NF 10 for 10: Nonfiction Poetic Picture Books
I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction picture books lately because we are doing a nonfiction mentor text book study at my school using FINDING THE HEART OF NONFICTION by Georgia Heard.
One of the things I admire about nonfiction is an author’s ability to convey facts in a very spare text. I especially enjoy it if the text is spare and beautiful. Today, all of my books have two things in common: 1) They are nonfiction picture books. 2) They have poetic texts. Not all of them are rhyming texts, but some of them are.
They can be used to cover content in the classroom, but they can also be used to teach writing techniques like vivid verbs, imagery, word choice, point of view, and much, much more.
By April Pulley Sayre
Illustrated by Steve Jenkins
This book is told in second person point of view and also shares information about how bears eat after a long hibernation.
By April Pulley Sayre
With extremely spare text, this book of photographs using lovely language to describe raindrops. A must-read if you are talking about word choice or the water cycle.
The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse
By Patricia MacLachlan
Illustrated by Hadley Hooper
One of my favorite books of 2014. This is a picture book biography that’s a poem told in second person point of view.
Water Can Be… (and also A Leaf Can Be…)
By Laura Purdie Salas
Illustrated by Violeta Dabija
Much like her poetic book about imagine what leaves can be, Salas’ book about water is also an excellent book to use with the water cycle and word choice.
By Angela DiTerlizzi
Illustrated by Brenden Wenzel
Some bugs introduces all different types of bugs with fun, playful language.
By Lola Schaefer
Illustrated by Paul Meisel
Another very spare text with excellent vivid verbs. It also introduces the concept of a food chain.
by Jonah Winter
Illustrated by Sean Qualls
This picture book biography utilizes language that mirrors jazz music. An excellent biography, but it could also be used talk about pacing, rhythm, and word choice.
By Jennifer Ward
Illustrated by Steve Jenkins
This rhyming text told in first person point of view shows different birds and their nests. Small bits of expository text on each spread also provide additional information.
By G. Neri
Illustrated by A.G. Ford
Another picture book biography told in verse. The collection of free verse poems tell about Cash’s life. It would be good for teaching biography and word choice.
By George Ella Lyon
Illustrated by Katherine Tillotson
This is a poem spread out over a picture book format. All the water in the world can touch on water cycle standards and also be a great example for word choice.
Other 10 for 10 Posts
10 for 10 Picture Books for Mentor Texts for Word Choice
10 for 10 Nonfiction Picture Books about Virginia History as Writing Mentor Texts
Want to see other PB 10 for 10 Posts for today and the archives? Check out the Google + community.
14 Comments
Tammy and Clare
We love the way you organized these texts. What wonderful books to share with students so that they see the power of language in nonfiction texts.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thanks so much! Glad you liked them. 🙂
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thank you so much!
Carrie Gelson @There's a Book for That
Gorgeous list. I am becoming a bigger and bigger fan of nonfiction texts that have this lyrical energy to them. Lulled and learning all at once. 🙂
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Me too! I love lyrical NF books.
elsie
Finding nonfiction with poetic text is such a treat. Thanks for this list, I now have a mission to find them in the library. After that, I will probably need to purchase them.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
I totally understand. My book budget is always busted. I’m so grateful for my public library, though I own most of these books because I love them so much!
Stacey
I was so excited about this list when I saw it on the Google Plus page. I was even more excited (though my wallet isn’t!) when I read the description of all of these texts. I’ve read a few of them, but not nearly enough.
I’ve been a big fan of Matisse since I was a teenager so I can’t wait to check out The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Iridescence of Birds=my favorite book last year!!!!!! It’s worth purchasing. 🙂
Mandy Robek
I love your selection and focus this year. I just discovered poetry nonfiction and created a tub in my new classroom library. I also just ordered and got today All the Water in the World. Thanks for joining us.
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Awesome idea for a poetry nonfiction tub! I love All the Water in the World. George Ella Lyon spoke about it a few years ago at VSRA and I’ve been using it in Science ever since. I also love her newer one WHAT FOREST KNOWS. Lovely. Thanks for putting #nfpb10for10 together. 🙂
Sue Heavenrich
Great choices!
Cathy
Marcie,
What a wonderful list! I have been back and forth between your suggestions and the library’s digital reserves. I’m looking forward to checking out many of these new-to-me titles. You make such a good point about the way nonfiction writers tell so much, in often so few words. Interesting. Thanks for joining once again!
Cathy
Marcie Flinchum Atkins
Thanks for all you do to make PB10for10 happen! I’m happy to join the PB party! 🙂