Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Winner and Honor Books

The Geisel Award began in 2006 for the authors and  illustrators of the most distinguished American books for beginning readers.  It is given annually.  It is named after Theodor Seuss Geisel, the famous children's author and illustrator known as Dr. Seuss.

Hi! Fly Guy

Arnold, T.( 2005).Hi! Fly Guy. New York, NY: Scholastic.

One day a boy named Buzz is looking for a pet to enter the Amazing Pet Show, and  a fly is looking for something to eat.  Buzz catches the fly in a jar and takes him home to meet his parents.  His parents tell him he can't keep a fly as a pet.  But when Buzz shows him the fly can say his name, they are amazed and let him keep the fly.  He names him Fly Guy. The day of the Amazing Pet Show, the judges tell Buzz that that flies aren't pets.  But then Fly Guy does some amazing flying tricks, so they let him enter the show.  Fly Guy even wins the smartest pet ribbon.

This is the first book of the popular Fly Guy books.  Early readers love these books!  It is funny and zany, which is appealing for most first graders.  The pictures are full of humor as well.  It is a great level for first graders and can be a first introduction to an early chapter book.  The topic is about friendship.  It teaches kids that friends come in all shapes and sizes. 

Move Over, ROVER!

Beaumont, K. ( 2006). Move Over, ROVER! Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc.

One stormy afternoon, Rover the dog, is in his doghouse sleeping.  Along comes Cat who is looking for cover in the storm.  She tells him to " Move over, Rover!" Next comes Raccoon, also looking for a dry place.  He joins Cat and Rover.  The story continues with other animals such a Squirrel, Blue Jay, Snake, and others squeezing into the doghouse with Rover.  All of the animals are sleeping together when they smell an awful smell. It turns out to be a skunk that has found his way into the doghouse too.  When the storm subsides, Rover goes back into his doghouse enjoying his bone alone.

This book has some rhyming text, supportive pictures, and repetitive lines which are helpful for beginning readers. The story line is good for making predictions as well.  The illustrator, Jane Dyer, uses realistic watercolor paintings that are beautiful and she gives great details to each animal.   Kids will enjoy this lighthearted story line.

Bink & Gollie

DiCamillo, K.,& McGhee, A.( 2010). Bink & Gollie. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Bink and Gollie, two best friends, enjoy roller skating together, but learn to compromise on other matters.  For example, Bink loves her new bright, rainbow socks, but Gollie can't stand them. Gollie makes them pancakes to eat, but tells Bink in order to have pancakes, she must take off the offending rainbow socks. Bink compromises by removing one sock.  When Bink has a new friend, a fish named Fred, Gollie is slightly jealous. When they roller skate with Fred on afternoon, Bink trips over a rock and Fred goes flying.  His bowl breaks and he is lying on the ground with no water. Gollie scoops him up and places him in a pond.  At first Bink is upset, but then she realizes Gollie is jealous of Fred.  Bink reassures Gollie that she is the best friend of all.

This is the first book of the Bink and Gollie series.  Though the two girls are very different, they are still best friends.  This book shows children that you can be friends, even when you don't agree on all subjects.  Though it is a book for early readers, the authors have used some wonderful, higher level vocabulary to challenge the reader.  Early readers will need some help with the challenging vocabulary.  The supportive pictures capture the emotions and personality of the two girls. 

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Litwin, E.( 2012). Pet the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. New York, NY: Harpers.

Pete the Cat has a favorite shirt with four, colorful buttons.  He sings a song about his four groovy buttons.  As a button falls off,  Pete doesn't cry, he just changes his song from four buttons to three buttons.  The buttons keep falling off, and his song keeps changing with the number of buttons.  Then all the buttons are gone.  Does he cry?  No, he is just happy he still has his belly button. He changes the number in his song to belly button.  His motto is "buttons come and buttons go."

Pete the Cat has a positive outlook on life.  When all his buttons are gone he says, "It's all good!"  What a great book to teach children to look towards the positive side of thinking and don't dwell on things you can't change.  It also teaches the concept of one less as the buttons pop off with a subtraction problem as well that models the concept of one less.  Kids will also love the bright, silly pictures of Pete the Cat.  

Good Night Owl

Pizzoli, G.( 2016). Good Night Owl. New York, NY: Disney Hyperion.

Owl is trying to go to sleep, but a tiny squeek is keeping him awake. Owl looks everywhere for the sound.  First he thinks it's the wind, but he keeps hearing the squeek. He looks high and low all over his house.  But he keeps hearing the squeek, and now he's determined to find where it's coming from.  He tears the roof off his house and then knocks down the walls. He finally discovers that it's a small mouse all along and they finally  go to sleep.

Kids will definitely relate to this story.  What child hasn't been able to go to sleep because they heard a noise?  Kids will also enjoy the humor of how owl destroys his house to find the annoying noise.  This book has repetitive text, sight words, and picture clues to help beginning readers.  This is a great book for beginning readers.

Mr. Putter & Tabby Turn the Page

Rylant, C. ( 2014). Mr. Putter and Tabby Turn the Page. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby love to read together.  They read their favorite books together about cowboys, rabbits, and gardens.  One day at the library Mr. Putter saw a sign that said " Read aloud with your pet".  Of course Mr. Putter signed up because he loved story time as a boy.  He told his neighbor Mrs. Teaberry and her dog Zeke who love new things about story time at the library.  Mr. Putter practiced reading his story about bears with gusto to prepare for story time. At story time, Mrs. Teaberry and Zeke read a dog story and Zeke barked and howled at all the right places.  Mr. Putter and Tabby read the bear story, and Tabby curled up on the kids heads, laps, and feet. Story time was a big success, and at the end Mr. Putter and Mrs. Teaberry swapped books to read for bedtime.

The Mr. Putter and Tabby series are beginning reader chapter books appropriate for end of first grade-beginning of second grade.  This series has over twenty

 stories with adventures of Mr. Putter, his cat Tabby, and their neighbor Mrs. Teaberry, and her dog Zeke.   The books have supportive pictures, decodable text , some dialogue appropriate for young readers, and high interest stories with short chapters. Kids become familiar with the characters when reading this series and it's a great way to introduce character traits. The books follow a typical story arch plot as well, which is perfect for beginning readers.

Tales for Very Picky Eaters 

Schneider, J. ( 2011). Tales for Very Picky Eaters. New York, NY:  Clarion Books.

James is a very picky eater.  He won't eat broccoli, mushroom lasagna,  oatmeal, eggs, or drink milk.  In an effort to get him to eat, his father gives him other choices such as dirt, chewed gum, or sweaty gym socks instead.   Or his father tells him a variety of stories to get him to eat, such as the troll that lives in the basement that makes the mushroom lasagna.  If James doesn't eat the lasagna, then the troll will have to go back to the rat circus to be bitten.   At the end when he won't eat the eggs, James' father says to try them, because he might like them.  And James does.

Children will definitely identify with James.  What child hasn't stuck up their nose at one time or another over something served to them by their parents.  This hilarious book shows picky eaters that if you try something new, you might actually like it!  This early chapter book will be of high interest for young readers, as well as has supportive pictures and text to help them read this beginning chapter book.  I recommend this book for beginning to middle of second grade.

First the Egg

Seeger, L. (2007). First the Egg. New York, NY: Roaring Book Press.

This book tells what comes first then what comes after, such as the tadpole then the frog, and  first the egg, then the chicken.   The author uses color, paper cut-outs, and simple text which makes it easy for beginning readers to read.  Young children will enjoy making predictions throughout the book.

This book addresses the age old question of what came first, the chicken or the egg. Seeger uses paper cut-outs and color in this book to tell the story of egg to chicken, seed to flower, caterpillar to butterfly and more.  The simple text and interesting, clever illustrations makes it a great book for beginning readers.

Let's Go for a Drive!

Willems, Mo. ( 2012). Let's Go for a Drive! New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children.

Elephant has an idea to go for a drive one day.  He asks his friend Piggy to come along.  Elephant has a plan  for everything, such as bringing a map, sunglasses, umbrellas, and bags to pack all of their things.  They have everything that is, except a car.  Elephant asks Piggy if he has a car, which he does not.  Piggy asks Elephant if he has a car, which he doesn't have one either. So Piggy has a new plan.  Instead of going for a drive, they play pirates. 

This Elephant and Piggie series book by Mo Willems will have beginning readers  laughing at the silly antics of these two pals.  The supportive pictures and easy text will have them feeling successful and reaching for more of these books.  With over fifteen books in the series, beginning readers will want to read each one about the adventures of these lovable characters.  This series is appropriate for end of Kinder-beginning first grade.

Jazz Baby

Wheeler, L.( 2007). Jazz Baby. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Books.

In Jazz Baby, a family taps, snaps, claps, and sings to the jazz on the record player.  Jazz Baby sings and dances right along side his family.  This rhyming text incorporates jazz and musical lingo such as , "Go Man Go!" and "Doo-Wop-Doo!"  The whole family joins in with signing and dancing.  But soon baby is feeling sleepy, and the party starts to die down so baby can take a nap.

This book is full of musical expressions, some repetitive lines, and rhyming words that will have kids reading it over and over. The musical lines such as "RUM-TUM-TUM" are in all capitals, so there is a variety of all caps on some of the lines. The text placement varies as well, which introduces readers to a variety of where text can be placed on the page.   It would be appropriate as a read-aloud or a book for beginning readers in first grade who are learning about rhyming words.  The illustrations are colorful and fun as the family dances and sings to the jazz music.