Annotated Bibliography:

Children’s Picture books and Novels

Stephanie A. Santiago
College of Education, Polytechnic Univeristy of the Philippines
SEEN 30073: Children and Adolescent Literature
Jimenez, Melanie M.
02/24/2021
 Annotated Bibliography:
Children’s Picture books and Novels

PICTURE BOOKS

Allsburg, Chris V., The Polar Express. Illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, Houghton Mifflin, 1985.

A Caldecott-award-winning children's book about a boy’s magical journey to the North Pole on the Polar

Express. When they arrived, Santa Clause announces that one child will receive the first gift of Christmas

– our main protagonist gets chosen. The boy asks for a bell that he accidentally loses on the journey

back home but on the morning of Christmas, he finds it under the Christmas tree. His mother claims it

doesn't work but the boy knows that it only works for those who believe in Christmas. This 32-page

book has been considered a children’s classic, containing impressive illustrations that use soft and subtle

colors to convey the magic of the story. This is a great book to share with young learners around the

holiday season but, of course, be respectful and mindful of students’ personal beliefs.

Carle, Eric, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Illustrated by Eric Carle, World Publishing Company, 1969.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar follows the story of a caterpillar who is preparing to become a beautiful

butterfly. The caterpillar starts as an egg, when he emerges on Sunday, the first thing he looked for was

food; he then proceeds to eat everything he find with in the week. At first he had a diet of fruits but

when Saturday came he ate chocolates and candy. By the end of the week the caterpillar was no longer

small and hungry, he builds a cocoon and waited 2 weeks until he became a butterfly. The bright colors

used by Carle in his infamous collage technique creates amazing patterns and textures that can be very

helpful in keeping the attention of young readers. This book also reinforces their leanring skills.
Chikiamco, Norma O., Pan de Sal Saves the Day: A Filipino Children's Story. Illustrated by Mark Ramsel N.

Salvatus III, Tuttle Publishing, 2009.

An illustrated children’s book that tells the story of a young Filipino girl who tries to builds her self-

esteem by spending the day with her classmates. Its follows Pan de Sal who lives in the Philippines and

thinks low of herself; she doesn’t like her name and how she looks, finding herself unlucky because she

doesn’t have fancy things like her classmate. But when unexpected events came to change things

around her she got pushed into the spotlight and with her innate talent and resourcefulness she earned

her classmates admiration, gaining the confidence that she needed to fulfill her dreams. This book

presents a heart-warming, multicultural story in a fun and colorful way, making it easy for young readers

to digest.

De Guzman, Michael P., Dalawa ang Daddy ni Billy (Billy Has Two Daddies). Illustrated by Daniel Palma

Tayona, Tahanan Books, 2018.

A children’s book that shows a snapshot of family love and its experience of being different, Dalawa ang

Daddy ni Billy, tells the story of a 7-year-old boy, Billy, who was being bullied for having two dads and

having a different family set up from others. It makes for a great way to start a relatively complex topic

conversation with young learners, De Guzman found that it is important that stories like that of his book

are told to children so that they would be able to learn about the world and make them see that

understanding that people can be different will make a life for everyone better.

Martin Jr., Bill, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Illustrated by Eric Carle. Board Book, 1967.

Bill Martin Jr.’s Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? Has been considered as a classic that keeps

its reader’s attention with colorful depictions of animals. This book gives young readers plenty of
opportunites to participate as Martin Jr.’s repetitive question and answer rhyme format makes for a

great read-aloud activity; a narrator asks different animals what they see which is then asnwered by

another animal that is in front of them. This is partnered by Carle’s signature collage art styles that

creates a unique but easily recognizable aray of animal depictions.

Numeroff, Laura, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. Illustrated by Felicia Bond, HarperCollins Publishers,

1985

This book tells the story of a young boy who gives a mouse a cookie but as the story continues the

mouse keeps asking for more things; after the cookie, he asked for some milk, and then a straw to drink

the milk. Next, he asks for a napkin, he also asks for a mirror, after looking at himself, he asks for some

scissors to give himself a trim. After everything, he asks for he needs something else. Numeroff’s writing

paired with Felicia Bond’s illustration makes for a good storybook that children can find entertainment.

Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak, 25th anniversary ed., 1988,

Harper Collins, 1988.

This classic adveture book is about a Max, a truble-making boy who finds himself in a forest that had

grown in his room. He boards a ship to the home of the “wild things” who appears to have claws and

would roll their eyes and snarl. But instead of eating him they made him their king; after playing

together Max grew hungry and sailed back home when he smells dinner – ending his fantasy. Young

readers may identify with Max when he gets sent up to his room after an arguement with his mother

since this may be a similar experience fot them. The illustrations may scare some children as Sendak

used darker colors and has monsters as charcters but children who likes monsters and fantasy books

would enjoy them, especially if they are still learning how to read since the story is approximately 10

sentences long.

Seuss, The Cat in the Hat. Illustrated by Dr. Seuss, RH Children Books, 1975.
The Cat in the Hat is one of Seuss’s most famous works, it is about a rambunctious cat who appears to

two bored kids one rainy afternoon when their mother leaves for the day. Chaos ensues as the Cat in a

red and white striped hat brings them into a magical – yet messy – adventure within their house. This

book has Dr. Seuss’s signature art style and coloring technique that keeps his readers captivated, as well

as his way of rhyming that makes the book good for a read-aloud activity.

Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham. Illustrated by Dr. Seuss, Penguin Random House LLC., 1960.

Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham is about a persistent telemarketer, Sam-I-am trying to persuade his

stubborn friend to try green eggs and ham, using a variety of rhyming words. After much talking and

convincing, he was able to get his friend to try the green eggs and ham; he ended up liking it and trying

the other food that Sam-I-am offered. This is a good introductory book for children who only just started

learning how to read with how it contains a multitude of rhymes and Seuss’s wacky characters that

would keep young readers captivated.

Silverstein, Shel, The Giving Tree. Illustrated by Shel Silverstein, HarperCollins Publishers, 1964.

Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree is a great story about selfless love. It is about a boy and a talking tree,

they form a bond that strengthens as the boy grew up. The tree provides the boy with things that can

help him; apples to sell, branches to make a house, a part of its trunk to make a boat and when it has

nothing else to give but the rest of its trunk to the boy – now old – to sit on, it did. In the end, the boy

and the tree get happily reunited. This is book can be perceived in different ways; it invokes a touch of

sadness as Silverstein creates a story that affects one’s interpretation of the act of giving and the

acceptance of a person’s ability to love in return.

NOVELS
Banditt, Natalie, Tuck Everlasting. Square Fish, 1975

Natalie Banditt’s novel, Tuck everlasting, is a novel about Winnie, a 10-year old girl who runs away from

home one day. She ends up in the forest where she meets Jesse Tuck who she finds out is immortal,

along with his family because they all drank from a magical spring that grants eternal life to those who

drinks its water. The main conflict of the story is the arrival of the Yellow Suit Guy who tries to force

Winnie to drink the spring water but he was promptly killed by one of the Tucks. After that event the

Tuck family had to leave the area, leaving Winnie behind, and when they returned – 60 years later –

they find out that Winnie ended up not drinking the water and grew old. This story is mostly aimed at

older elementary students but could also be enjoyed by anyone older. Banditt's writing contains a

multitude of elements; such as fantasy, mystery, family life, love, and adventure which helps it appeal to

more people, especially students who are avid readers

Burnett, Frances H., The Secret Garden. HarperCollins, 1911

Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel, The Secret Garden, is a story about a 10-year-old girl, Mary Lennox,

who became orphaned. She ends up staying with her uncle in his home where finds the secret garden

on the grounds. She takes care of the garden and it helps her become a kinder person – when she finds

out that her cousin is extremely ill, she wishes for the garden to help him too. They visit the garden

every day and by the end, her cousin is able to walk again. This story presents itself as mystical and

mysterious and though it does appeal more to girls, it is considered as an American classic that has its

readers relate to the main character, Mary, and the excitement of having a secret place to go.

Collins, Suzanne, The Hunger Games. Scholastic Press, 2008.

The Hunger Games takes place in what was once known as North America – Panem – which is made up

of the Capital and the 12 districts. The Capitol keeps a strict rule over the rest of Panem, forcing the

people to participate in the annual Hunger Games – a televised fight to the death – which takes one boy
and one girl from each districts as participants. The imagery in Collins’s writing is magnificent, she was

able to create a thrilling atmosphere that sparks critical thinking and discussion among its readers.

Dahl, Roald, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Allen & Unwin, 1964.

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a classic fantasy book aimed at young readers; it tells

the story of how Willy Wonka came about making his factory and how he opens its door to five lucky

children who found the golden ticket. The children are promised a lifetime supply of chocolate and a

tour of the factory. The story centers on one of the children who found the golden ticket, Charlie Bucket,

and as they venture deeper into the factory strange things begin to happen. This story sparks creativity

and imagination, as well as critical thinking. It can be used in a teaching context by having students

analyze and present their own understanding or interpretation of the book and its characters as Dahl

was able to incorporate symbolism in his 176-page children’s novel.

Dahl, Roald, Matilda. Puffin Books, 1998.

Matilda is a story about a little girl named Matilda who loves to read. She is smart but her parents are

not as supportive as they should be, one day they got fed up and had Matilda sent to school. This excites

her at first but she finds that it is run by a headmistress who did not like children, Miss Trunchbull. When

Matilda got attacked by Miss Trunchbull, she discovers that she can move objects with her eyes. As the

story continues, Matilda tries to find a way to free the school from the evil headmistress. This novel

mixes fiction with reality as some readers may be able to relate to the themes that surround school life

and being a kid. For a children’s novel, Dahl was able to incorporate serious topics, like family issues into

the story yet still kept the magic and whimsy of the book.

Lewis, C.S., The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. HarperCollins Publishers, 1950.
One of the first published installments on the Chronicles of Narnia starts with the four Pevensie children

– Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy – who travels to a professor’s house to escape the war in London.

While playing hide and seek, the youngest of the four, Lucy, finds a wardrobe to hide in but instead

discovers that it is a magical doorway that leads to a place called Narnia. The siblings soon realize that it

is not as peaceful as it seems, they meet a lion named Aslan and was tasked to help in the fight against

the White Witch. In the end, they were able to defeat her and restore peace in Narnia. Lewis was able to

fill his wirting with vivid imagery and thrilling adventure scenes that readers would enjoy.

Riordan, Rick, The Lightning Theif. Disney Hyperion Books, 2006

The first published book in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, The Lightning Thief tells the story

of Percy who gets thrown into the world of greek mythology when he gets accused of being stealing

Zeus’s lightning. He finds out that he is a demigod and gets taken to Camp Half-blood with his friend and

protector, Grover who turns out to be a satyr. He is then tasked to find the lightning bolt, alongside

Grover and another camper, Annabeth who helps him traverse around the U.S. in search for the bolt –

encountering mythical creatures like Medusa and a Hydra. This book incorporates greek mythology with

modern times as Riordan writes the story as a retelling of familiar stories like that of Perseus and the

Gorgon, as well as the lore about the three-headed Hydra.

Rowling, J.K., Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Scholastic, Inc. 1999

The first book of the Harry Potter series, The Sorcer’s stone – also called the Philisopher’s stone – starts

by introducing Harry’s aunt, uncle and cousin who he lives with after being orphaned as a baby. Growing

up, he gets treated badly by his relatives however, on his 12th birthday he receives a letter from the

Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He finds out that his parents were also wizards and on the

train to school he makes friends with Ron and Hermoine

White, E.B., Charlotte’s Web. HarperCollinsPublishers, 2001.

E.B. White’s novel tells the story of Wilbur, a pig who was almost slaughtered after his birth because he

was considered a runt. However, when a young girl adopts Wilbur they get separated. Wilbur is sent to

the girl’s uncle's farm where he is to be raised for meat – feeling alone and scared he makes friends with

a spider named Charlotte who promises to keep him company. They are then taken to the fair along

with their rat friend, Templeton. While at the fair Charlotte lays her eggs and though Wilbur is sad he

promised to protect them. This is a good book for young readers who are fond of animals and enjoy

animal stories. White does a good job at mixing real-life problems with fiction and creating solutions for

them the flow with the overall story.

Wilder, Laura I., The Little House on the Prairie. HaperCollins, 1989.

The Little House on the Prairie centers around a family that moves to a prairie in Wisconsin; it follows

the children’s adjustment to their new home and new life. It is a relatable story of family experiences

and provides a great window into life back in the past and how it was to live in a prairie.