Do you use picture books when teaching about Colonial America? Picture books are a wonderful way to engage students. Reading can really bring history to life! However, with so many books available, it can be difficult to find the best ones. To help teachers save time, I’ve compiled a list of 5 excellent picture books about Colonial America.
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Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall
Book Description:
This book tells the story of a New Englander and his family. In October, he packs his ox cart with goods to sell at Portsmouth Market in New Hampshire. Some of the items he packs include a bag of wool he sheared from a sheep, a shawl his wife wove on a loom, mittens his daughter knit, and birch brooms his son carved. He sells all of his items at the market and uses the money to buy items his family needs for the winter. This simple book gives a view of life during Colonial times.
This book includes beautiful illustrations that won the Caldecott Medal and is appropriate for ages 6 and up.
Ideas for Using this Book:
After reading this book, students can discuss what types of things the family made and what chores they were responsible for. This would also be a great time to talk about how colonists traded goods.
Questions to ask your students: Which items did the family trade? Which did they buy? Which of the items do we still use today? Where do we get them from?
Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving by Joseph Bruchac
Book Description:
This book tells the story of Squanto, a member of the Patuxet tribe who encountered the Mayflower passengers. Squanto taught the newcomers how to survive and coexist with the Pokanoket people.
This story is told from Squanto’s point of view. Throughout the book, he experiences great tragedies, like being taken captive to England and losing his family to “The Great Sickness.” He also tells about his success facilitating temporary peace between the English settlers and the Indigenous groups.
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. This book is appropriate for ages 8 and up.
Ideas for Using this Book:
This book is a great way to discuss the perspective of Indigenous people during Colonial times. Students can also discuss what happened during the first Thanksgiving. After reading, ask students follow-up questions: Did the peace between Mayflower settlers and Indigenous groups last? What happened next?
Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives, and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan
Book Description:
Slavery was central to the development and growth of the colonial economies and existed in all 13 colonies. Slavery is an important, heartbreaking, and confusing subject for children to study. I love this book because it tells the personal stories of 11 enslaved individuals. It focuses on each person, sharing their hopes, dreams, and sorrows.
The author Ashley Bryan was inspired by reading the will of an enslaver which listed the “worth” in dollars of each enslaved person. Bryan uses poetry and illustrations to imagine each enslaved person’s life.
This book is appropriate for ages 8 and up.
Ideas for Using this Book:
Bryan’s book teaches many important truths about slavery. For example, it shows how the experience of slavery varied for each person. The 11 enslaved people worked in a variety of trades (cook, carpenter, seamstress, and more). The skills of the enslaved people added to the wealth of the enslavers.
Each enslaved person has different memories, life experiences, and dreams. They all want freedom.
Classroom activity idea: Analyze each character in the story. What do they hope for? What do they do on the estate? If applicable, what was their life like before slavery?
The last page shows the appraisement where the dollar “value” of each enslaved person is listed. Also listed are the values of animals and crops. Ask students what this says about how enslaved people were viewed by their enslavers.
You Wouldn’t Want to be an American Colonist by Jaqueline Morely
Book Description:
This fun and interesting book is a great resource to help students learn about what life was like for the colonists at Jamestown. The book covers daily life for colonists, interactions with Native Americans, drought, famine, and much more.
Morely’s book is chock-full of information with interesting cartoon illustrations.
This book is appropriate for ages 8 and up
Ideas for Using this Book:
This book could be covered in sections during your unit, or be used to introduce the settlement at Jamestown.
It’s important to note that this story is told from the point of view of Jamestown colonists. I recommend asking students to also look at events from the point of view of the Algonquian people. This could lead to a great discussion about how Indigenous people have been represented in history.
Hornbooks and Inkwells by Verla Kay
Book Description:
This well-illustrated book is a great resource that will help your students understand what life was like for children during Colonial times. It focuses on children’s school experience, including details about materials they used, what they learned, and how they were expected to behave.
Ideas for Using this Book:
After reading this book, ask students to compare their school experience with the school experiences in the book.
Kay’s book is told in rhymes. As a result, students are invited to make inferences about what is going on. For example, one page shows the students entering the school house and reads:
“Sternly standing, master greets. Pairs of children, taking seats.”
Students can use the words and illustrations to infer that the page is saying something like, “The teacher sternly greets the students as they take their seats in the schoolhouse.”
Discussion questions:
- How was school in Colonial times different from school now? How was it similar?
- What types of chores did Colonial children do?
- What did Colonial children do for fun?
More Resources for Teaching about Colonial America
I hope that these picture books about Colonial America will save you time and engage your students!
If you enjoyed this post, you may be interested in my 3-week unit about the 13 Colonies. It is one of my bestselling units and has been used by thousands of teachers. Your students will love the Jamestown simulation where they make decisions that determine their survival.
