As an elementary school teacher, I am always looking for fun and engaging ways to teach my students about different concepts. I love using picture books to teach plot. I can use picture books to introduce new topics, and my students always seem to enjoy them as well. When it comes to teaching about plot, there are four picture books in particular that I always use.
Stellaluna
Stellaluna is a great book to use when introducing the concept of plot because it has a very clear beginning, middle, and end. The story follows Stellaluna, a young bat who becomes separated from her mother and ends up being raised by a family of birds. Throughout the course of the book, Stellaluna has to learn how to adapt to life as a bird, which leads to a lot of funny situations. In the end, Stellaluna is finally reunited with her mother and learns that even though she is different from the birds she was raised with, she can still be friends with them. You can grab Stellaluna here on Amazon.
Enemy Pie
Enemy Pie is another excellent choice for teaching plot because it also has a very clear beginning, middle, and end. In this book, a boy named Jeremy is trying to get rid of his sworn enemy, Trevor McFee. After trying (and failing) to come up with a traditional plan to get rid of Trevor, Jeremy’s dad tells him about Enemy Pie. Enemy Pie is a recipe for getting rid of enemies, and it requires that you spend an entire day with the person you are trying to get rid of. At first Jeremy is skeptical, but he eventually decides to give it a try. He spends the day with Trevor and ends up having so much fun that he doesn’t want Trevor to be his enemy anymore. Grab Enemy Pie here.
Want to save this for later?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Henry’s Freedom Box
Henry’s Freedom Box is another great option for teaching about plot because it is based on a true story. This book tells the story of Henry Brown, who was born into slavery but managed to escape by mailing himself in a box from Virginia to Pennsylvania. Throughout the course of the book, readers follow Henry on his journey from slavery to freedom. This book is especially powerful because it can help young readers understand that even though things might be difficult right now, there is always hope for something better. Henry’s Freedom Box can be found here on Amazon.
The Paper Bag Princess
The Paper Bag Princess is one of my personal favorites to use when teaching plot because it challenges traditional gender roles. In this book, Prince Ronald gets captured by a dragon and it is up to Princess Elizabeth to save him. However, when Elizabeth goes to save Ronald she ends up getting her nice clothes ruined in the process. When she finally does rescue Ronald from the dragon’s lair, he takes one look at her and declares that she isn’t fit to be princess anymore because she doesn’t look like a “proper princess” should. Elizabeth quickly puts Ronald in his place and teaches him (and young readers) that looks don’t matter nearly as much as personality does.
There are so many great picture books out there that can be used for teaching different concepts in the classroom. When it comes specifically to plot, these four books are some of my favorites. Stellaluna, Enemy Pie, Henry’s Freedom Box, and The Paper Bag Princess are all great choices for introducing young students to the concept of plot in an engaging and fun way!
Need some picture book ideas for your reading lessons? Grab FREE lesson plans here!
