105 Ways to Give a Book

Cybils Nominees ABC Giveaway: The Letter V

You can still win twenty-five picture books for yourself or your school. Learn more about the ABC Giveaway.

Lily’s Victory Garden
by Helen L. Wilbur, illustrated by Robert Gantt Steele


Lily’s Victory GardenDuring World War II, the government encourages citizens to plant Victory Gardens to ease the strain on food resources, and Lily really wants to participate. She is too young to get a plot in the town square, but bravely asks a neighbor if she can use part of their garden. That family has lost a son in the war, and has not tended their own garden of late, but reluctantly lets Lily work there. As she gets better at gardening, she also brings a bit of joy back to the grieving mother. Life comes again. The soft watercolors reflect the quiet tone of the book. It’s not an ideal choice for storytime, but would work nicely in a classroom setting and as a picture book for older children.
Give this book with seeds and gardening tools or look for more Ways to Give a Picture Book or over a hundred other Ways to Give a Book this holiday season.
The Letter V

Book: The Ugly Vegetables, by Grace Lin

Book: This is the Van that Dad Cleaned, by Lisa Campbell Ernst

Song: “The Wheels on the Van”
(Yeah, “The Wheels on the Bus” song adapted as needed.)
Book: The Village of Basketeers, by Lynda Gene Rymond

Book: Violet’s Music, by Angela Johnson

Book: Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, by Lloyd Moss

Song: “What Begins with V?”
(to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell”)

What begins with V?
What begins with V?
We all know, we’ll tell you so.
What begins with V?

Violin begins with V.
Violin begins with V.
We all know, we’ll tell you so.
Violin begins with V.

(and so on)
Alternate Books: Violet the Pilot, by Steve Breen, or Odd Velvet, by Mary Whitcomb

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10 comments:

Unknown said...

We just read Violet the Pilot as it is a nominee for our state award this year. The kids had lots of fun dissecting Violet's inventions!

Charlotte said...

Ha! I thought of another one (although it took several minutes)-- The Vegetable Alphabet, by Jerry Pallotta.

Storied Cities said...

I love ZIn, Zin, Zin... but I'll have to look the other ones up.

Mary Ann Scheuer said...

I adore Zin Zin Violin! My daughter just went to the symphony, and this will be the book we read tonight!

Terry Doherty said...

I've not read Zin, Zin, Zin, but I'll have to find it. I've actually got two today.

Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly ... girl power.

Vegetable Dreams / Huerto Sonado - a bilingual book about a young girl and an elderly neighbor planting a garden.

wmmahaney said...

The Very Busy Spider is another wonderful "V" book.
wmmahaney(at)att(dot)net

Alison said...

Favorites are: Very Hungry Catapliller and Violet the Pilot.

Bridget R. Wilson said...

How about Very Hairy Bear by Schertle or A Visitor for Bear by Becker?

Amy said...

Very Hungry Caterpillar!

Z-Kids said...

There are lots of wonderful versions of The Velveteen Rabbit out there. We have a beautiful one illustrated by Donna Green.