10 Picture Books That Showcase Collaboration

Are you an early childhood teacher in search of relationship-building resources to help unify your classroom? Have I got a book list for you! In the verbiage of 1970s infomercials: “This collection has everything!” The main characters are early childhood students, the setting is the school, and each plot requires the class to work collaboratively. The characters are united in curiosity, determination, and mission to work on accomplishing projects together that they couldn’t possibly do alone. 

Picture books have always been a “main act” within the early childhood classroom. During read alouds, young children gather to listen, see, and consider words and pictures that deliver inspirational messages and stories. Each story below suggests activities as possible road maps to assist early childhood teachers and students with considering collaborative projects in the school, and many of the projects also benefit the greater community outside of the school.

Ultimately, these picture books can be a valuable cross-curricular resource for the early childhood curriculum, as shown below.

• SEL. These books include numerous examples of responsible decision-making as defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.
• Project-based learning. The stories feature numerous STEM endeavors, particularly associated with outdoor education.
• Literacy. They model fine writing, engaging stories, and captivating illustrations.
• Social studies. There are stories, language, and visuals of classroom collaboration and community building.
• Professional development. There are suggestions for how educators can consider ways the stories, illustrations, and characters might inspire work in their own classroom.
• Home-school connection. The books can serve as discussion prompts for young children and their caregivers to compare and contrast life in their classroom versus the fictional ones.

10 Picture Books Featuring Creative and Collaborative Classrooms

The Twelve Days of Kindergarten: A Counting Book, by Deborah Lee Rose, illustrated by Carey F. Armstrong-Ellis. Every page-spread reveals a joyous kindergarten classroom engaged in a variety of activities and antics. You can track each student’s distinct personality as they navigate their way through the school year in parallel play and collaborative endeavors with their classmates and teacher. Additional titles in this series are The Twelve Days of Winter: A School Counting Book and The Twelve Days of Springtime: A School Counting Book (available in libraries). (Preschool–grade one)

In Our Garden, by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Melissa Crowton. One young student’s dream of a school garden inspires a classroom to build a garden on the school’s rooftop. (Preschool–grade two)

Rain School, by James Rumford. This book features perhaps the most challenging, yet rewarding, classroom-community-building endeavor of the entire collection. In order for some young children in Chad to have a classroom, they must resourcefully collaborate to build it! Author/illustrator James Rumford shares the back story of his book. (Preschool–grade two)

How to Get Your Teacher Ready, by Jean Reagan, illustrated by Lee Wildish. This tongue-in-cheek procedural story flips the typical teaching narrative when eager and resourceful young students act as mentors for their “clueless” new teacher. (Preschool–grade 3)

Mr. S: A First Day of School Book, by Monica Arnaldo. The students entering classroom 2B begin their first day of school with a unique and perplexing problem. Is their teacher a sandwich? The class is initially divided about how to manage this seemingly preposterous scenario but ultimately settles on a project-based-learning approach by adopting a sandwich-based curriculum. Author/Illustrator Monica Arnaldo reads her book in this video. (Preschool–grade three)

Our Favorite Day of the Year, by A.E. Ali, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell. On the first day of kindergarten, the teacher, Miss Gupta, announces that for show-and-tell, “you will take turns telling us about your favorite day of the year.” During the school year, students learn about each child’s special day and celebrate such events as Eid, Rosh Hashanah, Las Posadas, and Pi Day. (Preschool–grade three)

A Place for Rain, by Michelle Schaub, illustrated by Blanca Gómez. A classroom of young students learn, strategize, and collaborate on how to capture rainwater flowing down the school’s downspout to create a water source for their potential rain garden. Included at the end of the book are “Make Room for Rain” guidelines for making a rain garden. A corresponding educator’s guide is available on the author’s website. (Preschool–grade three)

Wonderfully Wild: Rewilding a School and Community, by Jessica Stremer, illustrated by Josée Masse. Early in the school year, a beloved weeping willow tree in the schoolyard topples over during a storm. A young student asks if it is possible to grow new willow trees, and with a teacher’s affirmative answer, a classroom commits to clipping and transferring branches. This begins the process of growing new willow trees to plant and share in the spring. (Preschool–grade three)