10 Picture Books Using Alliteration
One of the best ways to develop an ear for alliteration is through stories read aloud. While reading, notice and talk about repetition of sounds. Example: Brown bear, brown bear... "What sound do these words start with?"
Check out these books and grab a free printable of the list, down below!
Busy Builders, Busy Week!
The Bear Went Over the Mountain
A to Z
Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type
Sheep Out to Eat
Hey, Diddle, Diddle and Other Favorite Nursery Rhymes
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Author: Deborah Diesen Illustrator: Dan Hanna
Mr. Fish is afraid of the dark--yet, he made a promise to Ms. Clam that he intends to keep! This causes him to swim deeper and deeper down towards the ocean floor, to locate Ms. Clam's lost pearl. Kids will love how Mr. Fish overcomes his fears with the help of his friend Miss Shimmer. Deborah Diesen makes this an engaging read-aloud through her playful similes and rhymes. There are many examples of alliteration in this text, "mucky marble" and "whirl of wriggly worms."
Busy Builders, Busy Week!
Author: Jean Reidy Illustrator: Leo Timmers
Each day of the week offers a new set of tasks for the 'busy builders,' who are a fun mix of animals. As the week progresses, the construction plan unfolds to show different phases of their project. At the end, the construction crew unveils a new community playground. Jean Reidy incorporates many elements of craft in this delightful, short text, including alliteration. You can find many examples, such as "Doze it day! Dig it, dump, dispose it day."
Author: Iza Trapani
This story is based on the popular children's song with fun added activities of a young, inquisitive bear. As you read along, children will love hearing about all the things the bear can see, hear, smell, touch,and taste until he goes back home to his den. Iza Trapani uses rhyme, repetition and wonderful, woodland adjectives. Alliteration examples can be found throughout the text such as, "sip and slurp" and "The burst of birdies cheeping."
A to Z
Author: Sandra Boynton
Geared towards a younger audience, each page pairs an animal with an alliterative adjective or verb. Boynton uses humor and playful illustrations to draw her young readers in. This could be a great text to use as a class mentor text for writing alphabet books.
Author: Doreen Cronin Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Farmer Brown has some special farm animals, who insist on leaving him detailed letters about their wants and needs. Kids will love the unexpected and hilarious events as the cows go on strike, when Farmer Brown refuses their request for electric blankets. Doreen Cronin uses repetition, onomatopoeia, and point of view. There are obvious alliteration examples in the repeated refrains. You can also see more spread out examples through the letters and narrative. For example, the first letter reads, "Dear Farmer Brown, The barn is very cold at night. We'd like some electric blankets. Sincerely, The Cows." This text may be more accessible for children ages 4+.
Author: Jane Cabrera
This is a fun twist on a classic! You won't find any "sir" in this story; it's based on a little "miss" loves wool and knitting. Throughout the story, the little girl continues to ask "Baa, baa, black sheep. Have you any wool?" and the black sheep replies that he does for characters such as Little Bo Peep and Little Boy Blue. Eventually the sheep runs out of wool and the little girl supplies him with the wool clothing she has knitted. Jane Cabrera uses humor, rhyme, and repetition. Examples of alliteration include, "Baa, baa, black sheep" and "one for mittens and one for a messy muddle..."
Author: Nancy E. Shaw Illustrator: Margot Apple
From the Sheep in a Jeep series, these books are silly and full of action! In this story the sheep are hungry, in search of food. During their adventure, Nancy E. Shaw uses repetition, rhyme, and onomatopoeia. Alliteration begins in the first two lines, "Five sheep stop at a small teashop. They ask for a seat and a bite to eat."
Author: Don and Audrey Wood Illustrator: Don Wood
An oldie-but-goodie, this is a story of a little mouse who finds the most delicious strawberry but fears the big hungry bear will find it. Don and Audrey Wood use humor, rhythm, point of view, onomatopoeia and repetition. While it is not littered with alliteration, the title is a strong example and there are other places in the text where it can be found, such as, "haven't you heard about the big hungry bear?"
Author: Giles Andreae Illustrator: Guy Parker-Rees
This short, playful counting books has a lot to offer! The zany jungle animals all showcase their different dancing styles, while their group numbers increase. Giles Andreae uses rhyme and fun action words. If you are looking for alliteration, you can find it on every page. Some examples are: "zippy zebras" and "cheerful chimps."
Illustrator: Hannah Wood
There are 19 classic nursery rhymes in this text, of varying lengths. The visual structure of these poems allows the reader to see examples of alliteration, as they are repeated through a poem. For example, in "Hey Diddle, Diddle" the "d" sound is repeated throughout. The pictures are geared towards a younger audience (ages 2-4.)
Thank you for checking out these 10 Book Examples for Young Children, Using Alliteration!
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💟Anchor Chart Tip:
A simple definition for students:
"When two or more nearby words begin with the same sounds."
