For Teachers--Literary Elements Mentor Texts
Adjectives
Beetle Bop by Denise Fleming
Lunch by Denise Fleming
Beatrice Doesn’t Want To by Laura Numeroff
Little Blue, Little Yellow by Leo Lionni
The Dot by Peter Reynolds
My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Sheep on a Ship by Nancy Shaw
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
Little Red Writing by Joan Holub
Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
Alliteration
The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss
Animalia by Graeme Base
Dog Breath: The Horrible Trouble with Hally Tosis by Dav Pilkey
Snow by Cynthia Rylant
The Z Was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin
June 29, 1999 by David Wiesner
In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming
Clara Caterpillar by Pamela Duncan Edwards
Walter was Worried by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens
Some Smug Slug by Pamela Duncan Edwards
Allusion
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
Wild About Books by Judy Sierra
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Locomotive by Brian Floca
Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore! by David McPhail
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch by Anne Isaacs
We’re Back!: A Dinosaur’s Story by Hudson Talbott
Wreck of the Zephyr by Chris Van Allsburg
Beginning, Middle, and End
Lost Cat by C. Roger Mader
Beatrice Doesn’t Want To by Laura Numeroff
Dog Breath: The Horrible Trouble with Hally Tosis by Dav Pilkey
Chester’s Way by Kevin Henkes
Sam and the Tigers by Julius Lester
Dandelions by Eve Bunting
Miss Nelson is Back by Harry Allard
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Turk and Runt by Lisa Wheeler
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
Quest by Aaron Becker
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
Cause and Effect
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West African Tale by Versa Aardema
The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback
The Dot by Peter Reynolds
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
Character Traits
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
Insects Are My Life by Megan McDonald
Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs
Brave Irene by William Steig
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto
Rechenka’s Eggs by Patricia Polacco
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
Wembery Worried by Kevin Henkes
Compare and Contrast
The Three Pigs by David Wiesner
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo
The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by Philemon Sturges
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
Goldie and the Three Bears by Diane Stanley
Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel
Town Mouse, Country Mouse by Jan Brett
Drawing Conclusions
Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Krauss
The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
Miss Nelson is Back by Harry Allard
I Wish I Was Sick, Too! by Franz Brandenberg
Ira Says Goodbye by Bernard Waber
The Widows Broom by Chris Van Allsburg
Journey by Aaron Becker
Foreshadowing
The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett
Strega Nona by Tomie DePaola
Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say
Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watts
Comet’s Nine Lives by Jan Brett
How Many Days to America?: A Thanksgiving Story by Eve Bunting
Encounter by Jane Yolen
The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg
Skippyjon Jones by Judith Byron Schachner
Homonyms
Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones by Gene Barretta
A Chocolate Moose for Dinner by Fred Gwynne
How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear? by Brian Cleary
More Parts by Tedd Arnold
“Amelia Bedelia” series by Peggy Parrish and Herman Parrish
Aunt Ant Leaves through the Leaves by Nancy Coffelt
What Did You Say? by Sylvia Root Tester
One Whole Doughnut, One Doughnut Hole by Valjean McLenighan
Never Monkey with a Monkey by Sylvia Root Tester
Hyperbole
The Bunyans by Audrey Wood
Hog-Eye by Susan Meddaugh
John Henry by Julius Lester
Kate and the Beanstalk by Mary Pope Osbourne
Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag
Paul Bunyan, a Tall Tale by Steven Kellogg
Other tall tales
Idioms
“Amelia Bedelia” series by Peggy Parrish and Herman Parrish
More Parts by Tedd Arnold
Even More Parts: Idioms from Head to Toe by Tedd Arnold
Go Fly a Kite! (And Other Sayings We Don’t Really Mean) by Cynthia Fitterer Klingel
Henry and the Cannons: An Extraordinary True Story of the American Revolution by Don Brown
My Teacher Likes to Say by Denise Brennan-Nelson
Which Witch is Which? by Pat Hutchins
You Let the Cat Out of the Bag! (And Other Crazy Animal Sayings) by Cynthia Fitterer Klingel
You’re Clean as a Whistle! (And Other Silly Sayings) by Cynthia Fitterer Klingel
Imagery
Butterfly House by Eve Bunting
Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse
The Gift by Kristine Franklin
The Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Mirandy and Brother Wind by Pat McKissack
My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
A Story for Bear by Dennis Haseley
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg
When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant
Bedhead by Margie Palatini
Inference
Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague
Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by Philemon Sturges
Mirette On the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully
No, David! by David Shannon
Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt by Lisa Campbell Ernst
The Shivers in the Fridge by Fran Manushkin
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen
My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza
Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes
Irony
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds
Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French
The Fortune-Tellers by Lloyd Alexander
Frederick by Leo Lionni
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
The Sweetest Fig by Chris Van Allsburg
Testing Miss Malarkey by Judy Finchler
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Letter Writing
I Wanna New Room by Karen Kaufman Orloff
Dear Children of the Earth: A Letter from Home by Schim Schimmel
Small, Medium & Large by Jane Monroe Donovan
The Jolly Postman, or, Other People’s Letters by Janet Ahlberg
Raising Sweetness by Diane Stanley
Thank You, Santa by Margaret Wild
Yours Truly, Goldilocks by Alma Flor Ada
With Love, Little Red Hen by Alma Flor Ada
Dear Mr. Blueberry by Simon James
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
LaRue for Mayor : Letters from the Campaign Trail
Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings
Metaphors
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs
Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
Carolinda Clatter! by Mordicai Gerstein
My Mouth is a Volcano! by Julia Cook
Narrative
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills
Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco
Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell
The Babe & I by David Adler
Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran
Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson
Picnic at Mudsock Meadow by Patricia Polacco
Nouns
The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss
Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog by Mo Willems
Move Over, Rover! by Karen Beaumont
The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown
The Mitten by Jan Brett
Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson
Onomatopoeia
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
Thump, Quack, Moo: A Whacky Adventure by Doreen Cronin
Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin
Gobble, Growl, Grunt by Peter Spier
Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming
Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? by Dr. Seuss
Cock-a-doodle-doo, Creak, Pop-pop, Moo by Jim Aylesworth
Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West African Tale by Verna Aardema
In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming
Patterns
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco
Possum Come A-Knockin' by Nancy Van Laan
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See? by Bill Martin
Animalia by Graeme Base
There’s a Wocket in My Pocket! by Dr. Seuss
Personification
The Talking Eggs by Robert San Souci
Ghost’s Hour, Spook’s Hour by Eve Bunting
Mojave by Diane Siebert
Arthur’s Family Vacation by Marc Brown
The Great Gracie Chase: Stop That Dog! by Cynthia Rylant
The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
Snow by Cynthia Rylant
Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
Personal Narrative
A Tree Named Steve by Alan Zwiebel
Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
Fireflies! by Julie Brinckloe
The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
Persuasive
I Wanna Iguana by Karen Orloff
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza
Can’t I Keep Him? by Steven Kellogg
Duck for President by Doreen Cronin
Earrings! by Judith Viorst
Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters From Obedience School by Mark Teague
Hey, Little Ant by Phillip Hoose
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
Plot
A Book by Mordicai Gernstein
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech
Piggins by Jane Yolen
The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood
Sophie’s Masterpiece: A Spider’s Tale by Eileen Spinelli
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
Strega Nona by Tomie DePaola
Lunch Bunnies by Kathryn Lasky
Point of View
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg
Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian
Butterfly House by Eve Bunting
Hey, Little Ant by Phillip Hoose
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Rhyme by Marilyn Singer
Whales Passing by Eve Bunting
Who is Melvin Bubble? by Nick Bruel
A. Lincoln and Me by Louise Borden
Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad by Pamela Duncan Edwards
Tree of Cranes by Allen Say
Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
School's First Day of School by Adam Rex
They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel
Problem Solving
Owen by Kevin Henkes
Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard
Hedgie’s Surprise by Jan Brett
Brave Irene by William Steig
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
The Grudge Keeper by Mara Rockliff
Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie DePaola
Chalk by Bill Thomson
Quotations
Ira Says Goodbye by Bernard Waber
Patrick’s Dinosaurs by Carol Carrick
Little Rabbit’s Loose Tooth by Lucy Bate
Chicken Little by Rebecca Emberley
The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble
The Little Island by Golden MacDonald
We Can’t Sleep by James Stevenson
Rhyme
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman
Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk
Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
Wild About Books by Judy Sierra
My Granny Went to Market by Stella Blackstone
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
Some Dogs Do by Jez Alborough
Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss
Push! Dig! Scoop! A Construction Counting Rhyme by Rhonda Gowler Greene
"Dino Sports" series by Lisa Wheeler
Setting
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
Mouse Tales by Arnold Lobel
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Dandelions by Eve Bunting
Aurora Means Dawn by Scott Sanders
Ashpet: An Appalachian Cinderella by Joanne Compton
Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Jan Brett
Biscuit Finds a Friend by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida
The Potato Man by Megan McDonald
Sequence
Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins
Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin
The Popcorn Book by Tomie DePaola
If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
No Jumping on the Bed! by Tedd Arnold
The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by Philemon Sturges
Aquarium by Crynthia Alonso
The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood
Simile
Crazy Like a Fox: A Simile Story by Loreen Leedy
Come on, Rain! by Karen Hesse
Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine
Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Patridge by Mem Fox
Seashells: More Than a Home by Melissa Stewart
Synonyms
What the Moon Saw by Brian Wildsmith
A Whisper is Quiet by Carolyn Lunn
Exactly the Opposite by Tana Hoban
Food for Thought: The Complete Book of Concepts for Growing Minds by Saxton Freymann
Pitch and Throw, Grasp and Know: What is a Synonym? by Brian Cleary
Theme
The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry
Duck for President by Doreen Cronin
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Imogene’s Last Stand by Candace Fleming
Sheila Rae, the Brave by Kevin Henkes
Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
Elmer by David McKee
Mole Music by David McPhail
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoet
Verbs
Simply Delicious! by Margaret Mahy
Max’s Words by Kate Banks
The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin
How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long
Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson
In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming
The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco
Come on, Rain! by Karen Hesse
Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel
Vulture View by April Pulley Sayre
In a Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming
John Henry by Julius Lester
The Z Was Zapped by Chris van Allsburg
Voice
The Teacher from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler
My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis
Piggie Pie! by Margie Palatini
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin
The Talking Eggs by Robert San Souci
My House Has Stars by Megan McDonald
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
I Am the Dog, I Am the Cat by Donald Hall
The Dot by Peter Reynolds
LaRue for Mayor : Letters from the Campaign Trail by Mark Teague