Books About Christmas Around the World and Multicultural Winter Holidays

The All-I’ll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll by Patricia C. McKissack
Amma, Tell Me About Diwali by Bhakti Mathur

Bear Stays up for Christmas by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes by Nancy Cote

Christmas for 10 by Carthryn Falwell
Circle of Wonder: A Native American Christmas Story N. Scott Nomaday
Cobweb Christmas: The Tradition of Tinsel by Shirley Climo

Grace at Christmas by Mary Hoffman

Grandma’s Gift by Eric Velasquez
Growing Up With Tamales by Gwendolyn Zapada
How Santa Got His Job by Steven Krensky
The Legend of the Christmas Stocking by Zonderkidz

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola

The Littlest Matryoshka by Corinne Demas Bliss

My First Kwanzaa Book by Karen Katz

N is for Navidad by Susan Middleton Elya

The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie dePaola

Olive the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh
A Pinata in a Pine Tree by Pat Mora
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy by Jane Thayer

Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto
Tree of Cranes by Allen Say
The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Emma Kragen 
Uncle Vova's Tree by Patricia Polacco
Yoon and the Christmas Mitten by Helen Recorvits

                       

Books with Printables

Read Aloud comprehension questions, comprehension worksheets and other activity worksheets I created to go with books.

Dumpy La Rue by Elizabeth Winthrop    
✯Dumpy La Rue Comprehension Page

Elmer by David McKee                                     

✯Elmer Activity: Design Your Own Elephant and Write

The Empty Pot  by Demi                                    
✯Questions for The Empty Pot

Miss Smith’s Incredible Storybook by Michael Garland    
✯Comprehension Questions for Incredible Storybook

Olivia by Ian Falconer                                             
✯Questions for Olivia

Olivia Acts Out by Jodie Shepard                      
✯Questions for Olivia Acts Out

Olivia Saves the Circus by Ian Falconer         
✯Questions for Olivia Saves the Circus

Olivia and the Missing Toy by Ian Falconer     
✯Questions for Olivia & the Missing Toy

Olivia Forms a Band by Ian Falconer                

✯Questions for Olivia Forms a Band

Plantzilla by Jerdine Nolan                                       

✯Questions for Plantzilla

Six-Dinner Sid by Inga Moore                      
✯Six-Dinner Sid Comprehension Page

Unlovable by Dan Yaccarino                            
✯Unlovable Comprehension Page

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak         
✯Wild Things Comprehension Page

Why Do You Cry?: Not a Sob Story by Kate Klise
✯Questions for Why Do You Cry?

Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox        
✯Questions for Wilfred Gordon

How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers                       
✯How to Catch A Star Comprehension Page

Skiing Penguins and Snowmen

Years and years ago we made skiing penguins in my kindergarten class, and it was so fun. It took me a while to figure out how we did it, and I've got the directions here.

These are great for teaching winter themes: snow, winter animals, even the concepts of up and down.

My little guy was entranced by the skiers and played with them for hours, both on and off the slopes.


Supplies: 
poster board
markers or crayons
pipe cleaners
hole punch
roll of white paper
popsicle sticks: two for each character you make

Steps:
1. Draw simple penguins and snowmen on poster board. The penguin is just an oval. I drew and colored these, but when he's older my son will enjoy making his own.




2. Cut them out.
3. Punch two holes in the bottom, at least half an inch from the edge.
4. Cut two pieces of pipe cleaner, 3 to 4 inches long.
5. Put each piece of pipe cleaner through the holes, wrapping one end around the other. Leave room to bend one end forward for the "feet".

6. Tape the "feet" to two popsicle sticks, or "skis".

7. Using the roll of paper, tape one end to the edge of a table or shelf, something sturdy that the kids can reach.
8. Tape the bottom of the paper down too.

9. Put your skiers on the top and you're ready for fun!

My little guy loved the skiers. He played with them off and on the slopes all day. At first I was worried I'd made the slope too wide...

…but he solved the problem himself by climbing up onto his little table.

First he pushed them hard and fast, but by letting him play on his own, he figured they skied better when he pushed them slowly.

Books to Help Kids Read with Fluency

Fluency

Can I Play Too? by Mo Willems

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

I Broke My Trunk! by Mo Willems

I'm Bored by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone
Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems
There is A Bird On Your Head by Mo Willems

We Are In A Book! by Mo Willems

Yes We Can! By Sam McBratney and Charles Fuge 

Elephant and Piggie Books 
are easy to read and great
for increasing expression.

Books About Friendship, Diversity and Acceptance

Friendship/Acceptance/Diversity 
(Also see Learning Differences and Making New Friends in the big List of Books by Theme)

Angel Child, Dragon Child by Michele Maria Surat (getting along/diversity)

Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson

The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane Derolf and Michael Letzig (diversity)

Don’t Laugh at Me by Steve Seskin, Allan Shamblin and Glin Dibley (teasing/tolerance)
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson (getting along)

Hooray for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester (speech, being different)
Leonardo, The Terrible Monster by Mo Willems (hurting feelings/being friends)
Let's Be Enemies by Janice May Udry
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers (loneliness)
The Monster Who Lost His Mean by Tiffany Strelitz Haber
My Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits (diversity)
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi (diversity)

Odd Velvet by Mary Whitcomb (accepting differences)
The Old Woman Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant
Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by P. Kahumbu
Pig in a Wig by Alan McDonald (being kind to those who are different)
Pigs Make Me Sneeze by Mo Willems
Priscilla and the Pink Planet by Nathanial Hobbie (diversity)
The Rag Coat by Lauren A. Mills (poverty, teasing, forgiveness)
Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfizer 

A Rainbow of Friends by P.K. Hallinan

The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill (getting along)
Red and Yellow's Noisy Night by Josh Selig (conflict resolution between friends)

Ruby the Copycat by Margaret Rathman

The Sandwich Swap by Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan Al Abdullah (diversity)

The Shortest Kid in the World by Corinne Demas Bliss (being different)
The Skin You Live In by Michael Tyler and David Lee Csicsko

Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell (being teased)
The Thing About Georgie by Lisa Graff (dwarfism)
Unlovable by Dan Yaccarino                            
                              ✯Unlovable Comprehension Page
Whoever You Are by Mem Fox

Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox

Books about Perseverance

The Dot by Peter Reynolds

Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires 
Never Give Up! A Children's Picture Book by Adriana Cerrotti
Princesses Are Not Quitters! by Kate Lum
Try It and Stick With It by Cheri J. Meiners
Winners Never Quit! by Mia Hamm
You Can Do It! by Tony Dungy (religious themes)

Books About Being True to Yourself

Being True to Yourself/Be an Individual

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

David’s Drawings by Cathryn Falwell
Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots? by Carmela LaVigna Coyle
Dumpy La Rue by Elizabeth Winthrop    
                         ✯Dumpy La Rue Comprehension Page
Elmer by David McKee                                     

                         ✯Elmer Activity: Design Your Own Elephant and Write

Ladybug Girl by Jacky Davis
Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Krau
Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match by Monica Brown and Sara Palacios
Matthew ABC by Peter Catalanotto
Odd Velvet by Mary E. Whitcomb
Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomie dePaola
Olivia by Ian Falconer

Purplicious by Elizabeth Kann and Victoria Kann

The Shortest Kid in the World by Corinne Demas Bliss (being different)
Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun: Having the Courage to Be Who You Are by Maria Dismondy and Kimberly Shaw-Peterson
Sometimes I Like to Curl Up In A Ball by Vicki Churchill and Charles Fuge
Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
Stephanie’s Ponytail by Robert Munsch
Whoever You Are by Mem Fox