Constance Foland’s Fabulous Categorized Picture Book List

Have you ever found yourself writing a story and wish you could think of a book that dealt with something you were writing about? Well, I have. So when literacy Consultant Connie Foland showed me her mostly picture book list, I thought it would be something that writers could use, even though it was developed for teachers. These are books that Connie has read, loves and uses in her various workshops.

Different Kinds of Endings

One Word

Cowley, J. Yuk Soup
Crews, D. Night at the Fair
—-Sail Away
Feiffer, J. Bark, George
Hooks, B. Homemade Love
Kalan, R. Rain
Stiles, N. On My Very First Day of School I Met
Swaim, J. The Hound from the Pound

Beginning and End Match/Are Similar

Eaton, M. The Adventures of Max and Pinky
Gray, L. My Mama Had a Dancing Heart
Gray, L. Dear Willie Rudd
Henkes, K. All Alone
London, J. Puddles
Thompson, B. What Cows Do When No One is Looking

The End is in the Illustration

Schwarz, A. Tiny and Hercules
Willems, M. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
—-The Pigeon Wants a Hot Dog
—Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay up Late

Surprise

Bunting, E. The Wednesday Surprise
Twist at the End

Asch, F. Just Like Daddy
Ginsburg, M. The Chick and the Duckling
Mayer, M. Just My Friend and Me 

Thinking/Feeling

Brinckloe, J. Fireflies
Juster, N. The Hello, Goodbye Window
Rao, S. My Mother’s Sari
Rylant, C. When I Was Young in the Mountains
Yolen, J. Owl Moon

Lesson Learned

Crews, D. Shortcut 

Wishing/Wanting/Problem/Solution

Allen, D. Dancing in the Wings
Asch, F. Happy Birthday, Moon
Banks, K. Max’s Words
Barber, B. Saturday at the New You
Blake, S. I Don’t Want to Go to School
Brown, A. Arthur Writes a Story
Henkes, K. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
Hesse, K. Come On, Rain!
McKissack, P. The Honest-to-Goodness Truth
Munson, D. Enemy Pie
Perez, A.I. My Very own Room
Vail, R. Sometimes I’m Bombaloo

Sequel Ending (author writes another story where this one leaves off…)

Bloom, B. Wolf!

The Story Seems to Start All Over Again

Christelow, E. Where’s the Big Bad Wolf?
Cronin, D. Click, Clack Moo
Frazee, Marla Rollercoaster
Scarry, R. Watch Your Step, Mr. Rabbit
Willems, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
Gantos, J. Rotten Ralph

Hopeful

Bunting, E. Fly Away Home

Question

Cutting, B and J. Space
Klein, A. I Can See 
Marzollo, J. lI’m a Caterpilar

Some Writing Techniques and Where You’ll Find Them

Descriptive/Vivid Images

Brinckloe, J. Fireflies
Gray, L. My Mama Had a Dancing Heart
Hesse, K . Come On, Rain!
London, J.
—Like Butter on Pancakes
—Puddles
Maclachlan, P.  What You Know First
Ray, Mary Lyn Mud
Rylant, C. The Relatives Came
—-Snow
Spinelli, E. Nightshift Daddy
Woodson, J. Sweet, Sweet Memory

Strong Setting

Bunting, E . Night Tree
Rylant, C. Night in the Country
Yolen, J. Owl Moon

Good Dialogue

Allen, D . Dancing in the Wings
Bloom, B. Wolf!
Gantos, Jack Joey Pigza Loses Control
Hesse, K. Come On, Rain!
McKissack, P. The Honest-to-Goodness Truth
Munson, D . Enemy Pie
Spinelli, J. The Library Card

Alliteration

Hesse, K. Come On, Rain! 

Strong Verbs

Hesse, K. Come On, Rain!
Wickstrom, T. Pajama Day
Yolen, J. Owl Moon

Good Use of Sensory Detail

Gray, L. Dear Wille Rudd
Rylant, C. When I Was Young in the Mountains 

Fun Language

Appelt, K. Bubba and Beau Best Friends
Christelow, E. Where is the Big Bad Wolf?
Gray, L. My Mama Had a Dancing Heart
Fleming, Candace Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!
Novak, M. Flip Flop Bop

Author Makes Up Words

O’Neill, Alexis The Recess Queen

Personification

Rosenthal, Amy Krouse Spoon

Repetition

Bang, M In My Heart
Bowen, When You Visit Grandma and Grandpa
Child, L. I Will Never, Not Ever Eat a Tomato
Gray, L . My Mama Had a Dancing Heart
London, J. Puddles
Rosenthal, Amy Krouse The OK Book
Rylant, C. When I Was Young in the Mountains
Wickstrom, T. Pajama Day
Wild, M. Our Granny
Woodson, J. Sweet, Sweet Memory

Labels

Crews, D. Night at the Fair
Krull, K . Supermarket

Onomatopoeia

Crews, D. Shortcut
Ehlert, L. Top Cat
London, J. Puddles
Showers, P. The Listening Walk

Inner Thoughts

Allen, D. Dancing in the Wings
McKissack, P. The Honest-to Goodness Truth
Munson, D. Enemy Pie

Simile

Hesse, K. Come On, Rain!
McKissack, P. The Honest-to-Goodness Truth
Yolen, J. Owl Moon

Written in Letter Format

Ahlberg, J and A. The Jolly Postman
Cleary, B. Dear Mr. Henshaw
James, S. Dear Mr. Blueberry
Swanson, S. Letter to the Lake
Williams, V. and J. Stringbeans Trip to the Shining Sea

Beginning and Ending are the Same/Similar

Gray, L.My Mama Had a Dancing Heart
Henkes, K. All Alone
Rylant, The Relatives Came
—-Scarecrow
Thompson, B. What Cows Do When No One is Looking

Memories

Crews, Donald Shortcut
Crews, Nina One Hot Summer Day
Curtis, Jamie Lee When I Was Little
Gray, Libba Moore My Mama Had a Dancing Heart
Hesse, Karen Come On, Rain!

Special People

Carlson, Nancy It’s Going to Be Perfect
Cisneros, Sandra Hairs/Pelitos
Fisher, Valorie My Big Sister
Fisher, Valorie My Big Brother
Johnson, Angela One of Three
Rylant, Cynthia The Relatives Came
Spinelli, Eileen Night Shift Daddy
Viorst, Judith The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
Ziefert, Harriet Grandpas are for Finding Worms

Special Places

Crews, Donald Bigmama’s
Juster, Norton The Hello, Goodbye Window
MacLachlan, Patricia What You Know First
Perez, Amada Irma My Very Own Room

Capture Moments in Time

Brinckloe, Julie Fireflies
Feiffer, Jules The Daddy Mountain
Johnson, Angela Night Whispers
London, Jonathan Puddles
Worth, Valerie All the Small Poems and Fourteen More
Yolen, Jane Owl Moon

Share Important Information
(Recipes)

DePaola, Tomi Pancakes for Breakfast
Ehlert, Lois Growing Vegetable Soup
Morris, Ann Vegetable Soup

(Signs)
Crews, Donald Night at the Fair
Hoban, Tana Signs

Ideas From Their Dreams or Imaginations

Child, Lauren I Will Never, Not Ever Eat a Tomato
Johnson, Crockett Harold and the Purple Crayon
Sendak, Maurice Where the Wild Things Are

Connie’s list goes on and on (18 pages).  Here’s the link: http://www.readingwritingmoments.com/books.htm  Thank you Connie for sharing.  If you are a teacher or home school your children, keep an eye on Connie’s blog:  www.readingwritingmoments.com

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

PS: Keep you fingers crossed for me.