40 Picture Books that Teach Grammar to Upper Elementary

Here is a list of 40 picture books that teach grammar skills. Use these to introduce grammar lessons and engage your upper elementary students.

Introducing grammar lessons with picture books that teach grammar skills is an excellent way to engage your upper elementary students and set the stage to engage them. Fortunately, many authors have realized the importance of incorporating picture books into lessons, and they have written some fun books that explicitly explain parts of speech and grammar rules within the text.

Here are a list of picture books you can use at the start of your lessons as you teach nouns, verbs, adjectives, and other parts of speech to your 4th and 5th graders.

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Nouns

Merry-Go-Round: A Book About Nouns by Ruth Heller

A Cache of Jewels and Other Collective Nouns by Ruth Heller

A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What is a Noun? by Brian Cleary

A Lime, a Mime, a Pool of Slime: More About Nouns by Brian Cleary

If You were a Noun by Michael Dahl

Nouns (Singular and Plural)

Feet and Puppies, Thieves and Guppies: What are Irregular Plurals? by Brian Cleary

If You were a Plural Word by Michael Dahl

Plural nouns rules can be confusing, especially for non-native English speakers. Reviewing the rules explicitly after sharing one of these books can benefit your upper elementary writers.

Distinguishing when to add -er or -est to the end of the word or whether to add more or most before the word can be a tricky skill when it comes to comparative and superlative adjectives. Explicitly teaching the rules after reading one of the books can help students use them correctly when they write.

Adverbs

Up, Up, and Away: A Book About Adverbs by Ruth Heller

Dearly, Nearly, Insincerely: What is an Adverb? by Brian Cleary

Lazily, Crazily, Just a Bit Nasally: More About Adverbs by Brian Cleary

If You Were an Adverb by Michael Dahl

Prepositions

Behind the Mask: A Book About Prepositions by Ruth Heller

Under, Over, by the Clover: What is a Preposition? by Brian Cleary

If You Were a Preposition by Nancy Loewen

Prepositions by Ann Heinrichs

After reading any of these preposition books, you can enhance understanding with a variety of hands-on activities including paper airplanes and paper snowball fights that students are sure to love.

Conjunctions

But and For, Yet and Nor: What is a Conjunction? by Brian Cleary

If You Were a Conjunction by Nancy Loewen

Just Me and 6,000 Rats: A Tale of Conjunctions by Rick Walton

Interjections

Fantastic! Wow! and Unreal! A Book About Interjections and Conjunctions by Ruth Heller

If You Were an Interjection by Nancy Loewen

Contractions

I'm and Won't, They're and Don't: What is a Contraction? by Brian Cleary

If You Were a Contraction by Trisha Shaskan

Here is a list of picture books to teach homonyms and homophones. Use these to introduce commonly confused words and engage your upper elementary students.

Homophones and Homonyms (Commonly Confused Words)

How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear? What are Homonyms and Homophones by Brian Cleary

They're There on Their Vacation by Brian Cleary

If You Were a Homonym or a Homophone by Nancy Loewen

Eight Ate a Feast of Homonym Riddles by Marvin Terban

Homophones and Homonyms can also be challenging for even the most skilled upper elementary students. Providing them with opportunities to learn and master theses commonly confused words through hands-on activities can prove to be beneficial.

Hopefully you have found some inspiration within this list of picture books that teach grammar skills. Exposing students to books whenever possible not only helps to introduce skills but also helps promote a love for reading with students.