PreK – K: Helping each other in a family

This theme focuses on how family members work together on a variety of tasks. Some of the books expand this idea to include community members, in addition to the family.

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• Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell
  This book uses short phrases to tell how a mom and her five children shop for groceries, followed by how they, together with the dad, prepare a meal at home for the whole extended family.
  MATH: Counting from 1 to 10 is used twice during the telling of the story.
  SOCIAL STUDIES: Family life, African-American, grocery store

• D.W.’s Lost Blankie by Marc Brown
  This book is based on the PBS series Arthur. It tells about a little girl who has lost her favorite blanket and how her father and brother try to help her find it.
  SOCIAL STUDIES: Some discussion of community areas, like playground, library, and car wash. The family seems to include a working mom.
  HEALTH: Going to sleep.

• Just shopping with mom by Mercer Mayer
  This “Little Critter” book tells about the mayhem the little sister causes during a grocery shopping trip. The big brother and the mother try to manage to get her through the trip.
  SOCIAL STUDIES: Shows unacceptable behavior in stores, though the moral is a bit diluted by the fact that they all get a treat at the end.

• I lost my bear by Jules Feiffer
  This book is partially in the style of a graphic novel and the pictures are funny. It tells about a girl who has lost her teddy bear and how she tries to find it by implementing her family member’s (not so helpful) suggestions.
  SOCIAL STUDIES: Family relationships
  HEALTH: Feelings

• Martha doesn’t share! by Samantha Berger
  This book tells about a little girl who keeps everything for herself. When her parents and brother do not want to play with her because of her selfishness, she realizes that it would be better to share.
  HEALTH: Selfishness and sharing

• Day by day by Susan Gal
  Short phrases tell the story of a family of pigs who move to a new home and their interactions with their new community.
  SCIENCE: Planting crops and harvest
  SOCIAL STUDIES: Neighbors and community events

• What a Good Big Brother! by Diane Wright Landolf
  In this book, a young boy learns why his baby sister cries and he helps to soothe her.
  SCIENCE/HEALTH: Taking care of a baby, including references and illustration of  a baby breastfeeding.
• A chair for my mother by Vera B. Williams
  This story tells about a girl, her mom, and her grandmother who save up change to buy an armchair. It may be a bit scary for children because the girl talks about their house burning down and having to start over in a new apartment. However, she also explains how her extended family and neighbors helped them.
  SOCIAL STUDIES: Jobs, saving money, working mom, community helping, banks
  MATH: Saving money, counting coins, exchanging coins for paper money

• The Littlest Dinosaur by Michael Foreman
  This book is a very tiny dinosaur who has trouble keeping up with his bigger relatives. However, one day, he saves them all because he is so small and is able to get help.
  SOCIAL STUDIES: Family life
  MATH: Size comparison

If you liked this list, please check out my other Book Suggestions for Preschool and Kindergarten Units and subscribe to get updates when I post new lists.