Five Picture Books for the First Week of School

The first week of school sets a tone the rest of the year either lives up to or quietly rebels against. A good read-aloud on the first morning does what a rules chart can't — it invites a class to become the kind of class they want to be, without anyone giving a lecture about it.

These five are short enough for a morning meeting, simple enough that no child drifts, and rich enough that the conversation after the last page is the real lesson. Each one does a specific job.

1. Gary the Bear — for setting the tone of kindness

Gary is a bear on the autism spectrum. He likes sharks. He says what he means, and sometimes he covers his ears. The book doesn't explain autism so much as it introduces you to Gary and lets the friendship happen. Read it on day one, then ask the class what might make Gary a good friend. The answers tell you a lot about the year you're getting. We've built a free discussion guide for teachers using Gary in the classroom — download it below.

2. I Caught a Thought — for naming big feelings

Before a class can talk about feelings, they need words for them. I Caught a Thought gives young readers language for the things that move through them all day — the worry, the excitement, the sudden bad mood — in a way that makes those feelings something you can look at instead of something that runs the room. A good second-day read, once the nerves of day one have settled.

3. The Engineer and His Kitty — for curiosity and problem-solving

Not every first-week book has to be about feelings. This one is about the pleasure of figuring something out — trying, failing, and trying again with a slightly better idea. It sets an early expectation that being stuck is the interesting part, not the shameful part. Pair it with a simple build-something challenge and you've started your year on a note of curiosity.

4. Abuelita's Tree — for a classroom that looks out for each other

Abuelita is the grandmother of the whole neighborhood — the one with the stories and the cookies, whom all the kids love. When she starts tending a shriveled little tree that gives nothing but wrinkled, sour fruit, no one can figure out why — until spring arrives with a surprise that wins over even grouchy Mr. Diaz. The lesson underneath it — when you give love, you get back love — is exactly the tone you want in a room full of kids still learning how to treat each other. Read it early, then ask the class what it looks like to take care of someone the way Abuelita does.

5. Wyatt the Walrus Makes a Friend — for the courage to say hello

The first week is full of kids quietly working up the nerve to talk to someone new. Wyatt the Walrus Makes a Friend is about exactly that — the small, real bravery of saying hello first. Told in cut-paper illustration, it gives a class a shared story for the thing they're all doing that week, and makes the first move look a little less frightening. Read it, then let the room practice on each other.

Start the shelf, then build it out

None of these books will run your classroom for you. What they'll do is start the kinds of conversations that make a room worth being in. Read one on day one, another on Friday, and add to the shelf across the year. The work you put in during the first week is work you don't have to do again in March.

For teachers using Gary the Bear

We've put together a free discussion guide — five questions, three activities, no prep required. It's yours; download it and use it the first week.