Read Aloud Books About Wondering: K-3

Fishing (M.A. Reilly, 2012)

Wonder is a word to wonder about. It contains a mixture of messages: Something marvelous and miraculous, surprising, raising unanswerable questions about itself, making the observer wonder, even raising questions like, "I wonder about that." Miraculous and marvelous are clues; both words come from an ancient Indo-European root meaning simply to smile or to laugh. Anything wonderful is something to smile in the presence of in admiration (which, by the way comes from the same root, along with, of all telling words, "mirror") (Lewis Thomas, pp. 55-56).

A. Noticing, Hearing, & Observing

Anderson, Stephen. (2001). I Know the Moon. Illustrated by Greg Couch. New York: Philomel.

Baylor, Byrd. (1997). The Other Way to Listen. Illustrated by Peter Parnall. New York: Aladdin.

Brown, Margaret Wise. (1990). The Important Book. Illustrated by Leonard Weisgard. New York: HarperCollins.

Bruchac, Joseph. 2004. Rachel Carson: Preserving a Sense of Wonder. Illustrated by Thomas Locker. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing. 

Fleming, Candace. (2001). Gabriella's Song. Illustrated by Giselle Potter. New York: Atheneum.

Frost, Helen. (2012). Step Gently Out. Illustrated by Rick Lieder. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. 

Lach, William. (2006). Can You Hear It? New York: Harry N. Abrams.

Showers, Paul. (1993). The Listening Walk. Illustrated by Aliki. New York: HarperCollins. 

Standbridge, Joanne. (2012). The Extraordinary Music of Mr. Ives: The True Story of a Famous American Composer. New York: Houghton Mifflin. 

Zhang, Song Nan. (1998). The Children of China: An Artist’s Journey. Toronto, ON: Tundra Books. 

from Outside Your Window

B. Exploring the World

Brandt, Deanna. (1998). Bird Log Kids: A Kid's Journal to Record Their Birding Experiences.Cambridge, MA: Adventure Publications.

Davies, Nicola. (2012). Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature. Illustrated by Mark Hearld. Cambridge, MA Candlewick Press.

Engle, Margarita. (2010). Summer Birds: the Butterflies of Maria Merian. Illustrated by Julie Paschkis. New York: Henry Holt.

McCloskey, Robert (1989). Time of Wonder. New York: Puffin. 

McLerran, Alice. (2004). Roxaboxen. Illustrated by Barbara Cooney. New York: HarperCollins.

Silver, Donald. (1993). One Small Square: Backyard. Illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne. New York: Learning Triangle Press. 

Silver, Donald. (1998). One Small Square: The Night Sky. Illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne. New York: Learning Triangle Press. New York: McGraw Hill. 

Slodovnick, Avi. (2010). The Tooth. Illustrated by Manon Gauthier. La Jolla, CA: Kane-Miller.

C. Playing & Imagining

Brideges, Shirin. (2008). The Umbrella Queen. Illustrated by Taeeun Yoo. New York: Greenwillow. 

Browne, Anthony. (2003). The Shape Game. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 

Catchpool, Michael. (2012). The Cloud Spinner. Illustrated by Alison Jay. New York: Knopf Books. 

Christian, Peggy. (2008). If You Find a Rock. Illustrated by Barbara Hirsch Lember. San Anselmo, CA: Sandpiper Press. 

Dematons, Charlotte. (2001). Let's Go. Rotterdam: Lemniscaat.

Manning, Maurie J. (2008). Kitchen Dance. New York: Clarion. 

Hutchins, Hazel & Gail Herbert. (2008). Mattland. Illustrated by Dusabn Petricic. Vancouver, BC: Annick Press. 

Johnson, Angela. (2004). Violet’s Music. Illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith. New York: Dial Books. 
Lee, Suzy. (2010). Shadow. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

Lee, Suzy. (2007). The Zoo. La Jolla, CA: Kane-Miller.

Pinkney, Brian. (1997). Max Found Two Sticks. New York: Simon & Schuster. 

Prats, Joan. (2005). Sebastian's Roller Skates. Illustrated by Francesc Rovira. La Jolla, CA: Kane-Miller.

Stein, Mathilde. (2012). Dear Daisy Dunnington. Illustrated by Chuck Groenink. New York: Lemniscaat.

van der Heife, Iris. (2006). The Red Chalk. Illustrated by Marije Tolman. New York: Lemniscaat.

Young, Cybele. (2011). A Few Blocks. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books.

from On My Block

D. Coming to Know Other Creative People

Christensen, Bonnie. (2011). Fabulous: A Portrait of Andy Warhol. New York: Henry Holt. 

Goldberg, Dana (Ed.) (2012). On My Block: Stories and Paintings by Fifteen Artists. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press.

Golio, Gary. (2012). Spirit Seeker: Coltrane’s Musical Journey. Illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez. New York: Clarion. 

Hill, Larry Carrick. (2010). Dave the Potter, Artist, Poet, Slave. Illustrated by Bryan Collier. New York: Little, Brown. 

Medina, Tony (2009). I and I: Bob Marley. Illustrated by Joshua Watson New York: Lee & Low.

From: When The Moon Forgot

E. Pondering & Problem Solving

Fitzpatrick, Mary Louise. (2009). There. New York: Roaring Brook Press.

Forest, Heather. (2006). Wonder Tales from Around the World. Little Rock, AK: August House. 

Jeffers, Oliver. (2011). Stuck. New York: Philomel.

Kamkwamba, William and Bryan Mealer. (2012). The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Young Readers Edition. Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon. New York: Dial. 

King, Martin Luther, Jr. (2012). I Have a Dream. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. New York: Schwartz and Wade. 

Liao, Jimmy. (2009). When the Moon Forgot. New York: Little Brown. 

Meinderts, Kos & Annette Fienieg. (2012). The Man in the Clouds. New York: Lemniscaat.

Pennypacker, Sara. (2009). Sparrow Girl. Illustrated by Yoko Tanaka.New York: Hyperion.

Saltzberg, Barney. (2010).  Beautiful Oops! New York: Workman Publishing Company. 

Stoop Naoko. (2012). Red Knit Cap Girl. New York: Little, Brown. 

Veldkamp, Tjibbe. (2011).  Tom the Tamer. Illustrated by Philip Hopman. New York: Lemniscaat.

Young, Cybele. (2011). Ten Birds. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press.

from The Conductor

F. Looking Closely (Wordless Books)

Dematons, Charlotte. (2006). The Yellow Balloon. Rotterdam: Lemniscaat.

Devernay, Laetitia. (2011). The Conductor. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

Schubert, Dieter. (2011). The Umbrella. New York: Lemniscaat. 

Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. (2012). Green. New York: Roaring Brook Press. 

Sheen Dong Il. (2002). Yellow Umbrella. Illustrated by Jae-Soo-Liu.  La Jolla, CA: Kane-Miller. (Please note this is a wordless book and comes with a music CD. Plenty to notice via the illustrations and to hear via the CD). 

Tolman, Marije & Ronald Tolman. (2012). The Island. New York: Lemniscaat.

Tolman, Marije & Ronald Tolman. (2010). The Tree House. New York: Lemniscaat.

from Infinity and Me

G. Asking Questions

Bley, Anette. (2007). And What Comes After a Thousand? La Jolla, CA: Kane & Miller.

Hosford, Kate. (2012). Infinity and Me. Illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books.

Prap, Lisa. (2009). Why? La Jolla, CA: Kane-Miller.

Ray, Mary Lynn. (2011). Stars. Illustrated by Marla Frazee. New York: Beach Lane Books.  

Reibstein, Mark. (2008). Wabi Sabi. Illustrated by Ed Young New York: Little, Brown.

Van Camp, Richard. (2003). What’s the Most Beautiful Thing You Know About Horses? Illustrated by George Littlechild (Cree). San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press. 

Vaccaro, Laura Seeger. (2010). What If? New York: Roaring Brook Press. 

From: What's The Most Beautiful Thing You Know About Horses?