Great New Books to Start Your Writing Workshop!

Today I would like to share with you some wonderful picture books I've discovered lately. I'm excited about these books because each one provides an amazing opportunity as mentor texts for Writing Workshop! The language, the choice of vocabulary, the repeating lines, the illustrations, all these characteristics you'll be able to find in each of these books. Take a look...


Who Said Coo? By Deborah Ruddell.


I'm very excited about this book! I can already foresee that this book would quickly become a favorite read aloud in the classroom. How can it not be? With it's wonderful repeating lines, funny outcomes, it's intriguing sounds, and mysterious page turners, this book would be one of those that the children will be asking to listen to over and over!
So the story is about how all this little pig wants to do is get some rest at night, except he hears a sound every time which leaves him wondering who said....? Coo?whoo? Moo? Shoo? With every turn of the page, you'll find something new! Written in beautiful and repetitive language and with gorgeous illustrations done by Robin Luebs.

Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy by Denise Fleming.

 Once again, this author brings to us a wonderful story to enjoy over and over with our very young audience.The story line is very simple...baby animals are going to sleep, so using a repetitive language such as "tiny baby panda, sleepy oh so sleepy" you'll encounter different animals getting ready to go to sleep. But the pattern is broken when at the end, we find the most special creature of all. The sweet illustrations in this book are a great company to the text and the rhythm of the story.

 Seasons  by Blexbolex and published by Enchanted Lion Books. There is something so "vintage" about this book that I just love! It's illustrations are definitely original, the colors chosen throughout the book were very carefully selected and the texture of the pages all adds up to give this book a special look. The title of this book says it all....it is a book about seasons but it doesn't tell a story with full sentences. It uses one or two words per page to describe something particular about that season or associated with that season. The book encourages you to read each word carefully, pause at the illustrations and find the association with the next word.  For example, It is beautifully done and easy to appreciate what the author has done here. Plus the exquisite vocabulary is always an EXTRA plus!

Tap, Tap, Bang, Bang by Emma Garcia
 Oh another fun book to be read over and over. Why? Because the language in this book is so inviting for repetition, for choral reading, for enjoyment!!!  What is this book about? You might be wondering....very simple, it's about tools, what can you use them for  and the sounds they make while you use them. For example:

" We can cree craw crew craw cut with the saw and chippety chip with the chisel."
Then at the bottom of the page the sound words are written again in bold. It is so important for students to listen to language, enjoy it, repeat it and play with it. And this book provides exactly that opportunity. And what a great mentor text for writing workshop!!!

For some of you, the beginning of the school year is near. For some of us, we just made it through our first week. Regardless of the situation, I hope you're preparing yourself for a wonderful year surrounding  and immersing your students with great picture books!
Enjoy the journey my dear friends!!!