It was a hard choice, but I’ve decided my favorite picture book of the year is Little Red Writing  by Joan Holub and illustrated by Melissa Sweet.  (A book about writing, wonder why that’s my choice?)  I’ll ask ML her favorite when she returns from living it up with her grandparents and cousins.    Then, post it next week.

This book is a funny rendition of “Little Red Riding Hood.”  The teachers, students, janitor and principal are pencils.  However, the Wolf 3000 Pencil Sharpener has taken over the principal’s office.  Will Little Red Riding save the day?

Her class is led by Ms. 2.  Fellow classmates include a birthday pencil, two airplane pencils, two sports pencils, a dinosaur pencil, a candy pencil, a Pencilvania pencil, a pencil with a special grip and Little Red.

At the end of the book, each of these pencils provides a “punny” story.  ML’s favorite was the candy pencil… “Then Pencil and Gretel ate all the candy!”

The illustrations are detailed and full of humor.  We had a great time pouring over each page.

Teachers will love this book.  It’s a great way to teach the writing process, descriptive language, parts of speech and punctuation.  Even the most reluctant student writer won’t be able to keep a straight face reading this book.