Sequencing is such an important skill for little people and especially for those with delayed language skills. It helps build comprehension and memory, and it helps children to narrate, which in turn supports the development of speech.
Reading a picture book and re-ordering or retelling the sequence of events is a very simple yet effective way to build language skills. When I can, I use visuals to support the sequencing of events. But often we just practice telling what happened next, or who did what next. So, I’m always on the hunt for picture books with clear sequence of events.
Here are some of our favorite picture books for sequencing:
January:
I’m Going to Build a Snowman, Jashar Swan – A little boy describes the steps to building the perfect snowman.
February
Bunny Cakes, Rosemary Wells – May takes several trips to the grocery store to get the items needed to bake a cake.
March
The Bears and the Great Big Storm, Paul Bright and Jane Chapman – Bear is trying to sleep but little scaredy-bears keep coming into his bed.
Thunder Cake, Patricia Polacco – A wise grandma teaches her grand-daughter to overcome her fear of thunderstorms by baking a thunder cake. Sequence the ingredients the little girls gathers to bake the cake.
April
Have You Seen my New Blue Socks? Eve Bunting and Sergio Russier – In this rhyming tale, duck has lost his blue socks and asks various animals for help.
Max Cleans Up, Rosemary Wells. Max cleans up his room by putting various items in his pocket.
May
A Brave Bear, Sean Taylor and Emily Hughes – A cub and his dad go to the river to cool off. Sequence the places they go on the way to the river and back.
Follow the Track all the Way Back, Timothy Knapman and Ben Mantle. Little Train goes on an adventure all by himself and has to find his way back.
June
Brave Chicken Little, Robert Byrd – Chicken Little meets different animals on his way to see the king. One by one they accompany him until they meet the fox.
Soon, Timothy Knapman and Patrick Benson – a mother elephant takes her baby on a walk. Sequence the places they go and the animals they see. Beautifully illustrated. Great for repetitive text, too.
July
The Napping House, Audrey and Dan Wood – One by one a little boy and the animals in the napping house crawl into Grandma’s bed until a flea wakes everyone up.
August
Bear Came Along, Richard T. Morris – A bear discovers a river and rides down it on a log. As he journeys along, different animals join him on a trip that turns out to be exhilarating.
Hooray For Hat!, Brian Won – All the animals are cranky, but one by one Elephant cheers up his friends with his hats.
September
Adele and Simon, Barbara McClintock – Simon loses all his school items and outerwear as he walks home from school with his sister. How will he ever get them back? Beautiful illustrations of Paris.
Hello, Goodbye Dog, Maria Gianferrari – A loving pup just longs to be in school with his favorite girl. Sequence the different characters who try to keep him out of school.
October
The Seven Silly Eaters, Mary Ann Hoberman and Marla Frazee – The rollicking tale of a mother who tries to please her picky eaters. For a challenging sequence, help your children remember each child’s name and one food he/she will eat or drink.
A Story for Small Bear, Alice B. McGinty and Richard Jones – Small bear wants a story before sleeping for the winter, but Mama says to get one she must not dilly dally. Sequence Small Bear’s favorite places where she tries hard not to dilly dally.
November
Bear Says Thanks, Karma Wilson – Bear has nothing to serve on Thanksgiving Day, but each of his animal friends bring something to share.
Waiting for Winter, Sebastian Meschenmoser – Squirrel and friends wait for snow, but they don’t know what snow looks like. Great for talking about descriptive adjectives.
December
The Christmas Wish, Lori Evert – Little Anja sets out to the North Pole hoping to become one of Santa’s elves. Along the way, she is helped by various animals.
Download a printable version of the list here:
Happy New Year and Happy reading!
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