Picture Books
1. The Giving Tree
· Shel Silverstein
· October 7, 1964
· Full Book
· Picture Book, Fiction, Children’s Literature
· All audiences, Young Adults
· 1974 New York Times Outstanding Book Award
· The Giving tree is an extremely popular picture book that deals with life, time, and sacrifice. The book involves a young boy and a tree. The boy loves to play with the tree, and the tree loves to play with the boy, however, the boy eventually grows up and loses interest in the tree. The tree begins making sacrifices for the boy by giving up apples, branches, and the trunk in order to help the boy. These sacrifices are what allows the boy to be successful
2. The Very Cranky Bear
· Nick Bland
· March, 2008
· Picture
· Picture Book, Fiction, Children’s Literature
· Young Children
· National Parents Publication Award
· This Picture book is about a bear that is extremely grumpy and jus twants to sleep, but all the other animals want to play cards in the den. In the end of the book the sheep sacrifices all his wool to put it in a pillow for the bear so they can play in the den.
3. The Legend of BlueBonnet
· Tomie DePaola
· 1983
· Picture Book
· Picture Book, Fiction, folktale
· Young Children
· No awards
· This book is a fictional history about how Texas’s beautiful grass lands came to be. It involves a young girl who has a special doll. This takes place during a drought, and the girl sacrifices the doll in a fire hoping that it would end the drought, and it does.
4. The Quilt maker’s Gift
· Jeff Brumbeau
· 2001
· Picture
· Fiction, Fantasy
· Young Children
· Book Sense Book of the Year Award
· This book is a fantastic book not only about sacrifice but about serving, and doing things out of the goodness of your heart. In this book the King is forced to give away his possessions in order for a special quilt maker to give him a quilt. He sacrifices everything and humbles himself in order to receive the quilt.
5. A New Coat for Anna
· Harriet Ziefert
· May 28, 1988
· Picture
· Realistic Fiction
· Young Children
· None
· A young girl named Anna is in dire need of a new coat because her old one is falling apart. However, her family doesn’t have the money to buy one. So Anna and her mom go and get rid of some of their personal belongings in order to get the materials to build a new coat. In the end Anna finally gives up enough so that she can get a new fur coat.
6. The Light of Christmas
· Richard Paul Evans
· October 1, 2002
· Picture
· Fiction, Holiday Book
· Young Children
· None
· This is a Christmas book that involves a young boy named Alexander who is going in to town in order to watch the lighting of the Christmas tree. However, on his way in he sees an old man on the side of the road and gives him his jacket in order to make him feel better. As it turns out that old man is faking and is really the lighter of the tree. He calls Alex up in front of everyone in order to reward him for his sacrifice.
7. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
· Eric Carle
· June 3, 1969
· Picture
· Fiction, Children’s Literature
· Young Children, Young Adults
· School Library Journal’s number 2 Children’s Picture book ever.
i. American Institute of Graphic Arts award
· The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of the most well-known and popular children’s books ever created. It is a favorite among students, and teachers. It deals with a young caterpillar looking for something to eat. In the end it seems as though the caterpillar is dying, instead he is cocooning himself in order to become a butterfly, this gives the idea of rebirth from sacrifice.
8. The Berenstain Bears Think of Those in Need
· Jan and Stan Berenstain
· July 27, 1999
· Picture
· Fiction, Children’s Literature
· Young Children
· Ludington Award, Drexel Citation
· The Berenstain Bears is a very popular book within the children’s literature community. They really helped change the way children’s literature was portrayed.. This particular book focuses on the bears attempt to donate money in order to help other in need. This shows sacrifice on behalf of the family in order to help others.
9. Rainbow Fish
· Marcus Pfister
· October 1, 1992
· Picture
· Fiction, Children’s Literature
· Young Children
· Book Sense Book of the Year
· Rainbow Fish is a popular children’s book about a young fish that thinks he is the greatest in the world. However, when no one will play with him he becomes lonely. A very wise octopus comes and tells him that he should give up his scales and he will be happy. He does this and by sacrificing his scales his friends return to him.
10. The Mitten Tree
· Candace Christiansen
· September 30, 1995
· Picture
· Fiction, Children’s Literature
· Young Children
· Non-significant
· The Mitten Tree is a great children’s book about a lady that knits mittens for all the children in her neighborhood, consequently this uses up all of her thread so in return the children get together and get thread and yarn for her so that she can continue. This is a fairly good example of sacrifice because of the way that the older lady uses up all her yarn for the children.
1. The Giving Tree
· Shel Silverstein
· October 7, 1964
· Full Book
· Picture Book, Fiction, Children’s Literature
· All audiences, Young Adults
· 1974 New York Times Outstanding Book Award
· The Giving tree is an extremely popular picture book that deals with life, time, and sacrifice. The book involves a young boy and a tree. The boy loves to play with the tree, and the tree loves to play with the boy, however, the boy eventually grows up and loses interest in the tree. The tree begins making sacrifices for the boy by giving up apples, branches, and the trunk in order to help the boy. These sacrifices are what allows the boy to be successful
2. The Very Cranky Bear
· Nick Bland
· March, 2008
· Picture
· Picture Book, Fiction, Children’s Literature
· Young Children
· National Parents Publication Award
· This Picture book is about a bear that is extremely grumpy and jus twants to sleep, but all the other animals want to play cards in the den. In the end of the book the sheep sacrifices all his wool to put it in a pillow for the bear so they can play in the den.
3. The Legend of BlueBonnet
· Tomie DePaola
· 1983
· Picture Book
· Picture Book, Fiction, folktale
· Young Children
· No awards
· This book is a fictional history about how Texas’s beautiful grass lands came to be. It involves a young girl who has a special doll. This takes place during a drought, and the girl sacrifices the doll in a fire hoping that it would end the drought, and it does.
4. The Quilt maker’s Gift
· Jeff Brumbeau
· 2001
· Picture
· Fiction, Fantasy
· Young Children
· Book Sense Book of the Year Award
· This book is a fantastic book not only about sacrifice but about serving, and doing things out of the goodness of your heart. In this book the King is forced to give away his possessions in order for a special quilt maker to give him a quilt. He sacrifices everything and humbles himself in order to receive the quilt.
5. A New Coat for Anna
· Harriet Ziefert
· May 28, 1988
· Picture
· Realistic Fiction
· Young Children
· None
· A young girl named Anna is in dire need of a new coat because her old one is falling apart. However, her family doesn’t have the money to buy one. So Anna and her mom go and get rid of some of their personal belongings in order to get the materials to build a new coat. In the end Anna finally gives up enough so that she can get a new fur coat.
6. The Light of Christmas
· Richard Paul Evans
· October 1, 2002
· Picture
· Fiction, Holiday Book
· Young Children
· None
· This is a Christmas book that involves a young boy named Alexander who is going in to town in order to watch the lighting of the Christmas tree. However, on his way in he sees an old man on the side of the road and gives him his jacket in order to make him feel better. As it turns out that old man is faking and is really the lighter of the tree. He calls Alex up in front of everyone in order to reward him for his sacrifice.
7. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
· Eric Carle
· June 3, 1969
· Picture
· Fiction, Children’s Literature
· Young Children, Young Adults
· School Library Journal’s number 2 Children’s Picture book ever.
i. American Institute of Graphic Arts award
· The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of the most well-known and popular children’s books ever created. It is a favorite among students, and teachers. It deals with a young caterpillar looking for something to eat. In the end it seems as though the caterpillar is dying, instead he is cocooning himself in order to become a butterfly, this gives the idea of rebirth from sacrifice.
8. The Berenstain Bears Think of Those in Need
· Jan and Stan Berenstain
· July 27, 1999
· Picture
· Fiction, Children’s Literature
· Young Children
· Ludington Award, Drexel Citation
· The Berenstain Bears is a very popular book within the children’s literature community. They really helped change the way children’s literature was portrayed.. This particular book focuses on the bears attempt to donate money in order to help other in need. This shows sacrifice on behalf of the family in order to help others.
9. Rainbow Fish
· Marcus Pfister
· October 1, 1992
· Picture
· Fiction, Children’s Literature
· Young Children
· Book Sense Book of the Year
· Rainbow Fish is a popular children’s book about a young fish that thinks he is the greatest in the world. However, when no one will play with him he becomes lonely. A very wise octopus comes and tells him that he should give up his scales and he will be happy. He does this and by sacrificing his scales his friends return to him.
10. The Mitten Tree
· Candace Christiansen
· September 30, 1995
· Picture
· Fiction, Children’s Literature
· Young Children
· Non-significant
· The Mitten Tree is a great children’s book about a lady that knits mittens for all the children in her neighborhood, consequently this uses up all of her thread so in return the children get together and get thread and yarn for her so that she can continue. This is a fairly good example of sacrifice because of the way that the older lady uses up all her yarn for the children.