Picture books to teach the questioning strategy are a great way to improve reading comprehension. The pictures allow the teacher or the students to form questions before they have even read the book. When teachers read aloud, it gives them an opportunity to do think-alouds to show how they can ask questions while they read. Here are 10 picture books that are great texts to teach questioning.
Wolf's Coming by Joe Kulka
The book has a fun rhyming text as it builds suspense. The wolf is walking through the woods. The other animals begin to run away and seem afraid which you would predict. However, the ending is light, fun, and unexpected. This book has great opportunities for asking questions because the author does not really tell why the wolf is coming. Grab Wolf's Coming here.
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
How can you cure a bad case of stripes and what caused it in the first place? This wonderful book is perfect to teach questioning. The students are asking questions from the time they see the cover until the problem is resolved in the end. It is a fun book that your students will love. Take a closer look at A Bad Case of Stripes here.
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
This book is a wonderful tale and it has an unexpected twist in the middle of the story. When there is a strong problem in a story and it feels like there can be no solution, it really facilitates lots of questions. Your students will also be full of predictions of how the problem can be solved. Don't worry though, there is still a happy ending. It is a great picture book to teach questioning. Take a closer look at Sylvester and the Magic Pebble here.
Zoom by Istvan Banyai
This is a wordless picture is an awesome look at the unexpected. The lens starts the book all the way zoomed in so every picture reveals new details. There are so many opportunities for questions because you never know what detail is going to be important for the next page of the story. Your students will love this book. Check out Zoom here.
The Other Side by Jacquline Woodson
One of the great picture books to teach the questioning strategy is The Other Side. A young girl's mom tells her child that it isn't safe to cross the fence that separates the African American side of town from the white side. Her friend lives on the other side and through the summer, the girls figure out a way around the rules. A beautiful story with gorgeous pictures. The best thing of all is the opportunity for lots of questions. Find out more about The Other Side here.
The Wretched Stone by Chris Van Allsburg
This mysterious story is told through the captain's log on a ship. A peculiar stone is brought aboard the ship and all the crew is mesmerized. This unusual book is full of symbolism and hints as to what the stone might be. The illustrations are eye-catching and add to the story. A great book for upper elementary students to elicit questions. Check out The Wretched Stone here.
Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco
This is a wonderful story about friends who are like family. The children want to buy a hat for Miss Eula and they want it to be a surprise. The twists and turns of this story create plenty of opportunities for questions. It is a memory from the author's childhood too. Find out more about Chicken Sunday here.
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
This book is sweet and heartbreaking, and it is a perfect picture book to teach the questioning strategy. It also shines a light on homelessness in a compassionate way that children can understand. It is about a boy and his dad who live at the airport and try not to be noticed. When the boy sees a bird that is trapped inside, he identifies with it. It is a great book for questions that will go beyond the pages of the book. Check out Fly Away Home here.
Tuesday by David Wiesner
This wordless picture book is a classic. It is full of whimsy and fun. It is a great way to teach students to read the pictures and there is plenty of opportunities for questions. The ending is surprising. Check out Tuesday here.
The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg
This book is great. A farmer hits a mysterious stranger and takes him home to recover. The book is full of clues to the stranger's identity but never truly reveals it. Because of this, it is perfect to teach questioning and inferencing. This book is a classic. Learn more about The Stranger here!
Also, please download this FREE Questioning Lesson Plan. It is designed to go with any of these 10 books and will help the students practice the strategy.
These are my ten favorite books to teach questioning. If you have a favorite book to teach this strategy, please leave it in the comments.
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