42. Community Building Picture Books

Picture this: You're preparing for a new school year, dreaming of that magical classroom community where every student feels seen, valued, and connected. But between lesson planning, room setup, and all those back-to-school tasks, actually building that community can feel overwhelming. Here's what I know—you already have one of the most powerful community-building tools right at your fingertips: picture books. And whether you're welcoming students for the first time in August or rebuilding connections after winter break, these stories will transform your classroom.

In this episode, I'm sharing ten incredible picture books that are absolute powerhouses for fostering kindness, inclusion, and genuine connection among your students. From "The Invisible Boy" to the classic "Chrysanthemum," each carefully chosen title opens hearts and sparks meaningful conversations. I'll walk you through each book's community-building potential and let you know how you can find ready-to-use lesson plans for every single title in the Colorful Apple Book Club. Because building community shouldn't add to your stress—it should bring back the joy of teaching.

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💙 FREE Be Kind lesson

📚 Books in this Episode:

• The Invisible Boy
• The Cool Bean
• All are Welcome
• We Don’t Eat Our Classmates
• Do Unto Otters
• The Day You Begin
• Be Kind
• Don’t Hug Doug
• Strictly No Elephants
• Chrysanthemum

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Keep your teaching colorful,
Sara :)

The Colorful Apple

Full disclosure: Amazon links in my descriptions are usually affiliate links which means if you purchase through that link, I receive a very small percentage of the sale.