2005 Fall Picture Books

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Nancy's picks for the best picture books of fall 2005 and ideas for using them in the classroom. Compiled by Nancy Polette © 2005.
Last updated: Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Appelt, Kathy. MERRY CHRISTMAS, MERRY CROW.  Illustrated by Jon Goodell. Harcourt, 2005. Grades PreK-2
A piece of string, a bottle cat, a broken chain, useless trash? Not to this crow. He's flying all around town collecting lost treasures for a very special Christmas surprise.

Butler, John. TEN IN THE DEN. Peachtree, 2005. Grades K-2
A delightful counting book. Ten sleepy animals disappar one by one so that little mouse can sleep. When mouse is all alone he misses his friends.

Faulkner, Matt. THE PIRATE MEETS THE QUEEN. Philomel, 2005. Grades 2-4
Red Liz, the Queen, is determined to stop the plundering of Granny O'Malley, the pirate. A fresh and original picture book.

Hill, Susan Leonard. PUNXSUTAWNEY PHYLLIS. Illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler. Holiday House, 2005. Grades 1-3
Phyllis the groundhog knows there will be an early spring but how can she get Uncle Phil out of bed to make his annual prediction?

Horse, Harry. LITTLE RABBIT RUNAWAY. Illustrated Peachtree, 2005. Grades Pre K-2
Little Rabbit runs away after being scolded and builds a new house with Molly Mouse who turns out to be a worse "bossyboots" than his mother.

Ingpen, Robert. THE VOYAGE OF THE POPPYKETTLE. IllustratedPenguin, Minedition, 2005. Grades 4-6.
A voyage from Peru to Australia made in an old tea kettle transformed into a shipand the many dangers met on the trip. A modern folktale beautifully illustrated

Ketteman, Helen. THE GREAT CAKE BAKE. Illustrated by Matt Collins. Walker, 2005. Grades 2-4
To win the cake contest Donna Rae needed a cake with the drama of the Boston Tea Party, the patriotism of the Satue of Liberty and the excitement of Paul Revere's ride. Would the end result be delightful or a disaster?

Kimmel, Eric A.THE HERO BEOWULF. Illustrated by Leonard Eveett Fisher. Farrar, 2005. Grades 3-6
A picture book introduction to the classic tale with magnificent paintings and excellent but spare text.

King, Stephen Michael. MUTT DOG. Harcourt, 2005. Grades 1-3
Gentle, loyal Mutt Dog is hungry and lonely. He doesn't have a home. Then one day he finds a shelter for people who are as cold and lonely as he is. At last he meets a friend who might be able to help.

Nilsen, Anna.ART AUCTION MYSTERY. Kingfisher, 2004.Grades 2--6
Introduce the world of art by finding fake paintings in this action packed, colorful mystery. Reproductions of actual paintings included. A treat!

Oxenbury, Helen. PIG TALE. IllustratedMcElderry Books, 2005. Grades K-3
Two bored pigs find teasure and use it to buy expensive gadgets. The gadgets cause more work than they are worth and the pigs return to their meadow. Delightful illustrations accompany the rhyming verse.

Pulver, Robin. AUTHOR DAY FOR ROOM 3T. Illustrated by Chuck Richards. Clarion, 2005. Grades k-3
A case of mistaken identity leads to hilarious events on author day.

Reid, Barbara. THE SUBWAY MOUSE. Scholastic, 2005. Grades K-2
The older subway mice tell stories about the Tunnel's End and when his nest becomes too crowded, Nib sets off to find the mythical place, meeting a friend and danger along the way.

Rosenbluth, Roz. GETTING TO KNOW RUBEN PLOTNICK. Flashlight Press, 2005. Grades K-3
David worries about how his friend, the popular Ruben Plotnick, will react to Grandma Rosie who forgets things and likes to dance. This heartwarming story of senility and school-age embarrassment reveals the importance of looking beneath the surface to really get to know someone.

Sherman, Pat. THE SUN'S DAUGHTER. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. Clarion, 2005. Grades 2-4
An Iroquois legend of a time when the Sun's daughters tended the fields.

Sierra, Judy.MONSTER GOOSE. Illustrated by Jack E. Davis. Harcourt, paperback release, 2005. Grades 3-6
"Old Monster Goose, when conditions did suit her, pecked out these rhymes on her laptop computer." Here is a gross and ghastly parody of traditional rhymes.

Smith, Lane. THE HAPPY HOCKEY FAMILY GO TO THE COUNTRY. Puffin Books, 2005. Grades 1-3
Short stories with surprise endings..a parody of Dick and Jane.

Wiesner, David. THE LOATHSOME DRAGON. Clarion, 2005. Grades 2-4
A beautifully illustrated English tale with a princess, a prince, a wicked stepmother, a dark wood and an immense, scaly dragon.