Hey there, teacher friends! Welcome back to The Read Aloud Classroom, where we’re making picture books work for you even with your packed schedule. It’s so good to be with you today for our second summer bonus episode!
So here’s the deal – these bonus episodes are all about creating this reference tool that you can come back to again and again when you’re looking for books to teach specific skills. Because let’s be real – who has time to scour the internet for hours trying to find the perfect books? Not us, that’s for sure!
For each of these bonus episodes, I’m sharing 10 picture books focused on a specific teaching topic, and today we’re diving into books that help teach problem and solution in reading. I know this is a concept we all need to cover, and having the right books makes such a difference.
For each book, I’ll share the title, author, a quick overview, and then – this is the good part – specific questions and activities you can use with your students. And don’t worry about frantically scribbling notes while driving or doing dishes – everything I mention will be in the show notes on my website, including pictures of the book covers and links to find them. I always recommend checking your library first, but the purchase links are there if you need them.
Alright, let’s jump into these amazing problem and solution books that your students are going to love!
Book #1: Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
This book is one of my all-time favorites for teaching problem and solution! It follows a little boy whose perfect summer is completely ruined when Jeremy Ross moves into the neighborhood and becomes his number one enemy. His dad tells him he has a secret recipe for “Enemy Pie” that’s guaranteed to get rid of enemies. The catch? The boy has to spend an entire day with his enemy for the pie to work!
As they spend the day together, the boys actually become friends, and the protagonist realizes his perceptions of Jeremy were totally wrong. Such a sweet story with the perfect twist!
Before reading this one, I love to ask students to think about what makes someone an enemy versus a friend – trust me, their responses are always fascinating and sometimes hilarious! As you read, pause to ask: “What was the boy’s main problem? What solutions did he try? What ended up being the real solution?”
After reading, one of my favorite activities is to have students create a “Recipe for Friendship” where they list all the “ingredients” needed to solve friendship problems. The best part about this book is how it shows that sometimes the real problem isn’t what we think it is – the dad’s creative solution addressed the real problem (a misunderstanding) rather than the perceived problem (having an enemy).
Book #2: The Panda Problem by Deborah Underwood
Oh my goodness, if you haven’t read this one yet, you’re in for a treat! This is one of those meta-fictional stories where the narrator and the main character – in this case, a panda – actually disagree about the story’s problem. The narrator keeps insisting that every story needs a problem, but the panda is adamant that he doesn’t have any problems! Through their hilarious back-and-forth, the panda ends up creating the very problem the story needs.
This book is absolutely perfect for introducing the concept that identifying the problem is sometimes the trickiest part of problem-solving! I like to pause and ask questions like: “Who actually has the problem in this story? Is it the panda or the narrator? Can different characters see problems differently?”
A simple but effective activity is to create a T-chart with “Narrator’s View” and “Panda’s View” to compare their perspectives on the problem. My third graders particularly loved extending this by writing their own meta-fictional dialogues where a character argues with the narrator about their problem. The results were so creative!
Book #3: Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber
This is such a classic, and it resonates with kids of all ages because they all understand the fear of being laughed at by friends. Ira is super excited about his first sleepover at Reggie’s house, but he has a problem – he still sleeps with his teddy bear, Tah Tah, and he’s worried Reggie will laugh at him.
The story follows Ira’s internal struggle as he goes back and forth about whether to bring the bear. He keeps running home to get the bear, then changing his mind again. The beautiful resolution comes when Ira finally decides to go without his bear, only to discover that Reggie also has a teddy bear that he can’t sleep without!
When I read this book, I love asking: “What was Ira’s main problem? What different solutions did he consider? How did the problem eventually get solved?” A great visual activity is to create a flowchart of Ira’s decision-making process – you know, all those times he changes his mind!
This is also perfect for making personal connections. I always ask, “Have you ever worried about what friends would think of you? How did you solve that problem?” The conversations that follow are always so rich and meaningful.
Book #4: Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev
This gorgeous book tackles exclusion in such a powerful way. It’s about a boy and his pet elephant who are excluded from the local Pet Club because, well, the sign says “Strictly No Elephants.” As they walk home feeling sad, they encounter other children with unusual pets who have also been excluded – a girl with a skunk, a boy with a penguin, and so on.
Together, they create their own inclusive pet club where all are welcome, no matter what kind of pet you have. It’s such a beautiful message about inclusion and belonging.
This book helps students recognize that exclusion is a problem that affects many people, not just the main character. I like to ask questions like: “What was the boy’s problem? What solution did he find? Was it just a solution for him or for others too?”
A simple activity is to create a Venn diagram comparing the original Pet Club with the new inclusive club they create. This really highlights how the solution addresses the core problem. I’ve also had students design their own inclusive club rules that solve problems before they happen – they come up with the most thoughtful ideas!
Book #5: A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
This Caldecott Honor book shows students that some problems take time and determination to solve. After their apartment burns down, a young girl, her mother, and grandmother save all their spare change to buy a comfortable chair where her mother can rest after long days working as a waitress.
The family faces multiple challenges – losing their home and possessions, working hard but having little money, and having nowhere comfortable to rest. While the community helps with immediate needs (like dishes and furniture), the family’s persistent saving eventually leads to buying the beautiful chair they’ve been dreaming of.
When reading this book, I like to explore the layered problems: “What were all the different problems the family faced? How did the community help with some problems? What was the family’s own long-term solution?”
A meaningful activity is to create what I call a “problem layer cake” showing how one big problem (the fire) created many other problems that needed different solutions. If you want to add a math connection, you could set up a coin-counting activity to help students understand how small contributions add up over time – just like the family’s jar of savings!
Book #6: Ada’s Violin by Susan Hood
I absolutely love using this non-fiction picture book to show that problems can be community-wide, not just individual. It’s based on the true story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay, where Ada and her community face extreme poverty and live in a town built on a landfill.
With the help of a creative music teacher, they begin making instruments from trash – a violin from an oil can, a flute from water pipes, a drum from an x-ray film container. They form an orchestra that eventually tours the world, and their creativity turns garbage into beautiful music that brings hope to their entire community.
Great discussion questions include: “What problems did Ada’s community face? What was their creative solution? How did music solve problems beyond just not having instruments?”
If you have time (and don’t mind a bit of mess!), a fantastic extension is to have students brainstorm ways to repurpose “trash” into something useful. This could turn into a STEM challenge! And definitely check out videos of the real Recycled Orchestra online – my students were absolutely mesmerized seeing the real children playing these amazing handmade instruments.
Book #7: After the Fall by Dan Santat
This powerful book shows what happened to Humpty Dumpty after his famous fall. Though he’s physically healed, Humpty develops a fear of heights and cannot enjoy his favorite activities like bird watching from the top of the wall. Through perseverance, he overcomes his fear, climbs the wall again, and in a beautiful twist, transforms into a bird.
What makes this book special for teaching problem and solution is that it helps students understand that problems can be internal (like fear) not just external or physical. The discussion questions I like to use are: “What was Humpty’s physical problem? What was his emotional problem? How are those problems connected?”
A meaningful activity is to create a “steps to solving” staircase diagram showing Humpty’s journey to overcoming his fear. This book also connects beautifully to social-emotional learning – I often have students share fears they’ve overcome or are working to overcome.
Book #8: Chalk by Bill Thomson
This wordless picture book is so much fun! Three children find a bag of magical chalk at the playground. Whatever they draw comes to life! The problem arises when one child draws a dinosaur that comes to life and chases them. They cleverly solve the problem by using the chalk to draw rain, which washes away all their chalk drawings, including the scary dinosaur.
Wordless picture books like this are perfect for teaching problem and solution because students must infer these elements themselves – there’s no text telling them explicitly. I like to guide their thinking with prompts like: “Let’s track how the problem develops. How does the problem get worse? What makes their solution so clever?”
A great follow-up activity is having students write the narrative of the story with explicit problem and solution statements. For extension, I’ve had students create their own “magical chalk” stories with clear problems and solutions – the creativity is amazing!
Book #9: Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
Oh, this book has the BEST twist ending for teaching problem and solution! Jasper Rabbit loves eating carrots from Crackenhopper Field until he becomes convinced they’re following him. He starts seeing creepy carrots everywhere – in his bathroom, in his bedroom – though no one else can see them.
Completely freaked out, Jasper builds an elaborate fence around the carrot patch to keep the carrots in… only to discover in the final pages that’s exactly what the carrots wanted all along! They were tired of being eaten and tricked Jasper into building a fence to keep him OUT, not to keep them IN.
This book is fantastic for discussing different perspectives on problems. I love asking: “What does Jasper think is the problem? What does he do to solve it? Who REALLY had the problem in the story?”
A fun activity is creating a two-column chart showing “Jasper’s Perspective” versus “Carrots’ Perspective” on the problem. For creative writing, have students rewrite the story from the carrots’ point of view, clearly stating their problem and their clever solution.
Book #10: Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry
We’ll wrap up with this simple but powerful book about friendship, bullying, and helping each other. Stick and Stone are both alone until they meet and become friends. When Pinecone bullies Stone, Stick steps in to help. Later, when Stick gets stuck in a puddle during a storm, Stone helps rescue him.
This book is perfect for showing that problems can be solved through friendship and working together. The simplicity makes it great for younger students, but the message works for all ages. I like to ask: “What was Stone’s first problem? How did Stick help? What was Stick’s problem later? How did Stone help?”
A visual activity that works well is creating what I call a “problem-solution ping pong” chart showing how the characters help each other solve different problems. This book also makes a wonderful springboard for classroom discussions about helping friends with their problems.
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So there you have it – ten amazing picture books for teaching problem and solution! What I love about this collection is how diverse the problems are – from friendship struggles to community challenges to internal fears – and how creatively the solutions are presented.
Remember, these books can be used across grade levels with the right scaffolding. For younger students, you might focus more on identifying the main problem and solution, while older students can analyze multiple problems or compare different characters’ perspectives.
If you’re looking to implement these in your classroom, consider creating a dedicated “Problem and Solution” read-aloud basket that you can pull from throughout the year. You might also create an anchor chart with your students that you can reference whenever you’re discussing problems and solutions in other contexts.
I’d love to know which of these books you’ve used or plan to use in your classroom! Take a screenshot of this episode, share it on Instagram, and tag me @thecolorfulapple. And don’t forget to download the free companion guide from my website – the link is in the show notes.
If you’re enjoying these bonus episodes, hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss the next one! Next time, we’ll be exploring picture books that teach cause and effect – another tricky concept made easier with the right books.
Until then, remember that you know your students best. Take these ideas, make them your own, and transform your read-alouds into powerful teaching moments. I’ll see you next time in the Read Aloud Classroom!
