Book picks similar to
The ABCs of What I Can Be by Caitlin McDonagh


picture-books
picture-book
alphabet
exploring-academic

The Crayons' Book of Colors


Drew Daywalt - 2016
    When they come together, they can make something truly spectacular to celebrate Duncan's birthday! From the creative minds behind the "The Day the Crayons Quit" and "The Day the Crayons Came Home," comes a fun board book introducing young readers to colors.

26 Letters and 99 Cents


Tana Hoban - 1987
    Perfect for visual learners! Simple, clear, practical, 26 Letters and 99 Cents teaches the most basic building blocks of life skills. Sit together with a child at home or in a preschool classroom and use coins and an alphabet sheet alongside this book to enjoyably teach ABCs and counting.In a starred review, School Library Journal said, “Children will enjoy manipulating money, numbers, and letters to correspond to the photographs in this book.”Readers can start from either side of the book. “Hoban’s crisp photo-essay presents images of upper- and lower-case letters beside objects beginning with that letter; reverse the book, and numerals are shown alongside coins that total that amount,” explained Publishers Weekly.

"L" is for Library


Sonya Terry - 2006
    Simple alphabet rhyming text and colorful illustrations describe a journey through the library.

Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born


Jamie Lee Curtis - 1996
    Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born is a special celebration of the love and joy an adopted child creates for a family.In asking her parents to tell her again about the night of her birth, a young girl relives a cherished tale she knows by heart. Focusing on the significance of family and love, this a unique and beautiful story about adoption and the importance of a loving family.A beautiful adoption story, Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born also speaks to the universal childhood desire to know more about the excitement, awe, love, and sleeplessness that a new baby brings to a family.Tell me again about the night I was born.Tell me again how you would adopt me and be my parents.Tell me again about the first time you held me in your arms.

Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport


Marjorie Weinman Sharmat - 1980
    After all, out West nobody plays baseball because they're too busy chasing buffaloes, and you have to ride a horse to school even if you don't know how, and you can't sit down because of the cactus. But his parents are moving West, and they say he has to go, too. Once there, however, the boy doesn't meet the Gila monsters he expected. And on the ride to his new home (by taxi, not horse) he discovers the West is neither as different nor as bad as he'd imagined.Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Byron Barton share a keen sense of the ridiculous and a compassionate understanding of a child's anxieties. Together they have created a perceptive, exuberantly funny picture book that will have children in all parts of the country laughing away their own fears about new experiences.

I'm Your Bus


Marilyn Singer - 2009
    Morning, noon, and nighttime, too, that golden buddy is at your service. Ready to drive you and your friends to and from school.And in-between those golden-bus moments, there are other vehicles who drive around town doing what they do best--sweeping, crunching, watching, creeping! Here is an in-your-face read-aloud that is bound to become a modern classic.

Firefighters!: Speeding! Spraying! Saving!


Patricia Hubbell - 2007
    They pull on their helmets, gloves, and boots. Then off they roar in their trucks—zooming away to save the day!

Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money


Emily Jenkins - 2012
    With a catchy refrain (Lemon lemon LIME, Lemon LIMEADE! Lemon lemon LIME, Lemon LEMONADE!), plus simple math concepts throughout, here is a read-aloud that's great for storytime and classroom use, and is sure to be a hit among the legions of Jenkins and Karas fans.

The Little Bear Book


Anthony Browne - 1988
    As a bear strolls through the forest, he meets a lonely gorilla, a noisy crocodile, a lion, and even an elephant. They all look as if they are missing something, so the bear steps in to save the day, using his magic pencil to draw just what they are looking for. Originally published in 1988, this enchanting story by a picture-book master is available again for a brand-new audience.

Alphabet City


Stephen T. Johnson - 1995
    As Stephen T. Johnson demonstrates in a series of strikingly realistic pastels and watercolors, a simple sawhorse can contain the letter "A" — while lampposts alongside a highway can form a row of elegant, soaring Ys. A 1996 Caldecott Honor book, this sophisticated, wordless alphabet book is sure to appeal to young and old alike.

Gallop!: A Scanimation Picture Book


Rufus Butler Seder - 2007
    It's impossible not to flip the page, and flip it again, and again, and again. A first book of motion for kids, it shows a horse in full gallop and a turtle swimming up the page. A dog runs, a cat springs, an eagle soars, and a butterfly flutters. Created by Rufus Butler Seder, an inventor, artist, and filmmaker fascinated by antique optical toys, Scanimation is a state-of-the-art six-phase animation process that combines the "persistence of vision" principle with a striped acetate overlay to give the illusion of movement. It harkens back to the old magical days of the kinetoscope, and the effect is astonishing, like a Muybridge photo series springing into action—or, in terms kids can relate to, like a video without a screen. Complementing the art is a delightful rhyming text full of simple questions and fun, nonsense replies: Can you gallop like a horse? giddyup-a-loo! Can you strut like a rooster? cock-a-doodle-doo!Every child who opens the book will be amazed—and so will every parent.

Jazzy Miz Mozetta


Brenda C. Roberts - 2004
    When she hears the neighborhood kids' music, she's inspired to dance, but her old friends have too many aches and pains to join her. The kids doubt that Miz Mozetta would be able to keep up with them. So she retreats to her parlor, where she dreams about the old days at the Blue Pearl Ballroom. Just when her feet are itching to get out there and do the jitterbug -- friends or no friends -- a knock comes on the door, and Miz Mozetta gets some welcome company. Lively, colorful illustrations and a rhythmic text make for a jazzy dance party that readers will delight in attending again and again. "Jazzy Miz Mozetta" is the winner of the 2005 Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe New Talent Award.

Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words: From Accessories to Zany


Jane O'Connor - 2008
    Why say "beautiful" when there are fancy words like "gorgeous" and "glamorous"? Instead of "hello," try "bonjour," which is French and so much fancier! An umbrella will keep you dry, but a parasol will make you feel like a Hollywood movie star!With this helpful A-to-Z guide, Fancy Nancy shows that making plain words into fancy ones is not only educational, it's fun. Glossary of words included.

Twenty-six Princesses: An Alphabet Story


Dave Horowitz - 2008
    Starting with Princess Alice, the twentysix princesses—each with personality to spare—head to the palace, eager to make his acquaintance. But with Princess Jane being a pain, Princess Kay losing her way, and Princess Betty still getting ready, they’ll be lucky if they manage to steal any kisses from this prince! Dave Horowitz creates a party kids won’t want to miss, a wildly fun way to practice the alphabet and a frog’s-eye view of the courtly life.

Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses


Kimberly Dean - 2013
    But with the help of some magic sunglasses, Pete learns that a good mood has been inside him all along.Fans of Pete the Cat will love watching him take his positive outlook and transform a grumpy day into an awesome day!The fun never stops—download the free groovin’ song. Time for magic fun in the sun!