5 Children’s Authors Your Child Should Know
by Megan Mora Fuentes
September is National Literacy Month, the perfect time to introduce some of the best classic children’s literature to your young readers. Check out these children’s literature unit study ideas for some great ways to introduce new books or to dive deeper into some old favorites. These five best children’s authors have produced some of the most-loved children’s stories in the world, and their works are a great place to start your children’s literature studies.
Beloved Children’s Authors & Activities
This Beatrix Potter unit study from Multicultural Motherhood features creative writing prompts and exercises, an art lesson, and even ideas for a beautiful outdoor field trip. If your youngest aren’t familiar with the classic Peter Rabbit stories, this is the perfect time to introduce them, and even older children will enjoy sharing the charming stories with younger siblings during a read-aloud family time.
Eric Carle’s beautiful, colorful illustrations bring his simple stories to life in a way that is unique and distinctive. Explore these Eric Carle activities for some great ways to inspire young learners. You’ll find dozens of crafts, educational activities, games, and party ideas that tie into Eric Carle’s children’s books, so you can create a unit study as long and in-depth as you like, or as short and sweet as his timeless children’s classics.
A common thread you’ll find in the works of all of these best children’s authors is the unique voice and creative illustrations and artwork that become a child’s first window into the worlds opened through reading. Tomie dePaola’s stories are beautiful examples of this, as his works include book series following colorful, humorous characters; semi-autobiographical stories of his own childhood; and charming retellings of legends and stories from around the world. This blog post from As We Walk Along The Road shares a variety of unit study activities to pair with many of dePaola’s works.
If you’re familiar with any of Ezra Jack Keats’ books, it’s probably the prize-winning The Snowy Day, featuring an adventurous boy in a bright red cap. Keats has a myriad of other books to explore, each with his signature bright, bold illustrations. Check out the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation website for an author biography, book charts, and fun activities inspired by the beloved stories.
Dr. Seuss’ wildly imaginative children’s books feature some of the most-loved characters and some of the most creative uses of the English language in children’s literature. His unique writing style and poetic storytelling are often the first example a child will see of the fun you can have with language, and his books can be used to inspire and teach creative writing even up into high school. Check out these Dr. Seuss activities for fun hands-on activities and crafts for little hands, lesson plans for exploring other subjects through familiar stories, and more.
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