Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.
Wordless Books
How many times have you watched your child choose a book and then pore over the illustrations? Wordless books are books that don't have any words, and tell their story through the illustrations. The pictures give you clues about what is going to happen next.
You and your child can sit together and make up a story, in Spanish or English, that goes along with the pictures.
For some suggestions on how to use picture books to engage your child when reading together, take a look at A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words.
A Boy, A Dog, and A Frog
This wordless book tells the story of a boy and his dog trying to catch a frog. As they head home empty-handed, they are surprised to find that the frog followed them home!
Ben's Dream
Ben's geography lesson comes to life when he falls asleep and dreams of traveling to famous monuments worldwide. Realistic black and white line drawings combine fantasy and authenticity in this extraordinary adventure.
Changes, Changes
In this wordless world of building blocks, solutions can be built for any challenge.
Clown
Follow the fortunes of Clown as he rescues his fellow toys from being discarded too soon.
Frog Goes to Dinner
Having stowed away in a pocket, Frog wreaks havoc and creates disgrace for the family at the posh restaurant where they are having dinner.
Frog on His Own
The excellent adventures of Frog continue as he strikes out on his own on a fine summer day.
Frog, Where Are You?
In this wordless adventure, a boy searches for his pet frog. After meeting many animals along the way, the boy finds his frog, and a surprise!
Good Dog Carl
A lovable Rottweiler named Carl has everthing under control while Mom steps out on an errand. Or does he?
Noah's Ark
The biblical rainy-day tale comes to life through delicate, detailpacked illustrations.
Pancakes for Breakfast
On a cold morning, a little old lady decides to make pancakes for breakfast, but has a hard time finding all of the ingredients. This wordless picture book tells a story of determination and humor, ideal for young readers who can narrate the story as they go.
Peter Spier's Christmas
Join Peter's family as they prepare for Christmas. This wordless book uses brightly colored illustrations to illuminate the story.
Peter Spier's Rain
With wordless joy a brother and sister turn a raining day into an excuse for adventure through the neighborhood.
Rosie's Walk
Rosie, a hen, takes a walk — oblivious to the fox that is following her. Rosie unwittingly leads the hungry fox from one disaster to the next until she returns safely home. The simple text notes only Rosie's trip around the farm, making the strong line and bright colors of the illustration all the more striking and very funny.
Sector 7
Wondrous things happen in the skies above Manhattan in this wordless book that explores what happens when we unlock our imagination.
The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher
Illustrations tell an engaging and suspenseful story about a woman, her strawberries and a dark creature in hot pursuit.
The Hunter and the Animals
Animals teach a hunter the wisdom of life and charity in this beautifully illustrated picture book.
The Silver Pony
A magical winged horse takes his small companion on the adventures of a lifetime through 80+ illustrations.
The Snowman
In Raymond Brigg's charming tale, a little boy makes friends with a snowman. He wakes up on a snowy day, tells his mother he's going outside, then begins a flurry of snowman-building. That night, he can't sleep, so he opens the front door and lo! the snowman has come to life.
Time Flies
When a bird flies into an exhibit of dinosaurs, the museum walls and the bones begin to change to prehistoric times. The amazing fantasy comes full circle to a satisfying conclusion.
Tuesday
Slowly and quietly on this particular Tuesday, a few fat frogs begin hovering over a swamp, riding lily pads like magic carpets. Gradually, the flying fleet grows in momentum and number, sailing over the countryside and into an unsuspecting town.
You'll be able to find many of these books at a library near you. This list was excerpted by permission of the author from The Read-Aloud Handbook, 5th edition, (Penguin), copyright 2001 by Jim Trelease.
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