillar crawls from leaf to leaf, eating and waiting, all alone in a big, green world. Then Orange appears–Orange floats, and flits, and flies, graceful and beautiful. In this sweet, moving story of intergenerational friendship, a small caterpillar is befriended by a glorious monarch butterfly, and together they learn to see the world through each other’s eyes.

Out of Nowhere written and illustrated by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros

A beetle courageously sets out in search of his best friend–a caterpillar that arrived out of nowhere and vanished without warning.

Butterflies Belong Here written by Deborah Hopkinson

An immigrant girl explains how she learned English by reading about Monarch butterflies, and how, troubled by their decline, she got her classmates and neighbors together to build a butterfly garden.

Nonfiction:

Butterfly for a King: saving Hawaii’s Kamehameha butterflies written and illustrated by Susan L. Roth

A combined history of the Hawaiian Islands and the native Kamehameha butterfly up to and including current-day efforts of Hawaii’s Pulelehua Project, a group of professional and citizen scientists working to restore the butterfly’s declining habitats and population. An Afterword with additional information, photographs, and source list is included.

Monarch Butterflies: explore the life journey of one of the winged wonders of the world written by Ann Hobbie

Through accessible text and colorful, engaging illustrations, Monarch Butterflies presents rich, detailed information about the monarchs’ life cycle, anatomy, and the wonders of their signature migration.

Winged Wonders: solving the monarch migration mystery written by Meeg Pincus

Monarch butterflies swooped through and people wondered, “Where do they go?” In 1976 the world learned: after migrating, the monarchs roost by the millions in an oyamel grove in Mexico. This was a mystery that could only be solved when people worked as a team.

Butterfly Life Cycle Craft: https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/butterfly-life-cycle-craft/

Butterfly STEAM activities for preschoolers and toddlers: https://team-cartwright.com/butterfly-steam-activities-for-preschoolers-and-toddlers/

Caterpillar to butterfly science activity with balloons: https://theeducatorsspinonit.com/caterpillar-to-butterfly-science-activity-with-balloons/

3D Butterfly model: https://www.steamsational.com/butterfly-science/

Melted crayon butterfly craft: https://barleyandbirch.com/make-melted-crayon-butterflies/

Crocodiles

Croc Needs to Wait: a book about patience written by Sue Graves

Croc always rushes ahead with whatever she is doing, whether it is waiting for her turn or doing her sums; frequently things go wrong, and projects are messed up–but when her teacher explains the importance of patience, Croc resolves to do better.

Crocodiles Need Kisses too written by Rebecca Colby

Illustrations and rhyming text inform the reader that, despite quills, claws, fangs, and more, animals, like children, all need love and affection.

How to Be on the Moon written and illustrated by Viviane Schwarz

Best friends Anna and Crocodile are going on another intrepid adventure – this time, to the moon! But soaring into the space is no simple task. To start with, it’s very far away. Then there’s the not-so-simple matter of building a rocket. And there are the sandwiches to make for the journey. But when Anna and Crocodile set their sights on something, nothing can stand in their way…

Little Doctor and the Fearless Beast written and illustrated by Sophie Gilmore

Little Doctor is known far and wide as a crocodile whisperer. The animals come from near and far to have her treat them. And as she does, she admires their thick armor and enormous jaws. She wishes that she could be as strong and fearless! One day Little Doctor receives a visit from the largest crocodile of all, Big Mean. But surprisingly–and frustratingly–Big Mean won’t open her mouth to tell Little Doctor what’s wrong. Instead, mouth clamped shut, she watches the little doctor, who returns to tend to her other patients. While she works, Little Doctor hatches a plan to get a thermometer into Big Mean’s mouth. But things go awry, and Little Doctor falls right into Big Mean’s jaws! And there she sees the problem: Big Mean’s hatchlings are hidden away in their mother’s mouth, tangled in plastic! With the hatchlings freed, Big Mean pays Little Doctor with a story–a story of a truly strong and fearless beast called Little Doctor.

Croc & Turtle: Snow Fun! Written and illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka

Best friends Croc and Turtle want to play together, but Croc only wants to do exciting things outside in the cold and Turtle wants to stay safe and warm inside.

Beware of the Crocodile written by Martin Jenkins

All is quiet on the water. Then, in a flash, there’s a sudden lunge and a tremendous splash. And then? Oh dear. There’s a lot of twirling and thrashing: a hungry crocodile has found something to eat. But crocodiles also love to nap on warm sandbanks and cool off in calm waters. And they’re very gentle with their babies. There’s a lot to learn about crocodiles in this captivating look at one of the world’s deadliest and toothiest animals. Beware!

Pedro and George written by Delphine Perret

Pedro and George are fed up with the children of the world getting them confused. Pedro is a crocodile, and George is an alligator. There’s a difference, you know. This determined pair decides to go on a mission to prove who’s who, once and for all.

Nonfiction

Alligators and Crocodiles Can’t Chew! : and other amazing facts written by Thea Feldman

Alligators and crocodiles are strong enough to bite through bone, but did you know that they can’t chew their food? Readers will love learning about what makes alligators and crocodiles “super,” as well as how to tell the two animals apart. The backmatter discusses the conservation success story of the previously endangered American alligator.

Reptiles Everywhere written by Camilla De la Bédoyère

There are reptiles everywhere! Pull on your boots and get ready to track down some reptiles. Follow geckos through the Madagascan jungle, take a stroll down to the beach to watch baby turtles hatch, and be ready to scramble up a tree if you catch sight of a Komodo dragon. The amazing world of reptiles is full of surprises. Includes hidden reptiles puzzles.

Alligators and crocodiles written by Ellis M Reed

Explores the similarities between alligators and crocodiles, and how to tell them apart. Discover how traits like teeth, snout shape, and habitat can be used to identify these fearsome reptiles. Additional features include a side-by-side comparison of the animals, an activity encouraging readers to demonstrate their knowledge, a phonetic glossary, sources for further reading, an introduction to the author, and an index.

Crocodilian Species Range: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/crocodilian-ranges

Crocodile facts: https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/crocodilian

Mr. Croc – egg carton crocodile craft: https://patchworkparent.blogspot.com/2019/05/mr-croc-egg-carton-crocodile.html?m=1

Back to School!

Tomatoes in my Lunchbox written by Costantia Manoli

A young girl feels out of place on her first day of school in a new country until she discovers that it only takes one friend to make her new surroundings feel like home.

The Rescuer of Tiny Creatures written by Manley Curtis

Roberta rescues tiny creatures. You know, the ones stranded in the middle of the sidewalk. A lot of the time, that earns her funny looks from kids in school. But when a swarm of baby spiders finds its way into the classroom, Roberta will save the day with her knowledge and creativity, showing everybody that tiny creatures aren’t so scary after all. They just need friends who rescue and understand them!

I Love My Teacher written by Giles Andreae

Race inside for a joy-filled day! School is full of fun, all thanks to a teacher who makes every school day the best. Full of energy and enthusiasm, this is a book all children will want to share with their favorite teacher.

A Sky-Blue Bench written by Bahram Rahman

Young Aria returns to school after recovering from an accident and being fitted with a prosthetic leg, but the school has no furniture and sitting on the floor is too painful. She finds a way to build her own bench, surprising and inspiring her classmates. A sensitive author’s note addresses the author’s experience growing up in Afghanistan during the civil war and the legacy of landmines.

Choo-choo School written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

All aboard the train-car pool! A new lineup of students is off and rolling to Choo-Choo School. After reciting their classroom rules — Work hard, play fair, be kind — it’s time for some math to get the wheels turning. Then everyone’s ready to climb a hill in gym (it’s good to blow off steam), sing songs in music (Flat Car is a bit off-key), and learn the whole alphabet, especially the letter R.

The Truth about Dragons written and illustrated by Jaime Zollars

A girl’s frightening and exciting first day of school is full of prowling dragons that aren’t quite what they seem.

Preschool, Here I come! Written by David Steinberg

Follows a child through preschool, from saying goodbye to parents on the very first day of school to watching butterflies hatch in spring.

Even Monsters go to School written by Lisa Wheeler

A grown-up monster describes in rhyming verse how monsters of all types go to school, and so must this child monster, no matter how glum about the prospect.

My Teacher is a Robot written and illustrated by Jeffrey Brown

From the author of the “New York Times”-bestselling Jedi Academy books comes an imaginative picture book about a kid whose creative outlook has everyone at school seeing the world through new eyes. Fred does not want to go to school because it’s boring. Especially since he thinks his teacher is a robot. If only Fred could imagine a way for his day to be more exciting…

Back to School Pencil Craft for Kids: https://www.123homeschool4me.com/back-to-school-pencil-craft_97/

Kindergarten Self-Portraits: https://learningwithmrsparker.blogspot.com/2016/07/self-portraits-in-kindergarten.html

What’s in a Name?

Alma and How She Got her Name written and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

When Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela asks her father why she has so many names, she hears the story of her name and learns about her grandparents.

Thunder Boy Jr. written by Sherman Alexie

Thunder Boy Jr. is named after his dad, but he wants a name that’s all his own. Just because people call his dad Big Thunder doesn’t mean he wants to be Little Thunder. He wants a name that celebrates something cool he’s done, like Touch the Clouds, Not Afraid of Ten Thousand Teeth, or Full of Wonder. But just when Thunder Boy Jr. thinks all hope is lost, he and his dad pick the perfect name… a name that is sure to light up the sky.

Your Name is a Song written by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

Saddened by her classmates’ and teacher’s mispronunciations of her name, a girl is empowered by her discovery that names are like songs when she and her mom celebrate the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names.

My Name is Wakawakaloch! Written by Chana Stiefel

Angry that everyone bungles her name, Neanderthal Wakawakaloch speaks with her parents and Elder Mooch, who remind her that she was named for a brave, heroic ancestor.

I’m a Baked Potato! Written by Elise Primavera

A small dog named Baked Potato is lost and searching for his lady owner, but neither the grumpy dog or the fox are helpful, and his strange name creates confusion–until owl explains that, whatever he is called, he is really a dog.

Pacho Nacho written by Silvia Lopez

After naming their firstborn son Pacho-Nacho-Nico-Tico-Melo-Felo-Kiko-Rico, Mama and Papa insist everyone use his full name, which causes trouble when their second son, Juan, says his brother needs help. Includes notes about the folktale on which the story is based and glossary of Spanish terms.

I Love You, Fred written by Mick Inkpen

“Fred! Fred! Fred!” they say. They say it all the time. “Fred! Fred! Fred! all day. (You whisper it sometimes.) If only I could Fred.

Alma and how she

Hello, My Name is: How Adorabilis Got His Name written by Marisa Polansky

A new creature is added to the deep-sea tank, but what will they call this flapjack octopus? Includes an author’s note on Adorabilis and its name.

The Name Jar written by Yangsook Choi

After Unhei moves from Korea to the United States, her new classmates help her decide what her name should be.

Crystal names – kids’ science experiment: https://www.playdoughtoplato.com/kids-science-crystal-names/

Name in a Jar Activity: https://www.howweelearn.com/name-in-a-jar/

A Sticky Preschool Name Craft: https://www.howweelearn.com/a-sticky-preschool-name-craft/

Salt, Glue and Watercolour Writing Activity for Preschoolers: https://happyhooligans.ca/salt-glue-watercolour-art/

Mega Blok Names: https://happytoddlerplaytime.com/megablok-names-19/

Numbers Count!

One-osaurus, two-osaurus written by Kim Norman

Look there, in a child’s bedroom, where some prehistoric pals are gathered in a counting game. Nine dinosaurs are playing a sing-song rendition of hide-and-seek–but something isn’t adding up. Where is number ten? Stomp, stomp, stomp! CHOMP, CHOMP, CHOMP! Ready or not, here he comes, and he sounds . . . big! With big, bold numerals, an array of dinosaurs in comical poses, and a humorous twist at the end, this tribute to a child’s imagination makes learning numbers a gigantic treat.

Whole Whale written by Karen Yin

Young readers will giggle with delight as one hundred unusual animals try to squeeze into the oversized pages of this raucous rhyming tale. ‘But can we fit a whole blue whale?’ is repeated throughout, as more animals join the mélange.

Ducks on the Road: a counting adventure written by Anita Lobel

Ten little ducks go for a walk with their parents but one by one, they get distracted and go off on their own adventures, meeting new friends along the way.

20 Big Trucks in the Middle of Christmas written by Mark Lee

From a doughnut truck to a snowplow to a crane, twenty big trucks are on their way to a Christmas celebration in the middle of town.

The Doorbell Rang written by Pat Hutchins

This enjoyable read-aloud picture book about friendship, sharing, and cookies can also be used to introduce basic math concepts to young children. Each ring of the doorbell brings more friends to share the delicious cookies Ma has made in this beloved classic.

Ten Black Dots written by Donald Crews

One dot can make a sun, two dots can make the eyes of a fox, and three dots can make a snowman’s face.

And that’s just the beginning in this unique counting book! Children will develop visual learning skills, explore creativity, and practice counting numbers, all in one deceptively simple–and fun!–picture book.

Pizza counting activity: https://7daysofplay.com/pizza-number-recognition/

Pompom counting activity: https://laughingkidslearn.com/simple-counting-activity-for-children/

Catching bugs counting game: https://www.pre-kpages.com/catching-bugs-counting-game/