Great Books For Teaching Theme

[Rosalyn Pomposo]

I need to apologize. This post will be the longest one yet with the most suggestions of which picture books to use for something. But it makes sense; theme is one of those things that is present in so many great picture books, so when I started going through my classroom library, I ended up with a huge stack.

The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers (Global Read Aloud contender) is a masterful book for students in discovering theme. Love, loss, death, acceptance and rediscovery were all themes my students fund in the book.

Another non-fiction picture book, Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea by Robert Burleigh and illustrated by Raul Colon has made its way into our classroom, not only teaching us about the incredible life of Marie Tharp but also about perseverance, having dreams, and the power of curiosity.

Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be In This Book) written by Julie Falatko and illustrated by Tim Miller is a sure hit with kids and adults alike. Funny and with a great message of friendship, my students have read this one multiple times.

I am an unabashedly major fan of Bob Shea and his books show up on many of my lists. The second installment of his Ballet Cat series is already a favorite in our classroom as well as with my own children. In Dance! Dance! Underpants! we can find the themes of friendships, judgment, and also how to succeed while getting another great laugh.

I love wordless picture books for discussing theme because it lets readers look at just the illustrations without wondering about the words. Skunk on a String by Thao Lam is a great conversation starter for perseverance and creativity.

I am pretty sure I can teach almost anything with the help of Peter H. Reynolds. His beautiful book Ish is a fantastic book for theme and what it means to discover your own talents and not let self doubt ruin it for you.

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson is one of those picture books you can use for so many things; memoir, aha moment, words of the wiser, teaching empathy and such. The theme of forgiveness, the impact of decisions, and how kindness gets passed on is a great lesson for all kids.

A Perfectly Messed Up Story by Patrick McDonnell is one of many amazing picture books from this author. I love the simple aha moment of realizing that it can be good enough even if it is not perfect. This is a great read for many of our students who push toward perfect every time to the detriment of their own sanity.

Wild About Us by Karen Beaumont is a beautiful book in many ways. The illustrations done by Janet Stevens pop off the page and catch your eye, but the message of the book is what really got me. We all have things that we can pick apart, but what we do with those things is what matters.

It is a celebration in my life whenever the talented Ame Dyckman comes out with a new picture book and Wolfie the Bunny was definitely a cause for celebration. This book about assumptions and what they can lead to has not only made my students laugh out loud, but more importantly, has led us to question our own assumptions about others.

I have Bluebird by Bob Staake on many favorite picture book lists, and there is a reason for that. The shock on my students faces when we get to that page. The questions, the discussion when I step out of the way are priceless. This is a wordless picture book which also means that my students love interpreting the ending and allows them to find confidence when they are discovering what theme means.

The Day I Lost My Superpowers by Michael Escoffier is a book that tells a familiar tale of childhood imagination. I hope to use this to bring my students back to when they thought anything was possible and to reignite their passion for thinking they have the ability to make a difference in the world.

Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett is stunning. The story about a boy who is afraid of the dark is sure to elicit conversations about our fears and what we can do to conquer them. I cannot wait for my students to discover all the details of this book.

The beautiful story of Last Stop On Market Street by Matt De La Pena is one meant to spur conversation about our lives, our assumptions, and how we view the world. But the illustrations? They tell an even richer story, one that I cannot wait to discuss with my students, many of whom have never ridden a bus or even been in an urban neighborhood.

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires continues to be a crowd favorite in my classroom with its theme of not giving up and seeing the usefulness in things we otherwise may discard. I love when students pick out the details that are in the illustration and we refer to it often when we create ourselves.

I love the giggles that students, yes even 7th graders, get whenever I read aloud Froodle by Antoinette Portis. The message to embrace their uniqueness and let their true personality shine is not one that is lost on them.

Another book by Mac Barnett on the list is Extra Yarn. I have loved using this book to discuss theme with students but I also love how it shows that you can take something simple that you can do and turn it into something extraordinary. Often this is the biggest aha moment that students get from this book.

I pulled this book out after a recess incident that had really rattled my team. Whenever I send my students out to play and be with their friends, I never think that they may not be friends outside, that they may say mean things about each other, that they may exclude, and yet that day they proved me wrong. I knew we had to discuss what had happened but instead of another lecture from me about the power of our community, the sanctity of what we have built, and how we should all fit in, I let this picture book, Zero by Kathryn Otoshi do the talking for me.

I know there are more, but thought this was a good start. So many of these books are incredible, so many of them can be used for many teaching points, so many of these books will become favorites in your classroom. Happy reading and please do share your favorites!

What a wonderful collection of picture books. I have a technical question. How do you read the picture books to your class with a large number of students. How do the students see the pictures in the book? Thanks so much.

Thank you for sharing such a varied and exhausted list! I am truly grateful to be exposed to such fantastic books with themes about immigration, love, death, differences, and so much more. SO inspired and impressed with like-minded educators and those willing to share. Thank you!

I was worried about finding appropriate literature to teach theme to my 5th graders who are in the early stages of learning English. But you have made my life much easier! Thank you for your sharing your list and your thoughts on using them.

Note: These are my mentor texts for theme but it seems like every year I find new books with fabulous themes that resonate with my students. I like to teach theme early on in the year so we can revisit it and learn life lessons from every read aloud we read.

This book really resonates with a lot of my students, particularly boys. The read-aloud tells a fictional account of Michael Jordan when he was younger. In the story, Michael is younger and too short to be really good at basketball. His mother tells him to put salt in his shoes to help him grow taller. Eventually, Michael learns that hard work and patience will make him a better basketball player (and taller).

The Invisible Boy tells the story of Brian, a boy who feels invisible. He is invisible to the teacher and his fellow classmates. One day, a new boy moves to the school and is laughed at by the other students. Brian writes the new boy a kind note, and they become friends. Through this friendship, Brian also becomes friends with another student, slowing become visible again.

Note: The theme of this book is a bit more obvious since Nasrettin announces the lesson to his guests. You can pause the reading before this part and discuss the themes with the students before continuing to read.

One Green Apple is a powerfully touching story of a young girl in a new country. Farah feels alone because she does not know the language and some of the children are not friendly. After a trip to the apple orchard, she learns that even though she does not know the language and the customs are different, she will fit in, just as her small green apple fit in with the other red ones.

After catching Mr. Peabody take an apple without paying, a boy tells everyone he knows that Mr. Peabody is a thief. The boy learns a valuable lesson when he learns the truth that Mr. Peabody paid ahead of the apples each week. Mr. Peabody uses a feather pillow as a clever means for teaching the young boy a lesson.

This story really resonates with many of my students because their family members were immigrants from Mexico or Guatemala. In the story, a young boy helps his grandfather who does not speak English get a 1-day job pulling weeds out of a garden. But, there is some confusion and they accidentally pull out the flowers and leave the weeds. The boy learns a valuable lesson from his grandfather about being honest and making things right when we do mess up.

3.) Read a variety of stories with differing themes and similar themes. Try to include a variety of themes to expose your students to more. However, books with similar themes are excellent for comparing and contrasting how different themes are explored.

3.) In a reading center to allow students to continue practicing the skill (Simply place the picture book and a graphic organize or interactive notebook template in a center for the students to complete. If you need graphic organizers or templates, click here to see my Determining Theme Resource pack.

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