Book picks similar to
I Love School! by Philemon Sturges


school
picture-books
picture-book
first-day-of-school

The Lady with the Alligator Purse


Nadine Bernard Westcott - 1988
    These outrageous rhymes will appeal to reluctant readers, eager readers, silly readers, and the whole family together!

The Turnip


Jan Brett - 2015
    Ram and Vanya, the horse–struggle to pull up a giant turnip. A cocky rooster steps in and pulls, sending him into the air, holding onto the turnip. No one knows that a mother bear in her underground den has kicked the turnip up through the soil to give the family room to sleep through the winter.    Once again Jan Brett brings an original twist to a favorite folktale. Snow covers the farm in rural Russia as badgers and friends in old-fashioned clothes, and bears marching through bright-colored borders,  send young readers laughing from page to page.

Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months


Maurice Sendak - 1962
    Maurice Sendak, the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of the iconic Where the Wild Things Are, created a warmly loved classic book of months, in verse, with Chicken Soup with Rice.This rhyming book cleverly uses a little boy’s love for soup to teach children the months of the year and features Sendak’s imaginative drawings and lyrical verses.Who says you can only slurp chicken soup with rice in cold January or freezing December? Chicken soup with rice is nice all year round!

King Jack and the Dragon


Peter Bently - 2011
    But when Sir Zack and Caspar are taken inside for bed, King Jack - alone on his throne - finds himself feeling a bit less brave . . . especially when he hears a thing approaching, a thing with four legs.A rollicking read-aloud with a charming surprise ending and Helen Oxenbury's spare, expressive illustrations, this kid-pleaser is a classic in the making.

Green on Green


Dianne White - 2020
    All the while, there is another colorful change on the horizon—the birth of a new sibling.

Eddie the Bully


Henry Cole - 2016
    He may be the smallest, but he is the biggest bully. He calls people names, hides people’s homework, and trips people. No one is safe from his bullying! And when the teachers give him a time out, that just gives him time to think of more mean things to do! When a new student, Carla the pig, comes to class one day, everyone is prepared for the worst. But does she have a way to stop Eddie’s bullying? She compliments his clothes, invites him to lunch, and is extremely nice to him. Her kindness makes Eddie feel great at first. But then he starts to think about the way he's treated his other classmates, and he feels bad. He realizes it feels good to be nice, so he tries to help her make friends and be a good friend to everyone, any way he could be, any time he could be.

A Normal Pig


K-Fai Steele - 2019
    Suddenly she doesn’t like any of the same things she used to . . . the things that made her Pip.

Tyrannosaurus Wrecks!


Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen - 2014
    But each activity is another opportunity for the over-enthusiastic Tyrannosaurus Rex to wreak havoc. Parents and young children will love the call-and-response nature of the book, and young dinosaur fans will appreciate the listing (and pronunciation guide) for a dozen different dino species. The format is extra vertical in order to accommodate T. Rex’s biggest messes. Praise for Tyrannosaurus Wrecks "Punchy writing, an equally in-your-face palette, and OHora’s characteristically brash painting style make this as much a stompalong as a readaloud." --Publishers Weekly "Along with the pleasure of pronouncing those multisyllabic dino names, young audiences may find food for thought in the behavioral dynamics on display." --Kirkus Reviews "Warmly colored with childlike bodies and emotive faces, Ohora’s dinosaurs are among the cutest you will come across in children’s books." --Booklist "The brief rhyming text, which scans well, tells a story with child appeal. There is a good balance of two-to-three word sentences with large, uncluttered illustrations, making the book a good choice for reading aloud. In their simplicity, the brightly colored pictures have the look of children’s art, but they enhance the classroom setting appropriately with interesting details." --School Library Journal "The shapely dinos, whose rough charcoal-style outlines and strong colors vividly contrast with the white or sometimes black backgrounds, are chunky and friendly in an eight-crayon-box color scheme and snazzy Peanuts-reminiscent outfits." --Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books "Together the chanting rhythm, ragged lines, and setting of an un-chaperoned dinosaur class create a satisfyingly high-energy, primal read-aloud strongly reminiscent of Bob Shea’s 'Dinosaur vs.' series." --The Horn Book Magazine

How to Catch a Turkey


Adam Wallace - 2018
    Can YOU help catch it? Follow along as students turn their school upside down trying to catch the turkey, ending with a twist that ensures no turkeys are harmed (or eaten!). Start a new Thanksgiving tradition with this hilariously zany children's picture book that combines STEAM concepts and traps with a silly story and fun illustrations!Thanksgiving time is here again, but there's a turkey on the run!Can you catch this tricky birdbefore the school play has begun?Also in the How to Catch Series: How to Catch a UnicornHow to Catch the Easter BunnyHow to Catch an ElfHow to Catch a MonsterHow to Catch a Leprechaunand more!

The Most Magnificent Thing


Ashley Spires - 2013
    She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!? But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits. But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right.

Say Hello!


Linda Davick - 2015
    And here are ways it can be done. With a hug. With a shake. With a curtsy. With a cake. With a whisper. With a kiss. With a dance of happiness!With zippy, rhyming text and bold, exuberant illustrations, this book celebrates the many wonderful ways to say hello to friends, families, pets—or anyone!

Yard Sale


Eve Bunting - 2015
    They can’t stay in this house, so they’re moving to an apartment in the city. The new place is "small but nice," Mom says, and most of their things won’t fit, so today they are having a yard sale. But it’s kind of hard to watch people buy your stuff, even if you understand why it has to happen. With sensitivity and grace, Eve Bunting and Lauren Castillo portray an event at once familiar and difficult, making clear that a home isn’t about what you have, but whom you hold close.

Tool School


Joan Holub - 2017
    Together, they make puzzles and play games, but when it's time to build something it's suddenly every tool for itself. Working alone, each tool soon realizes that to make something great all need to cooperate!Young children will love the irresistible bold artwork and fun rhyming text as they learn that a little teamwork can make a big difference. Tool School introduces some of the most basic household tools, and cool tips explain how to successfully use them with the help of a grown-up!

The Jacket I Wear in the Snow


Shirley Neitzel - 1989
    Clever rebuses and jaunty illustrations make The Jacket I Wear in the Snow especially fun for prereaders and new readers.

The Day the Babies Crawled Away


Peggy Rathmann - 2003
    Children lining up for pony rides . . . moms and dads in a pie-eating contest . . . babies chasing butterflies . . . babies heading for the trees . . . I SAY! Where are those babies GOING? Only a small boy sees them leaving and follows as the babies chase butterflies in trees, frogs in a bog, even bats in a cave, ignoring pleas to come back. But not to worry, our hero saves the day, making sure that all the babies get home safely from their appealing adventures. Caldecott Medal winner Peggy Rathmann has created a highly original story told in a lilting text and a bold new style with classic black silhouettes against stunning skies of many colors that change and glow as afternoon turns into evening.