Notables Themes, Categories, and Subjects

Week of June 17, 2012—ALSC Notable Children’s Books

Thursday, June 21, 2012: ALSC Notables Themes, Categories, and Subjects

As I looked through the ALSC list of notable picture books I noticed some categories of topics, subjects, and themes. Now these are just my observations. You could look at the list and spot totally different things. But seeing these topics reminds me that there are universal subjects and themes that continue to be explored in picture books, and there’s new territory yet to explore. (Note: Some books fall into more than one category and so are listed more than once.)

ANIMALS/PETS

A Ball for Daisy

Bring On the Birds

Harry and Hopper

I Broke My Trunk

I Want My Hat Back

Little White Rabbit

Mouse & Lion

Over and Under the Snow

Prudence Wants a Pet

See Me Run

Should I Share My Ice Cream?

Tell Me the Day Backwards

Ten Little Caterpillars

Where’s Walrus?

BEDTIME

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site

Naaman and the Ark at Night

Tell Me the Day Backwards

BIOGRAPHY

Grandpa Green

Me…Jane

These Hands

Tia Isa Wants a Car

COMMUNITY
Blackout

COUNTING
Ten Little Caterpillars

FAMILY/HOME

Blackout

Grandpa Green

Little Treasures: Endearments from Around the World

Little White Rabbit

A New Year’s Reunion: A Chinese Story

Over and Under the Snow

Prudence Wants a Pet

Tales for Picky Eaters

Tell Me the Day Backwards

These Hands

FANTASY

King Jack and the Dragon

Stars

Tales for Picky Eaters

FOLKTALES/FABLES

The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred

Mouse & Lion

Naamah and the Ark at Night

FRIENDSHIP

I Broke My Trunk

Should I Share My Ice Cream?

LANGUAGE—IDIOMS

Little Treasures: Endearments from Around the World

LANGUAGE—OPPOSITES

Dot

LIFE TRANSITIONS/CHANGE/DEATH/DYING

Grandpa Green

Harry and Hopper

Who Has What? All About Girls’ Bodies and Boys’ Bodies

MULTICULTURAL/DIVERSITY

The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred

Chirchir Is Singing

Naamah and the Ark at Night

A New Year’s Reunion: A Chinese Story

Tia Isa Wants a Car

NATURE

All the Water in the World

Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?

Over and Under the Snow

Stars

Ten Little Caterpillars

Who Has What? All About Girls’ Bodies and Boys’ Bodies

SEASONS

Little White Rabbit