Additional February Book Suggestions - Grades K-3
Loyalty
Cullen, Lynn. The Mightiest Heart.
Illustrated by Laurel Long. Dial Books, 1998. (3-4)
In this touching Welsh legend, Gelert, a loyal wolfhound is both a childhood companion and faithful adult protector to Prince Llywelyn of Snowdonia. Although Llywelyn often fails to make time for Gelert, the hound’s devotion is unwavering through the joys of youth and the overriding responsibilities of kingship. Later on Llywelyn believes that Gelert is responsible for killing his infant son and banishes him. Gelert has in fact saved his son from a wolf and the young king’s search to find his life-long friend to repair the breach is a tale of a dog with “the mightiest heart.” Because the ending is sad (though uplifting in a larger sense), the tale is best reserved for 3rd and 4th grade. Use with Viking or medieval units in those grades.
MacGill-Callahan, Sheila. The Seal Prince.
Illustrated by Kris Waldherr. Dial Books, 1995. (K-4) Loyalty
Set in medieval Scotland, this is the exquisitely illustrated tale of a selchie (seal-man) prince in love with a noble maiden. She once rescued the selchie and he invites her to his watery home, but loyalty to her family stands in the way. Themes of familial obligation, the role of women, and the claims of duty are expertly interwoven with a happy ending.
Myers, Laurie. Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dogs Tale.
Illustrated by Michael Dooling ( Holt, 2002) 3-6
Non-fiction it ain't, but this charming perspective on the journey of Lewis and Clark through the eyes of their dog, Seaman, is too good to miss. In this imaginative tour-de-force Laurie Myers plunks us in Seaman's imagination in the year 1803. Guard dog, retriever, hunter and loyal friend, the canine companion of Merriwether Lewis will help you see the journey in your minds' eye as you never have before.
San Souci, Robert D. The Little Seven-Colored Horse: A Spanish-American Tale.
Illustrated by Jan Thompson Dicks. Chronicle Books, 1995. (3-6)
Juanito rescues a seven-colored horse who is ever-after in his debt. The horse comes to his friend’s assistance time and again—as this youngest of three brothers struggles to overcome his elder brothers’ treachery and win the maiden of his dreams. Detailed watercolors, set in American southwest.
Justice
Jones, Jennifer Berry. Heetunka’s Harvest: A Tale of the Plains Indians.
Illustrated by Shannon Keegan. Roberts Rinehart, 1994. (3-5)
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.
Kimmel, Eric. The Valiant Red Rooster.
Illustrated by Katya Arnold. Henry Holt and Co., 1995. (2-4)
In this Hungarian folktale, a poor red rooster unearths a diamond button and knows he will be
able to support himself and the old woman he lives with for life. But the greedy evil sultan takes
the button for his own. The clever and persistent rooster, however, outwits the sultan and justice
triumphs over power and greed.
Mayer, Mercer. Shibumi and the Kitemaker.
Marshall Cavendish, 1999. (2-5)
A visual feast, this is the tale of Japanese princess Shibumi, who wishes to know life outside the
walls of her elegant palace “prison.” Like the Buddha who chanced to see reality, she is impressed
with the poverty and suffering of the city. She wants her father, the emperor, to right wrongs.
Shibumi enlists the aid of a kitemaker to fly her over the palace wall, so that her father will listen
to her pleas. A stunning work.
Honesty
Belloc, Hillaire. Matilda Who Told Such Dreadful Lies.
Illustrated by Posy Simmonds. Knopf, 1992. (2-6)
From Edwardian England comes this tongue-in-cheek story of the girl who cried wolf. Matilda calls the fire department once too often and she gets her comeuppance.
Buddha. The Power of a Promise.
Adapted by Dharma Publishing Editorial Staff. Illustrated by Rosalyn White. Dharma Press, 1989. (2-6)
In this beautifully illustrated Jataka tale, a prince armed only with the truth ends up converting Kalamasha, the evil lion-monster, to the ways of compassion and goodness. Unwilling to default on a promise even to his enemy, the prince teaches Kalamasha that “courage and all other virtues rest upon the truth.”
Ness, Evaline. Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine.
Squarefish, 1971. (1)
An excellent 1st grade level story of a little girl (Sam) who makes up all sorts of colorful stories and is having a hard time telling the difference between the “real” and “moonshine.”
Sanderson, Ruth. Pappa Gatto.
Crocodile Books, 2017. (3-5)
In need of someone to care for his young kittens, Pappa Gatto hires Sophia, a beautiful but deceitful and lazy girl. Gatto fires Sophia and hires instead her plain but devoted stepsister, Beatrice. Sophia’s treachery nearly denies Beatrice her just reward, but in the end truth triumphs! Sanderson’s magnificent oil paintings make the book a gem.
Stevens, Janet. Coyote Steals the Blanket: A Ute Tale.
Holiday, 1993. (3)
Virtue teaching by its opposite. Humorous Native American tale in which trickster coyote pays for his dishonesty.
Steig, William. The Real Thief.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1984. (3-6)
Theft, guilt, friendship, pride, and honesty—all combine in Steig’s witty slender chapter book of a thief who is filled with remorse.
Cullen, Lynn. The Mightiest Heart.
Illustrated by Laurel Long. Dial Books, 1998. (3-4)
In this touching Welsh legend, Gelert, a loyal wolfhound is both a childhood companion and faithful adult protector to Prince Llywelyn of Snowdonia. Although Llywelyn often fails to make time for Gelert, the hound’s devotion is unwavering through the joys of youth and the overriding responsibilities of kingship. Later on Llywelyn believes that Gelert is responsible for killing his infant son and banishes him. Gelert has in fact saved his son from a wolf and the young king’s search to find his life-long friend to repair the breach is a tale of a dog with “the mightiest heart.” Because the ending is sad (though uplifting in a larger sense), the tale is best reserved for 3rd and 4th grade. Use with Viking or medieval units in those grades.
MacGill-Callahan, Sheila. The Seal Prince.
Illustrated by Kris Waldherr. Dial Books, 1995. (K-4) Loyalty
Set in medieval Scotland, this is the exquisitely illustrated tale of a selchie (seal-man) prince in love with a noble maiden. She once rescued the selchie and he invites her to his watery home, but loyalty to her family stands in the way. Themes of familial obligation, the role of women, and the claims of duty are expertly interwoven with a happy ending.
Myers, Laurie. Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dogs Tale.
Illustrated by Michael Dooling ( Holt, 2002) 3-6
Non-fiction it ain't, but this charming perspective on the journey of Lewis and Clark through the eyes of their dog, Seaman, is too good to miss. In this imaginative tour-de-force Laurie Myers plunks us in Seaman's imagination in the year 1803. Guard dog, retriever, hunter and loyal friend, the canine companion of Merriwether Lewis will help you see the journey in your minds' eye as you never have before.
San Souci, Robert D. The Little Seven-Colored Horse: A Spanish-American Tale.
Illustrated by Jan Thompson Dicks. Chronicle Books, 1995. (3-6)
Juanito rescues a seven-colored horse who is ever-after in his debt. The horse comes to his friend’s assistance time and again—as this youngest of three brothers struggles to overcome his elder brothers’ treachery and win the maiden of his dreams. Detailed watercolors, set in American southwest.
Justice
Jones, Jennifer Berry. Heetunka’s Harvest: A Tale of the Plains Indians.
Illustrated by Shannon Keegan. Roberts Rinehart, 1994. (3-5)
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.
Kimmel, Eric. The Valiant Red Rooster.
Illustrated by Katya Arnold. Henry Holt and Co., 1995. (2-4)
In this Hungarian folktale, a poor red rooster unearths a diamond button and knows he will be
able to support himself and the old woman he lives with for life. But the greedy evil sultan takes
the button for his own. The clever and persistent rooster, however, outwits the sultan and justice
triumphs over power and greed.
Mayer, Mercer. Shibumi and the Kitemaker.
Marshall Cavendish, 1999. (2-5)
A visual feast, this is the tale of Japanese princess Shibumi, who wishes to know life outside the
walls of her elegant palace “prison.” Like the Buddha who chanced to see reality, she is impressed
with the poverty and suffering of the city. She wants her father, the emperor, to right wrongs.
Shibumi enlists the aid of a kitemaker to fly her over the palace wall, so that her father will listen
to her pleas. A stunning work.
Honesty
Belloc, Hillaire. Matilda Who Told Such Dreadful Lies.
Illustrated by Posy Simmonds. Knopf, 1992. (2-6)
From Edwardian England comes this tongue-in-cheek story of the girl who cried wolf. Matilda calls the fire department once too often and she gets her comeuppance.
Buddha. The Power of a Promise.
Adapted by Dharma Publishing Editorial Staff. Illustrated by Rosalyn White. Dharma Press, 1989. (2-6)
In this beautifully illustrated Jataka tale, a prince armed only with the truth ends up converting Kalamasha, the evil lion-monster, to the ways of compassion and goodness. Unwilling to default on a promise even to his enemy, the prince teaches Kalamasha that “courage and all other virtues rest upon the truth.”
Ness, Evaline. Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine.
Squarefish, 1971. (1)
An excellent 1st grade level story of a little girl (Sam) who makes up all sorts of colorful stories and is having a hard time telling the difference between the “real” and “moonshine.”
Sanderson, Ruth. Pappa Gatto.
Crocodile Books, 2017. (3-5)
In need of someone to care for his young kittens, Pappa Gatto hires Sophia, a beautiful but deceitful and lazy girl. Gatto fires Sophia and hires instead her plain but devoted stepsister, Beatrice. Sophia’s treachery nearly denies Beatrice her just reward, but in the end truth triumphs! Sanderson’s magnificent oil paintings make the book a gem.
Stevens, Janet. Coyote Steals the Blanket: A Ute Tale.
Holiday, 1993. (3)
Virtue teaching by its opposite. Humorous Native American tale in which trickster coyote pays for his dishonesty.
Steig, William. The Real Thief.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1984. (3-6)
Theft, guilt, friendship, pride, and honesty—all combine in Steig’s witty slender chapter book of a thief who is filled with remorse.
Love of Country
Adler, David A. A Picture Book of Patrick Henry.
Illustrated by John and Alexandra Wallner. Holiday House, 1995. (1, 4)
Fine biography of the Revolutionary patriot who fired the souls of Virginians with his oratory: “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? . . . As for me, give me liberty, or give me death.”
Illustrated by John and Alexandra Wallner. Holiday House, 1995. (1, 4)
Fine biography of the Revolutionary patriot who fired the souls of Virginians with his oratory: “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? . . . As for me, give me liberty, or give me death.”