The beginning of the school year is a great time to discuss and explore students’ birthdays, but you can do this any time of the year. This post shares birthday children’s books that you can use for this purpose. All of the picture books on this list lend themselves to this topic really well. Take a peek below to learn more about these Birthday Children’s Books!
4 Birthday Children’s Books
Below is a list of some of our favorite birthday children’s books to share with elementary students. Check them out!
1. Alfie by Thyra Heder
The story Alfie is about a girl named Nia and her pet turtle Alfie. The story starts from Nia’s point of view. She loves her turtle Alfie but she thinks that he doesn’t notice the different stories she tells him or dances she teaches him. After a while she forgets about him, until he disappears on her seventh birthday.
The story changes to Alfie’s point of view. Alfie loves Nia and she makes him feel incredibly happy with her stories and dance moves and she always makes him laugh. He escapes on her seventh birthday so that he can find the perfect gift for her. It takes him a long time to find the perfect gift for her, and a whole year goes by. He arrives to her party on her eighth birthday, with the perfect present.
Students will love this cute story about a turtle who truly loves his owner and wants to be able to show it.
Check out these Alfie teaching resources and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging read aloud lessons!
2. Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan
Big Red Lollipop is told from the point of view of Rubina. Rubina receives her first invitation to a birthday party, and is overjoyed to go home and tell her family about it. However, she is met with disappointment when Ami tells her that in order for her to go to the birthday party, she has to bring her little sister, Sana.
Rubina brings Sana to the birthday party and has a miserable time. They both get goodie bags from the party that have a big red lollipop in them. Sana eats hers right away, and Rubina hides hers away for the next day. When Rubina wakes up the next morning, she is furious when she discovers that Sana has eaten her lollipop!
Eventually, Sana gets invited to a birthday party. She becomes devastated when Ami tells her she has to bring their littler sister Maryam. Instead of letting Sana be miserable at the party, Rubina tells Ami to not make Sana bring Maryam. Sana gets to have fun at the birthday party, and brings home a big green lollipop for Rubina.
Check out these Big Red Lollipop teaching resources and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging read aloud lessons!
3. When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree by Jamie L. B. Deenihan
The narrator of this book is a young girl whose birthday is coming up. She has a list of things she hopes to receive for her birthday: a robot dog, drone, computer, phone, remote control car, headphones. However, when she gets a gift from her grandmother, it is not what she expected. Instead, her grandma gifts her a lemon tree.
The girl is polite and makes sure to act excited, smile and say thank you. She starts taking care of the lemon tree by making sure it is in a sunny spot and doesn’t overwater it. When winter comes, she takes the lemon tree inside to keep it warm. Finally, in the spring it is time to pick the lemons.
She brings the lemons inside, slices and squeezes them. She has lemon juice! Then she uses the lemon juice to make lemonade and sets up a lemonade stand. Once she has sold the lemonade, she takes her money to the store. The girl says it is time to buy what she really wants. Readers are surprised to learn the girl buys gardening supplies! She plans a garden full of plants and flowers!
This book is a sweet story about making the best out of an unexpected situation and working hard to earn the things you enjoy. Check out these When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree teaching resources and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging read aloud lessons!
4. The Perfect Birthday Recipe by Katy Hudson
Beaver is quite the perfectionist. He likes things to be just so- planned thoughtfully and done carefully. As his birthday is coming up, he plans the most perfect birthday cake for himself, topped with his family’s special ingredient. His friends are quick to help, as his plan will take lots of time. But, Tortoise works too slow, Bird adds odd ingredients, and Rabbit adds too many carrots. Beaver has had enough and tells everyone to go.
After he finishes his cake making, he sits to celebrate and realizes how lonely it is without his friends. Did his nitpicky ways ruin his birthday, and his friendships? He begins to cry, when his friends come to comfort him. They will celebrate the next day, in the wonkiest ways! Having his friends around is what makes Beaver’s birthday the best ever.
Check out these The Perfect Birthday Recipe teaching resources and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging read aloud lessons!
Or Get All of the Activity Packets for 600+ Picture Books!
Starts with a Story is a collection of hundreds of book companions based on high quality children’s literature that support you in delivering highly-engaging interactive read alouds with follow up activities. Each book companion includes:
- reading comprehension questions with sample student responses
- 30 writing prompts targeting 10 different types of writing
- SEL lesson ideas based on character and events from each story
- printable student activities
- editable teaching slides with book-based clipart
- and more.
Learn how to get unlimited access to all 600+ book companion packets below!
Related Birthday Teaching Resources
Check out all of the birthday resources for elementary teachers below!
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One Last Thing Before You Go… Grab this Free Reading Resource!
If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It includes:
- seasonal read aloud books lists for teachers
- printable reading logs to track students’ reading
- monthly reading challenges to motivate students to read more
It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!
In closing, we hope you found this list of birthday children’s books helpful! If you are a member of Starts With a Story, you have access to all of these book companion activities. Do you want more book recommendations? Check out this massive list of mentor texts for elementary teachers!
