California picture books

We’re starting to learn about California, for our travel around the states as part of our geography lessons.  I’m going with the states Jeff and I grew up in first after moving out of Texas, so we did Wisconsin first where he grew up.  And now, we’re heading to California with this booklist.  Homeschool geography works great for young kids if you start with what they know, so we’re starting with this great stack of California picture books.

{All Amazon links are affiliate links, the bolded books are the books we used in the first time through our California unit study in preschool, and the others are the ones we used when redoing the study in 5th grade}

Animal California picture books

• Humphrey the Lost Whale– the link up there is to a Reading Rainbow episode about the book, because we also watched the episode.  Which I highly recommend if you can find it.  It has some great additional resources about whale watching and other things.  And, this has special meaning to me because it actually happened while I was growing up, and that’s why I got the book.  I still remember it happening cough cough years later.
• A Harbor Seal Grows Up–  This is a book about a harbor seal pup raised by scientists because his mom has disappeared.  It’s really interesting, and I had to read it several times, partially because the name of the first scientist was one of the boys’ names (and then after that, I changed the other names to match my other kids, no need to start a fight).  And as a random fact, the harbor seals are one of the main things I remember from when I was a kid going to the Santa Cruz boardwalk.
• Trapped: a whale rescue– this is a generic story of trying to rescue a whale who got lost.  I find it interesting this happens often enough there are several books on the topic.
• California sea lions– I remember seeing sea lions everywhere growing up in California when we visited the beach and the harbor, they always fascinated me
• Calico Dorsey: mail dog of the mining camps— My daughter loved this story of a dog trained to pick up and deliver the mail every day (I’ll confess I did too)

Historical California picture books

• The Elephant Quilt– It’s about a family’s journey from Missouri to California.  Honestly I think it’s a little over my kids heads.  I’d put it more at a 2nd/3rd grade level.  But, I found it really interesting to read.  Especially the actual quilt blocks they threw in there.  But, my kids weren’t super interested.
• The Camping Trip that Changed America– Teddy Roosevelt goes camping with a famous naturalist, and on that trip learns something that changes how he governs.
• Smoky Night– This covers the LA riots in the 90s, and is a great discussion point for older kids.
• Levi Strauss gets a bright idea– a hilarious retelling of the invention of blue jeans.
• Nine for California– my kids loved this hilarious take on how a family took a stagecoach to California.
• First Day in Grapes– a great look at migrant workers form a kid’s perspective.
• Picture book of Cesar Chavez OR Picture book of Cesar Chavez– These are both great books about Cesar Chavez, and I have a Picture book of Cesar Chavez written to go with them.
• Rough Tough Charlie– I loved this book, about Charlie the stage coach driver and how he grew up, and the big shock at the end of who Charlie really was.
• Tree Lady: the true story of how one tree-loving woman changed a city forever– I never knew it was one lady who imported all of those trees to make Southern California the icon we think it is today.
• Fish for Jimmy: inspired by one family’s experience in a Japanese American internment camp– I loved how this story gently and respectfully shared a dark time of our past in World War 2

Working Cotton– another migrant worker books

Miscellaneous California picture books

• The Dog who Walked with God– a native California A Kato creation story, which my daughter found fascinating
• Two Bear Cubs: a Miwok legend from California’s Yosemite Valley– if you have kids who like mischievous animals, than you’ll love this book
• Our California– This does a really good job of highlighting a lot of different areas of California that are famous.  It doesn’t quite cover everything I remember, but it hit most of the things I was going to cover with the kids.  They liked it somewhat, but unlike most of the others we read this week they didn’t request it over and over and over.