Welcome back to the CGS Gift Giving Guide! In this installment we are sharing books that are sure to appeal to our elementary grade students that enjoy picture books! Topics range from a persevering Rosie Revere Engineer to a lovable girl and a Unicorn that scribbles!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Screen-Shot-2020-11-23-at-8.32.13-AM.pngThe beloved New York Times bestselling picture book about pursuing one’s passion with persistence and learning to celebrate each failure on the road to achieving one’s dreams.

And now you can follow Rosie’s further adventures—with her friends Iggy Peck and Ada Twist—in the instant New York Times bestseller Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters, the first in a BRAND-NEW chapter book series, The Questioneers!

Rosie Revere dreamed of becoming a great engineer. Where some people see rubbish, Rosie sees inspiration. Alone in her room at night, shy Rosie constructs great inventions from odds and ends. Hot dog dispensers, helium pants, python-repelling cheese hats: Rosie’s gizmos would astound—if she ever let anyone see them.

Afraid of failure, she hides them away under her bed. Until a fateful visit from her great-great-aunt Rose (AKA Rosie the Riveter!), who shows her that the first flop isn’t something to fear—it’s something to celebrate. And you can only truly fail, if you quit.


After the FallEveryone knows that when Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. But what happened after?

Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat’s poignant tale follows Humpty Dumpty, an avid bird watcher whose favorite place to be is high up on the city wall―that is, until after his famous fall. Now terrified of heights, Humpty can longer do many of the things he loves most.

Will he summon the courage to face his fear?
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Screen-Shot-2020-11-23-at-8.52.48-AM-808x1024.pngHatched on a moon-washed beach, the baby turtle finds its way by instinct across the expanse of sand to the sea and a rendezvous with its mother. Written in simple verse in the first person, the rhythmic text is full of action and sensory detail and loaded with alliteration and onomatopoeia for an enjoyable read-aloud. The refrain, “I’m coming, Mama…” repeated on each double page spread, is soothing and reassuring of the joyful reunion to come. The atmosphere of a quiet but determined struggle to break free of the egg soon gives way to growing excitement as the turtle mingles with fellow hatchlings and catches his first tempting sensations: the smell of salt air, the sight of the moon’s glow, the gentle touch and beckoning sounds of the waves rushing to shore. Once he’s free of the land, new motions take over: gulp, spin, float, swim…The final happy refrain is new and satisfying: “I’m here, Mama – here with you. I know I’d find you, Moon did too. 
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Screen-Shot-2020-11-23-at-8.55.26-AM.pngIn this magical bedtime story, the lyrical narrative echoes a Runaway Bunny – like cadence: “Does everything in the world go to sleep?” the little girl asks. In sincere and imaginative dialogue between a not-at-all sleepy child and understanding parents, the little girl decides “in a cocoon of sheets, a nest of blankets,” she is ready to sleep, warm and strong, just like a tiger. The Caldecott Honor artist Pamela Zagarenski’s rich, luminous mixed-media paintings effervesce with odd, charming details that non-sleepy children could examine for hours. A rare gem.
This story is about a little girl who keeps hearing, “Never let a unicorn scribble!” But in her heart believes that people just don’t understand how beautiful scribbling can be. She keeps trying to teach her unicorn to scribble but soon realizes this is more difficult then she anticipated. But instead of giving up, she uses her imagination to come up with a creative way to get her unicorn to scribble, at first it looks like it was complete disaster but ends up being truly magical!
Have You Thanked an Inventor Today? is a journey into the often forgotten contributions of African-American inventors, that contributed to the American landscape. It chronicles the school day of a little boy, highlighting different inventions that he uses throughout the day, all of which were invented by African-Americans.  The book comes complete with brief biographies about each inventor as well as fun activities to promote and encourage reading comprehension.  “Have You Thanked an Inventor Today?” was selected by Microsoft as a book that inspires STEM and also received a 5 Star Rating from Reader’s Favorite!
In Japan, Kei plays Freeze Tag, while in Uganda, Daphine likes to jump rope. While the way they play may differ, the shared rhythm of their days—and this one world we all share—unites them.
Mary Anning loved scouring the beach near her home in England for shells and fossils. She fearlessly climbed over crumbling cliffs and rocky peaks, searching for new specimens. One day, something caught Mary’s eye.

Bones. Dinosaur Bones.

Mary’s discoveries rocked the world of science and helped create a brand-new field of study: paleontology. But many people believed women couldn’t be scientists, so Mary wasn’t given the credit she deserved. Nevertheless, Mary kept looking and learning more, making discoveries that reshaped scientific beliefs about the natural world.

Educational backmatter includes a timeline of Mary Anning’s life and lots of fantastic fossil facts!



A New York Times Best Seller and award-winning book, What Do You Do With an Idea? is for anyone who’s ever had a big idea.

This is the story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps to bring it into the world. As the child’s confidence grows, so does the idea itself. And then, one day, something amazing happens. This is a story for anyone, at any age, who’s ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, too difficult. It’s a story to inspire you to welcome that idea, to give it some space to grow, and to see what happens next. Because your idea isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s just getting started.
 

Tags: , ,