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Additional April Book Recommendations for Grades K-3

Forgiveness, Graciousness and Courtesy, Gentleness and Humility
Forgiveness
DePaola, Tomie. “The Prodigal Son” inThe Good Samaritan and Other Parables.
Holiday House, 2017. (K-6)
Forgiveness
Profligate son asks for his inheritance from his father before father’s death. The father grants his wish, the son leaves home, squanders wealth in luxury and high life, then filled with remorse, returns to his father to ask permission to work as a servant on the family farm. Father forgives and welcomes him home. 

DePaola, Tomie. “The Unforgiving Servant.” inThe Good Samaritan and Other Parables. 
Holiday House, 2017. (K-6)Forgiveness

Story of the servant who asks his master’s forgiveness for a debt and then is not equally forgiving with one who owes him.
​
Dupre, Rick.  Agassu: Legend of the Leopard King.  Carolrhoda, 1993. (​2-4)Forgiveness 
Agassu is a slave in West Africa (Ghana) who yearns to be free. On a stormy night, rowing at sea, he is freed and returns to lead his people to depose the evil rulers. His forgiveness of his enemies is a lesson in humanity and dignity. 4th grade unit on medieval African empires. ​

Heyer, Carol. The Easter Story. 
​Ideals, 1990. (1) Forgiveness
Despite the title, this stunningly beautiful picture book follows the life of Jesus from birth to Resurrection. The haunting illustrations are through the eyes of Jesus: the reader never actually sees Jesus’s face. Superb 1st grade introduction to the life of Jesus and a powerful reflection on forgiveness. 1st grade World Religions unit. ​

Pienkowski, Jan. Easter.
​
Alfred A. Knopf, 1989. (K-6) Forgiveness
The story of the passion of Jesus—his forgiveness of his crucifiers and of the good thief—is dramatically retold with silhouetting, vibrant color, and gold illumination. ​ ​
​
Humility
Birch, David. The King’s Chessboard.
Puffin Books, 1993. (2-4)Humility
A tale of ancient India in which the King learns humility.

Bruchac, Joseph. “The Girl Who Was Not Satisfied with Simple Things” in Iroquois Stories: Heroes and Heroines, Monsters and Magic. Illustrated by Daniel Burgevin. Crossing, 1985. (Humility, 3-5)
The title says it all. Works well with 3rd grade Native American unit.

D’Angeli, Marguerite. Thee, Hannah.
Doubleday, 1989. (
3-4) Humility
Slender chapter book set in Philadelphia during colonial times (mid-1700s). A spunky Quaker girl
(Hannah) has a taste for luxury and a hard time liking the simplicity that is part of her heritage.

DePaola, Tomie. "The Great Feast" in The Good Samaritan and Other Parables. Holiday House, 2017. (K-6)Humility

DePaola, Tomie. "The Tower of Babel" in Tomie DePaola's Book of Bible Stories. 
Scholastic, 1990 (2-6)Humility

Proud residents of Babel believe that they can build a tower to heaven.  

Demi. The Magic Goldfish: A Russian Folktale by Alexsandr Pushkin.
Henry Holt, 1995. (
K-4)
Humility
Spectacular adaptation of the greedy fisherman’s wife. When her husband discovers a fish who
can grant every wish, her ambition is her downfall.

Esbensen, Barbara J. The Great Buffalo Race: How the Buffalo Got His Hump—a Seneca Tale.
Illustrated by Helen K. Davie. Little, 1994. (
K-3) Humility
A Native American tale of hubris, humility, and wisdom—as three buffaloes lead their herds in different ways and with different results.

Jones, Jennifer Berry. Heetunka’s Harvest: A Tale of the Plains Indians.
Illustrated by Shannon Keegan. Roberts Rinehart, 1994.
(
3-5) Humility
Plains Indian tale of a generous prairie mouse (Heetunka) that shares her carefully harvested beans and seeds with the Dakota people in exchange for gifts. An ungrateful woman takes all of Heetunka’s beans, and learns the hard way that greed and ingratitude only bring her grief. Heetunka “will happily share with those who come to trade with humble, thankful hearts.” Themes of justice, fair play, and humility. Use with 3rd grade Native American unit.

MacGill-Callahan, Sheila. When Solomon was King.
Illustrated by Stephen T. Johnson. Dial Books, 1995. (
K-4) Humility
A moving (and stunningly beautiful) account of Solomon as a young boy, helping a wounded lioness, learning the ways of mercy and the wonder of nature, and then as a proud adult needing to re-learn the lessons of his youth.

Osborne, Mary Pope. “Chanticleer and the Fox,” in Favorite Medieval Tales.
Illustrated by Troy Howell. Scholastic, 1998. (
2-4)
Humility
The theme of “pride goeth before a fall” is explored in this tale originally told by Chaucer. Chanticleer nearly loses his life by listening to a “false flatterer,” but later uses the Fox’s own tricks against him to escape.
 
​

Simons, Jamie and Scott. Why Dolphins Call: A Story of Dionysius.
Illustrated by Anthony Acardo. Silver, 1991. (
2) Humility
Pride and disrespect for the gods turns pirates into dolphins. This Greek myth works well with the 2nd grade Ancient Greece unit.

Singer, Isaac Bashevis. Elijah the Slave.
Illustrated by Antonio Frasconi. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1970. (
2-4) Humility
Poor Tobias goes to the city to seek his family’s fortune. He meets the prophet Elijah, who offers his assistance if Tobias sells him as a slave. Reverent Tobias protests, but humble Elijah insists. Humble service to others brings about a happy ending.

Stevens, Janet. Coyote Steals the Blanket: A Ute Tale.
Holiday, 1993. (3)Humility
Virtue teaching by its opposite. Humorous Native American tale in which trickster coyote pays
for his dishonesty.

Wallis, Diz. Something Nasty in the Cabbages.
Caroline House, 1991. (
K-2) Humility
Proud Chanticleer learns a thing or two about humility from Reynard, the fox. A French folktale  with stunning illustrations.

Wells, Rosemary. The Fisherman and His Wife.
Illustrated by Eleanor Hubbard. Dial Books, 1998. (K-2) Humility
A fanciful retelling of the Norwegian fisherman who nets a fish that grants his every wish. In short order the fishermen and his greedy wife are overwhelmed by their “good fortune”—netting an impossible number of lobsters, needing a bigger cooking pot, a bigger house, a new every- thing! In time, they learn the value of simplicity and the humble life. Unique to this retelling: the main characters are cats attired as Norwegians! 

​

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