Eyes that Kiss in the Corners & Alma and How She Got Her Name

(Top) Eyes that Kiss in the Corners | Written by Joanna Ho & Illustrated by Dung Ho | Published by HarperCollins Publishers 2021

(Bottom) Alma and How She Got Her Name | Written & Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal | Published By Candlewick Press 2018

Both books have a lovely message about being confident and comfortable with traits that make you unique. In Eyes that Kiss in the Corners, we follow a young Asian girl who celebrates the shape of her eyes, and in Alma and How She Got Her Name, we follow Alma who learns the meaningful history behind her name. After reading the two books, students can analyze the text by comparing and contrasting the main characters.

I read Alma and How She Got Her Name about a year ago, but while reading Eyes that Kiss in the Corners this past week, I immediately made a text-to-text connection and I think students will, too!

Stand Up, Yumi Chung!

Stand Up, Yumi Chung! | Written by Jessica Kim | Published by Kokila (An imprint of Penguin Random House) 2020

Love, love, love this book! How often would you think a shy Korean American girl secretly wants to be a comedian? I don't think most. Yet, the unlikely combination is what I adore because it helps readers understand the many dimensions of the main character, Yumi. She is more than a quiet Asian girl! Huzza for diverse middle grade book options!

Drawn Together

Drawn Together | Written by Minh Lê & Illustrated by Dan Santat | Published by Disney-Hyperion 2018

A language barrier between grandfather and grandson makes for the start of an unhappy day. But they find a way to communicate and connect through a different language—art!

Tiger vs. Nightmare

Tiger vs. Nightmare | Written & Illustrated by Emily Tetri | Published by First Second (An imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership) 2018

I absolutely adored this graphic novel about a tiger and her monster friend teaming up to fight nightmares!

Boxitects

Boxitects | Written and Illustrated by Kim Smith | Published by Clarion Books (An Imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt now HarperCollins Publishers) 2020

A thoroughly enjoyable book that inspires kids to build using cardboard!

Draw!

Draw! | Written & Illustrated by Raúl Colón | Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books 2014

A wordless picture book inspired by the illustrator's childhood. Not only is it a great resource for the art room, but it can help kids practice making inferences through the artwork.

Look

Look | Written & Illustrated by Fiona Woodcock | Published by Greenwillow Books (An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) 2018

Spend a day with a sister and brother as they go on a trip to the zoo. The author/illustrator uses only words with double o's to tell the story and blends them beautifully with the textured illustrations. Check out the sequel—Hello!

Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando

Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando | Written by Andrea Wang & Illustrated by Kana Urbanowicz | Published by Little Bee Books 2019

In addition to teaching the history of ramen, this book can be used to show examples of descriptive words when writing about food. The author uses words like brittle, crumbly, soggy, chewy, lumpy, tender, and sticky to describe the texture of noodles. Students can also practice using context clues to figure out the meaning of words used like meager, scarce, outrageous, scrounged, fostered, cranked, and seeped. It's a book that can be enjoyed as a whole class read aloud or with a small reading group!

Too Many Carrots

Too Many Carrots | Written and Illustrated by Katy Hudson | Published by Capstone Young Readers 2018

Fun, fun! A greedy rabbit can't stop collecting carrots until his home is overflowing with them, so his friends invite him to stay with them. But he accidentally destroys each friend's house with...too many carrots! In the end, Rabbit learns that it's better to share his carrots. So a dramatic day ends with a festive carrot party for forgiving friends.

The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot | Written and Illustrated by Peter Brown | Published by Little, Brown and Company (Division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.) 2020

I told myself I'd try to write down snippets of text while reading, so here are some examples of the beautiful, descriptive language used in this book: crunching footsteps, faint wisps of steam, trudged through, soft pops and crackles of burning wood, and keen hearing.

Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese | Written by Sarah Weeks & Illustrated by Jane Manning | Published by HarperCollins Children's Books 2011

Too, too, too! Mac enjoys running around, while Cheese enjoys sitting all day. What happens when you pair two contrasting characters? A laugh-out-loud story that's perfect for beginner readers!

Tomorrow I'll Be Kind

Tomorrow I'll Be Kind | Written & Illustrated by Jessica Hische | Published by Penguin Workshop 2020

A sequel to Tomorrow I'll Be Brave. A gentle reminder for all to be kind to one another. Jessica Hische masterfully illustrates a word on each spread.

Tomorrow I'll Be Brave

Tomorrow I'll Be Brave | Written & Illustrated by Jessica Hische | Published by Penguin Workshop 2018

Words and pictures pair beautifully to teach kids what it means to be brave.

Bee-bim Bop!

Bee-bim Bop! | Written by Linda Sue Park & Illustrated by Ho Baek Lee | Published by Clarion Books 2008

Follow a little girl as she helps her mom prepare a popular Korean dish—bee-bim bop! Hungry, hungry, hungry for some bee-bim bop!