Genre: Concept Books

The hardest part of this genre is finding a suitable definition for a concept book.  Finding mixed answers throughout the web, I am taking what I know of the meaning of concept and creating my own definition.  According to me, a concept book is a book about a generalized topic.  In many examples of the concept books I found, there were a lot of abstract ideas (friendship, love, health).  These concepts are challenging for younger students to understand so concept books are usually picture books giving examples of concepts but not all concept books have to be about an abstract idea.  According to the PSU librarry site concept books: introduce and reinforce ideas, provide a starting point for adult-child conversation, connect children's real life experiences to abstract ideas and help children explore topics that are interesting to them.  Since concept books are primarily picture books, features to look for when selecting a concept book are: appeal, accuracy and your student's interests.

My Favorite Picks:

Cottin, M., & Faria, R. (2008). The black book of colors. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

Grade Equivalent: 2.6
Complexity Band: 2-3

Love it!  This amazing book is packed full of solid black pages.  Yes, solid black pages.  The concept of this read is braille.  The book is very easy to read with one simple sentence on each page.  The words in the sentence describe in detail what the author wants us to see but there are no images with it.  On the left hand side of the page above the sentence, there is a sentence written in braille.  On the right hand side of  the page there is an image created from raised textures on the page.  The simplicity of the book, would make it easy for a second grader to read but due to the complex theme and lack of illustrations; this book is more suited for a third or fourth grader.  This book would make a perfect connection between literacy and writing.  Students could practice writing using adjectives to create a vivid image in the reader's mind to relate to blindness.  Also, a great tool to help students empathize others with disabilities.  A fun book to add to your collection.


Brooks, F., & Mackinnon, M. (2007). Ya hablo inglés. London: Usborne.

Grade Equivalent: 2.1
Complexity Band: K-1

This is a concept flap book on Spanish.  This flap book appeals to students and promotes interaction on every page.  Each page of the book is full of conversation bubbles, the bubbles show conversations written in English.  The student can flip open the flap to see the same conversation in Spanish.  The theme of the book is around authentic settings such as: school, birthday parties and at home.  This would be a great tool for a Read Aloud to young ESL students.  It would also make a perfect resource for individual practice for ESL students.  The very back page is a list of all of the words used throughout the book.  This would make it easy to pre-teach more challenging words or to add flashcards for extra practice.  Published by Usborne Books, it is a recommended text for a
very reasonable price.