Beloved picture book author and illustrator Jan Brett celebrates her birthday on December 1. Start your author study by reading a short biography of Jan Brett, a transcript of her author interview, and her books. Then use the activities and lessons below to introduce students to Brett's timeless tales and stunning illustrations.
For more lesson ideas, see Teaching with Favorite Jan Brett Books from Scholastic Professional Books.
Continue the fun by visiting Jan Brett's Website which has a wealth of teaching resources and free activities including video, coloring sheets, and projects.
Lesson Plans
Armadillo Rodeo Lesson Plan
I use Armadillo Rodeo as part of an author study. Students love Jan Brett and enjoy moving to the music. In this lesson, students will "demonstrate partner skills of copying, leading, following, and mirror imaging." --Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework
Christmas Trolls Lesson Plan
I use Christmas Trolls for a Jan Brett author study. I also use it when we study about Norway. My students love the illustrations in Jan Brett books. They also like the story in the border of each page.
Comet's Nine Lives Lesson Plan
I include Comet's Nine Lives in a Jan Brett author study. Students enjoy searching through the small shells and picking out the ones that they deem special.
Gingerbread Baby Lesson Plan
Students love Gingerbread Baby , and have even more fun baking and eating him. Students love the fact that the Gingerbread Man does not get eaten in the story. Ironic since they love eating the cookies!
Honey... Honey... Lion! Lesson Plan
Students love Jan Brett's timeless tales, and Honey...Honey...Lion! is no exception. I include it when my class does a Jan Brett author study. Students love chasing one another around the circle.
Hat Lesson Plan
Jan Brett is a favorite author in my classroom, so we read The Hat for our author study. The students like the funny ending to the story. They also love the illustrations and being able to predict what will happen next.
The Mitten Lesson Plan
Jan Brett's The Mitten can be used to teach sequencing, predicting, and how to retell a story.
Umbrella Lesson Plan
I use The Umbrella to teach sequencing and predicting. I also use it to compare to The Mitten and The Hat. My students like retelling the story with different voices. They also love looking at the details of the illustrations.
Wild Christmas Reindeer Lesson Plan
I use The Wild Christmas Reindeer as part of a Jan Brett author study. I also use it to remind students how to treat others. My students enjoy the story and the illustrations.
Trouble with Trolls Lesson Plan
I use Trouble with Trolls for a Jan Brett author study. I also use it when we study about Norway. My students love the way Treva tricks the trolls at the end of the story. They also enjoy talking about the story that is happening at the bottom of each page.
Hedgie's Surprise Lesson Plan
In this lesson plan for Hedgie's Surprise, children will discuss the importance of friendship while focusing on literacy concepts such as main characters, setting, story sequence, and main idea.
- Subjects:Independent Reading, Literature
