80 Poetry Books for K-3 Children

from Every Day Birds by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

1. 
   all the small poems and fourteen more by Valerie Worth, illustrated by Valerie Babbitt
2. Amazing Faces by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Chris Soentpiet
3. Amazing Places by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Christy Hale, Chris Soentpiet
4. Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart by Vera B. Williams
5. Angels Ride Bikes and Other Fall Poems / Los Ángeles Andan en Bicicleta y otros poemas de otoñ by Francisco Alarcón, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
6. Animal Poems by Valerie Worth, illustrated by Steve Jenkins
7. Animal Poems of the Iguazú / Animalario del Iguazú by Francisco Alarcón, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez  

   

   
   

8. Before Morning by Joyce Sidman, illustrations by Beth Krommes
9. Bravo! Poems about Amazing Hispanics, by Margarita Engle, illustrations by Rafael López.
10. Billions of Bricks by Kurt Cyrus 
11. Call Me Tree/Llámame Árbol written and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
12. Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak
13. A City Is by Norman Rosten, illustrated by Melanie Hope Greenberg 
14. City Kids: Street and Skyscraper Rhymes by X.J. Kennedy illustrated by Phillippe Béha 
15. The Cuckoo's Haiku: and Other Birding Poems by Michael J. Rosen, illustrated by Stanley Fellows
16. Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices selected by Paul B. Janeczko, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
17. Doggy Slippers by Jorge Luján, illustrated by Isol, Translated by Elisa Amado
18. Down by the River: Afro-Caribbean Rhymes, Games, and Songs for Children by Grace Hallworth, illustrated by Caroline Binch
19. Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Rafael López 
20. Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter 
21. Every Day Birds by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, illustrated by Dylan Metrano
22. Falling Down the Page: A Book of List Poems by Georgia Heard 
23. Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems by Paul B. Janeczko, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
24. Flicker Flash by Joan Bransfield Graham, illustrated by Nancy Davis                                            

    

    from Flutter and Hum / Aleteo y Zumbido: Animal Poems / Poemas de Animales 

25. Flutter and Hum / Aleteo y Zumbido: Animal Poems / Poemas de Animales by Julie Paschkis
26. Forest Has a Song: Poems by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, illustrated by Robbin Gourley
27. Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart by Mary Ann Hoberman and Michael Emberley
28. Fold Me a Poem by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Lauren Stringer
29. From the Bellybutton of the Moon and Other Summer Poems / Del ombligo de la luna y otros poemas de verano by Francisco Alarcón, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
30. Gracias • Thanks by Pat Mora, illustrated by John Parra
31. Hand Rhymes by Marc Brown
32. Here's A Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry by Jane Yolen
33. Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Michele Noiset, Jeremy Tugeau, Kristen Balouch, Damian Ward, and Alicia Vergel de Dios
34. Honey I Love and Other Poems by Eloise Greenfield, illustrated by Diane and Leo Dillon     

    

    from Ideas All Around

35. Ideas Are All Around by Philip C. Stead
36. Iguanas in the Snow and Other Winter Poems / Iguanas en la nieve y otros poemas de invierno by Francisco Alarcón, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
37. In the Land of Words: New and Selected Poems by Eloise Greenfield, illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist 
38. In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall by various poets, illustrated by Steptoe
39. In the Spin of Things: Poetry of Motion by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, illustrated by Karen Dugan 
40. It's Snowing! It's Snowing!: Winter Poems (I Can Read Level 3) by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Yossi Abolafia
41. Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems / Jitomates Risueños y otros poemas de primavera by Francisco Alarcón, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
42. Little Dog and Duncan by Kristine O’Connell George, illustrated by June Otani
43. Little Dog Poems by Kristine O’Connell George, illustrated by June Otani
44. Little You by Richard Van Camp (Tłı̨chǫ), illustrated by Julie Flett (Cree-Métis) Board book
45. Marc Brown's Playtime Rhymes: A Treasury for Families to Learn and Play Together by Marc Brown
46. Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Floyd Cooper
47. Movi la mano / I Moved My Hand by Jorge Luján, illustrated by Mandana Sadat, Translated by Elisa Amado
48. National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs that Squeak, Soar, and Roar! selected by J. Patrick Lewis 
49. On the Wing by David Elliott, illustrated by Becca Stadtlander
50. Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets by Kwame Alexander, Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth, illustrated by Ekua Alexander.
51. Outside Your Window:A First Book of Nature by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Mark Hearld
52. The Palm of My Heart: Poetry by African American Children by Davida Adedjouma, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
53. Peanut Butter and Jelly: A Play Rhyme illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
54. Pieces: A Year in Poems & Quilts by Anna Grossnickle Hines
55. ¡Pío Peep!: Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes by Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy and Alice Schertle, illustrated by Vivi Escriva 
56. A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of The Snowy Day by Andrea Davis Pinkney, Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher 
57. A Poem as Big as New York City: Little Kids Write About the Big Apple by Teachers Writers Collaborative and Masha D'yans
58. Poems to Dream Together/Poemas para soñar juntos by Francisco Alarcón, illustrated by Paula Barragán
59. Pug: And Other Animal Poems by Valerie Worth, illustrated by Steve Jenkins 
60. Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young collected by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Marc Brown
61. Shoe Magic by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Teddy Widener
62. Spin a Soft Black Song: Poems for Children by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by George Martins 
63. Splish Splash by Joan Bransfield Graham, illustrated by Steven M. Scott
64. A Stick Is an Excellent Thing: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by LeUyen Pham                                                                                                                                 

    

    At the beginning of the lesson, children previewed the text and recorded what they noticed and wondered as partners. They continued this practice throughout the reading as well.          

                                                                                                                            
65. Stitchin' and Pullin': A Gee's Bend Quilt by Patricia McKissack, illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera 
66. Summoning the Phoenix: Poems and Prose About Chinese Musical Instruments by Emily Jiang, illustrated by April Chu
67. Tan to Tamarind: Poems About the Color Brown by Malathi Iyengar, illustrated by Jamel Akib
68. Thanks a Million by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera  
69. Tortillas Para Mama and Other Nursery Rhymes: Spanish and English by Margot C. Griego and Laurel H. Kimball, illustrated by Barbara Cooney (Illustrator)
70. Touch the Poem by Arnold Adoff 
71. Twist: Yoga Poems by Janet S. Wong, illustrated by Julie Paschkis 
72. Water Rolls, Water Rises / El agua rueda, el agua sube by Pat Mora, illustrated by Meilo So
73. We Sang You Home by Richard Van Camp (Tłı̨chǫ), illustrated by Julie Flett (Cree-Métis) board book
74. When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Julie Morstad
75. Where Do They Go? by Julia Alvarez, illustrated by Sabra Field
76. Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings by Shel Silvertein
77. Under the Sunday Tree by Eloise Greenfield, illustrated by Amos Ferguson
78. The Upside Down Boy / El niño de cabeza by Juan Herrera, illustrated by Elizabeth Gómez
79. Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon by Ruth Forman, illustrated by Cbabi Bayoc
80. Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué Rico! Americas' Sproutings by Pat Mora, illustrated by Rafael Lopez

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?