We Are All Alike, We Are All Different
     (Cheltenham Elementary Kindergartners)

This book is a must for any early childhood classroom!  It's also a great way to introduce cooperative learning by starting with activities in pairs.
Some activities could include:
     *Just read and discuss-lots of language opportunities!
     *Play "Tic Tac Toe-We're Getting to Know" (A Sarah Simpson Original!)!  Use simple tic tac toe grids (start with a grid of no more than 9 squares);  Partners take turns sharing one thing about themselves and putting a counter (M&M's, skittles, raisins, etc.) in a square.  Partners work to fill the board TOGETHER.  Eat when finished!  You may need to provide visuals/pictures of things to share-i.e. a rainbow for favorite color, a basketball for favorite sport, a family picture for people in your family, etc. 
     *Working with a partner, children create a picture of themselves on the same page (use big drawing paper, you may want to prepare it ahead of time with a simple line drawn down the middle for a visual boundary).  Partners talk about things that are different and alike about each other, then choose one of each to write.  Our class used the text, "We are different because ____.  We're the same because ___."  Bind pages together in a class book or as a bulletin board.  You can add photographs of partners working together as well.  Be sure to model with a partner (another teacher, your paraprofessional, school secretary) first and add your page too!
     *This book provides lots of ideas for graphing-hair/eye color, family size, and so much more...
     *This is also a simple way to introduce the science process skill of observing by observing each other.  Children can even sketch their observations.
     *Using the text from the book, reillustrate with drawings or photographs of your own school family and school!  You can adjust text as necessary, use only a few lines from the book, rewrite, etc.  Have Fun!
    

Playground Problem Solvers
(Sandi Hill)

This is from the CTP series-it's available in small/big book format.  School monsters show different scenarios on the playground that are potential struggles.  Turn the page for some peaceful problem solving!
     *Read and discuss the importance of safety around school.  Dramatize the book and brainstorm different ways to solve the problem.  You can create a chart with picture in a shared writing session.  You can also create a class book/display of each child sharing what he/she can do to make the playground a safe place.
     *Using the shared writing chart from above, post in the classroom.  Add problems that occur on your own playground and helpful ways to solve them.  This can also lead to a "Problem Solving Log" that is added to throughout the year.
     *Create an innovation on the book using drawings/photographs of children in your class.  You can rewrite or use the original text.  Bind as a class book or bulletin board.
     *Create a map of your own playground.  As a school family, the children create the equipment, trees, benches, sand, etc. individually or with partners.  Put the final product together on a mural.
     *Graph the equipment types on your playground-counting how many swings, slides, etc.  You can also graph the children's favorite game to play outside, favorite piece of equipment, etc.

Meanies
(Joy Cowley)

This is from the Wright Group, available in small/big book format.  The Meanies are pretty gross in their hygiene and activities-a favorite predictable book every year!  There are several sequels to the Meanies that integrate as well.
     *Read and discuss the Meanies.  Brainstorm and chart your own ideas of other things Meanies might do, specifically at school. 
     *Rewrite with characters that are the opposite of Meanies (one year our class made the characters as themselves!).  Use the same patterned text and write what your new characters would do, or create your own text!  Illustrate for a class book/wall story.
     *Create your own Meanies book using the predictable line, "Not ___!" (the ending text).  Use small paper plates or round pieces of drawing paper with other materials to create a Meanies face.  Glue a photograph of each child on their own page.  Use clear packaging tape to affix the Meanies face over the child's photograph so it lifts easily (I tried brads, they didn't work that well for little fingers!).  Under each child's photograph glue the caption, "Not ___!", children write in their name.  The cover of the books reads, "Who Wants to Be a Meanie?"-the following pages are the children's, lift the Meanies face for the answer!
     *Create Meanies puppets to retell the story.  The children can role play different "Meanies melancholies" and how they would help solve it.
     *Write a letter to the Meanies as a school family with ideas for more helpful behavior!

What a Wonderful World
(David Weiss & Bob Thiele)

This book adds beautiful pictures to the classic song.  The kids get tickled at Louis Armstrong's voice but can't help swaying along!
     *Read and enjoy the book.  Listen to the song.  Take a "Wonderful World walk" around your campus-notice all the beauty!
     *Rewrite as "What a Wonderful School (Classroom, Kindergarten)".  Chart things you noticed on your walk-things in nature and school/classroom structures.  Illustrate with drawings or photographs of your school surroundings.
     *The bright, multicultural pictures are a great discussion starter for different places, cultures, peoples, even the ones in your own community.
     *Create your own class book using the original words with drawings/photographs from your school family.
     *Choose a spot around your campus as your "Beauty Spot".  This spot will be "yours" for the school year.  Observe it each week and share what you notice.  If necessary, pick up trash around it, weed or water it, etc.  If there is no "Beauty Spot" available, make your own!  Choose a small place to plant a garden or bring in a few plants to care for.  This is a great activity for Discovery Time and/or Discovery Journals.

All the Colors of the Earth
(Sheila Hamanka)

This is a beautiful book with earth toned illustrations linking our colors to the colors of the earth.  There is a song from the CD, "Linking Up" (available through the ESR website) that accompanies it perfectly.
     *Read and discuss what the author means in her book.  Discuss the colors you see in each other. 
     *Create a mural celebrating the colors of your school family.  Go outside and notice all the things you see (trees, grass, sun, flowers, sand, grasshopper, etc.), charting on a clipboard-use your Beauty Spot.  Inside, use your list to brainstorm the colors of the things you see.  Recreate them on a mural using the children's handprints for each item (i.e.  yellow handprints for the sun, green for the grass, brown for dirt, red for a bird, etc.).  Write the children's observations by each item-"We are yellow like the sun, butterfly, and leaves."
     *Graph all the things you see outside for each color.  Which color do you see most/least in nature?, etc.
     *Create an innovation from the book with drawings/photographs of your own school family.
     *Working in pairs, each child draws their partner's face paying close attention to the colors they see.  Serving as their scribe, have children choose a color from their partner and make a comparison to something in nature (last year we had comparisons to dirt and bugs, the highest kindergarten compliment!)

A Rainbow of Friends
(P.K. Hallinan)

P.K. Hallinan writes wonderful stories for all kinds of occasions.  They are usually in rhyme with colorful, friendly illustrations.  This book was written after the L.A. riots as a way to teach children to celebrate their differences and work together.
     *Read and discuss.  What does the author mean by using the term, "rainbow"?
     *Create a mural of a rainbow together-use children's handprints to create the arcs.  Children can then draw pictures of themselves to display along the arcs. 
     *Create your own innovation of the book using the original text with drawings or photographs of your school family.