eSource: Free Teaching Guides
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The Old Man
Day breaks over the town. Get up, everybody! It’s time to go to school. For the old man too, it’s time to wake up. The night was icy and he’s hungry. His name? He doesn’t know . . . This is the story of a person with no job, no family, no home—a… View →
The Pea Patch Jig
Despite being picked with the lettuce and almost ending up in a salad, Baby Mouse refuses to stay out of Farmer Clem’s garden. Story inspired by the traditional song. View →
The Purim Superhero
Nate loves aliens and he really wants to wear an alien costume for Purim, but his friends are all dressing as superheroes and he wants to fit in. What will he do? With the help of his two dads he makes a surprising decision. View →
The Queen on Our Corner
A thought-provoking story that encourages us all to sit up and take notice. Nobody notices the unhoused woman on the corner. Nobody, that is . . . except one young girl. Through her eyes, the woman who dwells in the abandoned plot is a warrior queen, with many… View →
The Rock in My Throat
At first, no one noticed when I stopped talking at school. In this moving true story, Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a young Hmong refugee navigating life at home and at school. Having seen the poor treatment her parents received when making their best efforts… View →
The Spacesuit
An inspirational true-story about the a group of seamstresses who designed the spacesuit for the first men to walk on the Moon! “Ellie’s team was small, and they only had six weeks. Many believed that the seamstresses could never win. But Ellie… View →
The Tale of the Tiny Man
A classic picture book from Sweden with a very happy ending about feeling lonely and finding friends. It is possible, after all, to have more than one friend! There was once a tiny man. One day, at the first sign of Spring, he decided to pin a note to a tree View →
The Tiny Woman's Coat
A small and cozy book leaving preschoolers snug as a bug, from award-winning author, Joy Cowley. The tiny woman makes a coat of leaves with the help of her animal friends. The trees, geese, porcupine, horse and plants all share something so the tiny woman… View →
The Trouble with Earth
Why didn’t the other planets invite Earth to their vacation? Soon they’ll find out the wonderful truth about Earth’s “fleas” and change their minds . . . Earth turns up on the vacation she wasn’t invited to and finds all the… View →
The Visitor
Elise was frightened—of spiders, people, even trees. So she never went out, night or day. One day a strange thing flies in through the window and lands at her feet. And then there comes a knock at the door. Elise has a visitor who will change everything. A gentle and… View →
The Wall
Tom is a little boy who LOVES to explore. “The world is a beautiful place, Tom thought. When I grow up, I will be a great explorer.” But one day, he hears the grown-ups talking about the monsters that live in the big wide world. Before… View →
The Wall and the Wild
When Ana tries to take control by creating a perfect garden, she comes to realize that nature is inherently wild. In a plot of land at the edge of town, Ana grows only perfectly sized plants and perfect-looking flowers; she throws all the irregular shoots and… View →
Through the Forest
Walking through a dark forest, a young boy learns to treasure his memories and find his true path. Lost and alone, a young boy enters the forest not knowing the path that lies before him. He meets a figure called Emptiness who guides him on his way. Together View →
Touch the Sky
Vern longs to be one of the kids who swoop until their toes touch the sky. He heads to the swings and desperately tries to pump his legs, but he just can’t get it. A chance encounter with precocious (and hilarious) Gretchen gives him just what he needs to know, and he finally… View →
Umbrella
Clara finds an umbrella on the ground at the park and does a good deed by putting it on a bench. The umbrella says “thank you” and invites Clara to make a wish. So unfolds a magical chain of events featuring a new friend, an elephant, musical… View →
Under the Same Sky
Two children on opposite sides of the world CRAVE FRIENDSHIP. “We are like the sun and the moon . . . always seeking.” “I rest with the stars as you rise with the… View →
Violet's Tempest
For all those who have suffered stage fright, a gentle story about standing tall and finding your voice. Violet’s world has changed. Her voice has gone from a giggle to a whisper. So when her teacher casts her in the school play, she is filled with worry. How… View →
Waiting for Goliath
Bear has been sitting and waiting since dawn. “I’m waiting for Goliath. He’s my best friend.” At last the bus pulls up, but no one gets out. “He’ll definitely show up. You’ll see!” The robins fly south and the first snow falls. When Bear… View →
We're All in the Same Boat
We’re all in the same boat, both literally and metaphorically, in this playful look at how we can work together for the common good. The animals in this boat discover that working together gets them much further and is more fun than trying to go their separate ways. Barney… View →
What Dog Knows
When Wolf finds a fact-filled book in the library, he thinks he will at last outsmart his clever cousin Dog. The two cousins swap fascinating facts about mummies and skeletons; robots, knights, and pirates; dinosaurs and dragons; rockets and the moon. But Wolf View →
What's That, Jack?
A fun read-aloud picture book to spark imaginative play and have preschoolers joining in with delight. Jack and George are resting quietly when BOOM! A huge and strange ball lands beside them. “What’s that, Jack?” View →
When Creature Met Creature
Creature-of-No-Words lives a happy life on his own, but one day he gets a feeling like “the chill touch of ice,” and nothing can lift his sadness. Just then Creature-of-Words arrives and senses his despair. How can she help him communicate and be happy View →
When Dad's Hair Took Off
One day, Dad’s hair decided it was tired of being brushed and combed. It wanted a life of its own, to see the world. It took off. Out of the bathroom, into the kitchen, and before you could say, “Hairsta la vista, baby!” it was gone. Dad… View →
Where is Rusty?
A sweet picture book about a curious young dog, Rusty, who gets lost in a big department store. When Rusty goes shopping with his mother, Henrietta, and Toby, his nose leads him astray and on a new adventure. View →