CC Cycle 1 Awesome Picture Book List

Written by Annette in Cycle 1

Here is the list of books I am doing this year for my kids grades K-4th grade. I wanted a list that wasn’t overwhelming for each week–maybe a couple books, and ones that my kids actually get excited about. I keep them all on a shelf and only let each week’s books come out after community day. Usually that afternoon is spent by my older kids, who can read, devouring these books. My younger ones love spending that time just looking at the lovely pictures. Then later in the week, I read them aloud to the children. I opted to actually purchase them this year. I find it easier to just pull them off the shelf when I get to that week instead of trying to get from the library (and hopefully they come in by the week I need them). But do what works for your family. Blessings on your cycle 1 year!

Week 1 (10 Commandments):

  • Usborne Beginners: Digging Up History: I found this whole set to be really great for this cycle. We will use Egyptians, Romans, Ancient Greeks, The Maya later on this year. The other titles I will save for cycle 2.
  • Archaeologist Dig for Clues by Kate Duke: Great book that talks about how we find out about history. Good overview for the year.
  • Under, Over, By the Clover: What is a Preposition? by Brian Cleary. English, Awesome introduction to prepositions. We are going to be memorizing so many this year. This is great to explain some of what a preposition is to my little ones.
  • The Bible: This week is great to bring out your Bible and show the kids where the 10 commandments come from. Read Exodus 20 (or more) with them.
  • The Jesus Bible Storybook by Sally Lloyd-Jones. I really like how this kids story Bible retells the stories and links them to the gospel. This week you could read the section on “Ten Ways to Be Perfect.”

Week 2 (10 Commandments)

  • This week I like to expand on Egyptian History while memorizing the rest of the 10 commandments. Read the account in the Bible of how God rescued the Israelites from Egypt (Exodus 1-12).
  • The Jesus Bible Storybook by Sally Lloyd-Jones. I really like how this kids story Bible retells the stories and links them to the gospel. This week you could read the sections on “The Forgiving Prince,” “God to the Rescue!” and “God makes a way.
  • Usborne Beginners Egyptians Part of the boxed set from week 1, good overview of Egyptian life, pyramids, mummies etc.
  • Tut’s Mummy: Lost..and Found (step into reading) by Judy Donnelly. My kids enjoy reading this themselves about the discovery of Tut’s Mummy.
  • Ancient Egypt Drawing Book by Ralph Masiello. Step-by-step how to draw Egyptian dog, sphinx, Isis, and more. My daughter (who loves art) loved this one and was able to draw some amazing things when she was in 1st grade.

Week 3 (Greek and Roman Gods)

  • Usborne Greek Myths for Young Children: Simple, short retelling of Greek Myths with colorful pictures. There are alot in this book, we don’t usually get to all of them. But my kids always keep asking to pull it out and read again.
  • Greek Myths: Jason and the Argonauts (Usborne Graphic Legends): This is a comic book style story. My son keeps asking to read this again and again.
  • The Odyssey (Usborne Graphic Legends): Comic book style story of the Odyssey. Fun for boys.

Week 4 (7 Wonders)

  • I didn’t find a good picture book on all 7 Wonders, but I did find some on 1 of the wonders: Pyramids of Giza.
  • You Wouldn’t Want to be a Pyramid Builder! by Jacqueline Morley. Fun book about how the pyramids were built. My kids love this series of books!
  • Mummy Math: An Adventure in Geometry by Cindy Neuschwander. Book that introduces geometrical shapes while the children find a mummy’s tomb. I love these kind of living math books. My kids pick up so much from them.
  • Where Were the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? by Yona Zeldis McDonough. While this is not exactly a picture book (it’s more like a chapter book), it does have some drawings. I liked that it had a chapter on each of the 7 Wonders all in 1 book.

Week 5 (Romans)

  • Usborne Beginners: Romans. Part of the boxed set from week 1. Good overview of Roman life, banquets, baths, games, etc.
  • You Wouldn’t Want to be a Roman Gladiator by John Malam. Fun book that shows gladiator training, the arena, games, and more. My kids love this series.
  • Pompeii..Buried Alive! by Edith Kunhardt. Step into reading level 4. Easy story about this Roman town that is destroyed by a volcano.
  • Cleopatra by Diane Stanley. Wonderful story of Cleopatra, Mark Antony, and Julius Caesar. Beautiful illustrations. Longer book, probably better for older students.

Week 6 (Greeks)

  • Usborne Beginners: Greeks. Part of the boxed set from week 1. Good overview of Greeks including life, food, gods, Olympic games, etc.
  • What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? A Math Adventure by Julie Ellis. Fun math story about the Pythagorean Theorem and how Pythagoras discovered it.. Same series as the Sir Cumference books. I love these kind of living math books. My kids pick up so much from them.
  • The Greek News by Anton Powell and Philip Steel. Fun new style book about ancient Greece includes sections on Sparta, Alexander, Olympics, and more.
  • The Trojan Horse: How the Greeks Won the War by Emily Little. Step into Reading Level 5. Every kid should know the story of the Trojan Horse and Greece. This is an easy reader book that does that.

Week 7 (Hinduism)

  • Talking to God: Prayers for Children from the World’s Religions by Demi. Great book showing different religions (Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and more) and how people pray. I love the illustrations. However, at the end it makes it sound like we are all praying to the same God (which is not true). But I still think this would be good talking points with my children. Also in the notes section in the back, it describes what is in each picture (so you can explain it better to children). This book will be useful for coming weeks when we discuss other religions.
  • Amy Carmichael: Rescuing the Children by Renee Taft Melcoche. Heroes for Young Readers Series. Great introduction to this missionary to India for children. I love introducing missionaries at this point.
  • One Grain of Rice by Demi. A Math story set in India that shows the power of doubling. Demi’s pictures are inspired by traditional Indian art.

Week 8 (Imperialism in India)

  • I am Gandhi by Brad Meltzer. Book about Gandhi’s life for children. Has colorful pictures.

Week 9 (Lao-Tzu in China)

  • The Empty Pot by Demi. Story set in China about a boy who tries to get flowers to grow from seed, but cannot and presents an empty pot to the Emperor. Lovely pictures.
  • Talking to God: Prayers for Children from the World’s Religions by Demi. Taoism Section. Great book showing different religions (Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and more) and how people pray. I love the illustrations. However, at the end it makes it sound like we are all praying to the same God (which is not true). But I still think this would be good talking points with my children. Also in the notes section in the back, it describes what is in each picture (so you can explain it better to children). This book will be useful for coming weeks when we discuss other religions.
  • Hudson Taylor: Friend of China by Renee Taft Meloche. Heroes for Young Readers Series. Good introduction to this missionary to China.
  • The Warlord’s Beads by Virginia Walton Pilegard. A Math story set in China. Shows counting by 10s and using an abacus. My kids loved this one.
  • The Story About Ping by Margorie Flack. Story of the duck Ping on the Yangtze River (tie in to geography this week). Such a cute story.

Week 10 (Heian Period)

  • Yuko-Chan and the Daruma Doll by Sunny Seki. Story of a Japanese girl who did great things and was resilient. She made the famous Daruma Doll, a symbol of perseverance. Story is in English and Japanese. My kids really liked looking at the other language.

Week 11 (Byzantine Empire)

  • Talking to God: Prayers for Children from the World’s Religions by Demi. Christianity section since Constantine become a Christian. Great book showing different religions (Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and more) and how people pray. I love the illustrations. However, at the end it makes it sound like we are all praying to the same God (which is not true). But I still think this would be good talking points with my children. Also in the notes section in the back, it describes what is in each picture (so you can explain it better to children). This book will be useful for coming weeks when we discuss other religions.
  • Usborne How Flowers Grow. Easy book about parts of flowers and other plant information.

Week 12 (Muslim Empire)

  • Talking to God: Prayers for Children from the World’s Religions by Demi. Islam section. Great book showing different religions (Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and more) and how people pray. I love the illustrations. However, at the end it makes it sound like we are all praying to the same God (which is not true). But I still think this would be good talking points with my children. Also in the notes section in the back, it describes what is in each picture (so you can explain it better to children). This book will be useful for coming weeks when we discuss other religions.
  • Zinnia’s Flower Garden by Monica Wellington. Wonderful children’s book about planting seeds and watching them grow. Good review of the plant memory work we have done. Margins have details of cloud types and parts of flower.

Week 13 (Kush)

Week 14 (Trade in Africa)

Week 15 (Prince Henry)

  • Amistad: The Story of a Slave Ship by Patricia McKissack. Story of the Slave Ship Amistad that captures slaves from the west coast of Africa. The slaves take over the ship and the sailors still go to America, where there is a trial and the slaves win their freedom. Good tie into Prince Henry starting the school of navigation that influenced the slave trade in Africa.
  • David Livingstone: Courageous Explorer by Renee Raft Meloche. Heroes for Young Readers Series. Missionary doctor to Africa.
  • To the Top! Climbing the World’s Highest Mountain by S.A. Kramer. Tie in for Science memory work. Step into Reading Level 5 book. Story of Climbing Mount Everest.

Week 16 (Mesoamerica)

  • Usborne Beginners: The Maya. This is part of the usborne set I purchased for this cycle. Nice easy overview of the Maya.
  • Rain Player by David Wisnieski. Traditional Maya Legend of how rain came.
  • Volcanoes by Anne Schreiber. National Geographic Kids Level 2 book. Wonderful book with amazing pictures of volcanoes. Use this week for science memory work and week 17 too.

Week 17 (Aztecs)

  • The Sad Night by Sally Schofer Mathews. Story of the last battle the Aztecs won against the Spaniards.
  • Volcanoes by Anne Schreiber. National Geographic Kids Level 2 book. Wonderful book with amazing pictures of volcanoes.

Week 18 (Mound Builders)

Week 19 (Anasazi)

Week 20 (Mexican Revolution)

Week 21 (Canada)

  • O Canada by Ted Harrison. Picture book about the national anthem. Each page also has descriptions about areas in Canada. Use for Week 22 also.
  • Maps and Globes by Jack Knowlton. Science. Fantastic book about how maps are different than globes, latitude, longitude, degrees and more. Use again for week 24 science.

Week 22 (British North American Act)

Week 23 (South America)

Week 24 (Portuguese Empire)

  • The Heroic Symphony by Anna Harwell Celenza. History. Story of the creation of Beethoven’s symphony no. 3 for Napoleon. History week 24 ( and Fine Arts Cycle 2). I loved how this ties in with history and fine arts. Such a great story I never knew.
  • Maps and Globes by Jack Knowlton. Science. Fantastic book about how maps are different than globes, latitude, longitude, degrees and more. Use again for week 21 science.

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