17 Picture Books for February: Inspiring Reads for the Elementary Classroom

February is rich with opportunities for meaningful reading and cross-curricular learning. As a teacher, you can use this month to celebrate Black History Month, explore friendship and kindness, enjoy seasonal themes like winter and Groundhog Day, and highlight Presidents’ Day and leadership. Picture books are powerful tools to spark curiosity, empathy, and classroom conversations.

Below is a list of engaging picture books perfect for February, paired with teaching ideas, discussion questions, and activity suggestions that support literacy, social–emotional learning, and content knowledge.

🌟 Celebrating Black History Month

Black History Month provides an opportunity to highlight stories of resilience, joy, courage, and contributions from Black authors, illustrators, and historical figures.

1. Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed (illus. Stasia Burrington)

Why it’s great: A lyrical, inspiring story based on Mae Jemison’s childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut.

Teaching ideas:

• Before reading: Ask students, “What is your biggest dream? What might help you reach it?”
  
  

• Discussion: Talk about how Mae’s family supported her. What role can encouragement play in reaching goals?
  
  

Activity:

• Have students write a “dream statement” and illustrate themselves in that future role.
  
  

2. The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard

Why it’s great: This true story celebrates determination; Mary Walker learned to read at age 116.

Teaching ideas:

• Discussion: What does this book teach about lifelong learning?
  
  

• Writing: Students write about something new they want to learn and the steps they’ll take.
  
  

3. I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes (illus. Gordon C. James)

Why it’s great: A powerful affirmation of self-worth for all students.

Teaching ideas:

• Close reading: Identify descriptive words used to describe the main character. What do they tell us about him?
  
  

• Group work: Create a class chart of positive traits from the book.
  
  

Activity:

• Students write five “I am…” statements about themselves and share with a partner.
  
  

4. Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race (Young Readers’ Edition) by Margot Lee Shetterly

Why it’s great: Share history with compelling narrative and accessible text.

Teaching ideas:

• Connect to science: What did these women help NASA do?
  
  

• Discussion: Why were these women’s contributions overlooked for so long?

🌤️ Groundhog Day Picture Books 

Groundhog Day on February 2nd is a favorite for elementary students — not just because of the groundhog, but because it blends tradition, prediction, science, and humor. Picture books provide a perfect entry point for inquiry-based learning.

5. Substitute Groundhog by Pat Miller

Why it works:
A creative story about problem-solving and responsibility when Groundhog goes missing.

Teaching ideas:

• Talk about what makes someone a good substitute.
  
  

• Discuss problem-solving strategies used in the story.
  
  

6. Groundhog Weather School by Joan Holub

Why it works:
This nonfiction-style picture book explains weather concepts in kid-friendly language.

Cross-curricular connections:

• Vocabulary: forecast, meteorologist, prediction
  
  

• Compare Groundhog’s method to modern weather tools
  
  

7. Go to Sleep, Groundhog! by Judy Cox

Why it works:
A playful story introducing hibernation and animal behavior.

Science extension:

• Compare animals that hibernate with those that migrate.
  
  

• Create a class hibernation chart.
  
  

❤️ Books About Kindness, Friendship & Love

February is also about relationships — building kindness, empathy, and appreciation for others.

8. The Invisible String by Patrice Karst

Why it’s great: A comforting story about connection — perfect for developing emotional understanding.

Discussion questions:

• What is the “invisible string”? How can it help us feel connected?
  
  

• How can we show someone they matter?
  
  

Activity:

• Students write letters to someone they love, describing their own “invisible string” connection.
  
  

9. Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson (illus. E. B. Lewis)

Why it’s great: A reflective book about the impact of kindness — and the regret of missed opportunities.

Teaching ideas:

• Role play: Scenarios that show kind and unkind actions.
  
  

• Journal: What is one kind thing you wish you did? What’s one you will do tomorrow?
  
  

10. The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

Why it’s great: A gentle book about empathy and listening when a friend is upset.

Teaching ideas:

• Think–pair–share: “When someone is sad, what can you do?”
  
  

• Create a “kindness wall” with student ideas for supporting peers.
  
  

11. A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead (illus. Erin E. Stead)

Why it’s great: A cozy tale about friendship and caring for others.

Activity:

• Students make “kindness coupons” for acts of help or friendship.
  
  
  

❄️ Seasonal Winter Books

Winter in February can still be chilly — and a chance for science, weather, and fun stories.

12. Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner (illus. Mark Buehner)

Why it’s great: Imaginative and playful — students love the nocturnal world of snowmen.

Activity:

• Creative writing: What do you think your snowman does at night?
  
  

• Art: Draw your own snowmen scenes.
  
  

13. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Why it’s great: A classic celebration of winter wonder.

Teaching ideas:

• Sensory writing: What do you hear, feel, and see in snow?
  
  

• Comparison: What would winter be like in a place without snow?
  
  

14. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (illus. John Schoenherr)

Why it’s great: A quiet, beautiful story about a child and parent walking in the snow at night.

Teaching ideas:

• Setting focus: How does the author make you feel the cold?
  
  

• Create a “winter senses” anchor chart.
  
  

🇺🇸 Books for Presidents’ Day and Leadership

Presidents’ Day offers a chance to explore history and leadership — even with picture books.

15. Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio (illus. LeUyen Pham)

Why it’s great: An election story that teaches how government works and kids can lead.

Teaching ideas:

• Mock election: Students vote on classroom issues.
  
  

• Civics writing: What qualities make a good leader?
  
  

16. If I Ran for President by Catherine Stier (illus. David Walker)

Why it’s great: Encourages students to think about the change they want to see.

Activity:

• Campaign posters: Students create posters about something they’d improve at school.
  
  

17. Who Was Abraham Lincoln? (Picture book adaptation)

Why it’s great: A child-friendly biography for Presidents’ Day.

Teaching ideas:

• Compare leadership traits: Lincoln vs. other presidents students know.
  
  

• Timeline: Create a classroom Lincoln timeline.
  
  

February is a month full of learning opportunities that extend beyond the calendar. The books above celebrate diversity, kindness, leadership, and the joy of reading itself. Choosing culturally responsive and emotionally intelligent books helps build a classroom where all students feel seen, valued, and inspired.

Picture books aren’t just for read-aloud time — they are springboards for deep thinking, creative expression, and building a warm and connected classroom community.

Happy reading! 📚❤️

Starts & Big Dreams: How to Teach Goal Setting in January for Elementary Students

There’s something special about teaching in January. The glitter from winter crafts may still be wedged into your carpet, but the classroom energy shifts. Routines are settled, confidence has grown, and students are ready for something new. It’s the perfect moment to harness New Year energy and guide students through one of the most meaningful life skills they can learn — goal setting.

While adults often scribble down resolutions like “drink more water” or “finally use that gym membership,” children don’t naturally know how to set realistic or purposeful goals. They may say “get better at reading” or “be nicer,” but without guidance, those ideas stay floating in space rather than turning into something actionable.

That’s where you come in.

Teaching goal setting doesn’t need to be a one-day writing prompt. When done intentionally, it becomes a mindset that shapes student behavior, academic ownership, and self-belief for the rest of the year.

Here are teacher-tested, student-approved strategies to introduce meaningful goal setting for the New Year — even with your youngest learners.

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Start With Reflection Before Action

Before students can choose where they’re going, they need to recognize where they are.

Spend your first lesson not talking about “goals,” but about growth.

Reflection Prompts for Primary Grades:

• Something I’m proud of from last year is…
  
  

• Something that used to be hard but is now easier for me is…
  
  

• One thing I learned how to do this year is…
  
  

• A time I helped someone was when…
  
  

Reflection Prompts for Upper Elementary:

• What is something you did recently that your past self would be proud of?
  
  

• What is one challenge you faced this year? How did you handle it?
  
  

• What is a habit that helps you succeed at school?
  
  

• What is an area you avoided or struggled with? Why?
  
  

You can turn this into a writing journal, a partner chat, or even a gallery walk where students write sticky notes onto posters labeled Proud Moments, Challenges, Things I’ve Learned, etc.

Purpose: Kids don’t benefit from goal setting unless it’s grounded in personal awareness. Reflection builds confidence and sets a positive tone — "Look how far I’ve come. I can grow again."

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Introduce SMART Goals — But In Kid Language

The classic SMART acronym (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) is still the gold standard — but only if students actually understand it.

Try simplifying it for elementary students:

SMART Letter	Kid-Friendly Language	Example
S — Specific	Be clear about what you want	"I want to write more neatly" instead of "be better"
M — Measurable	Choose a goal you can see or count	"I will read 10 books"
A — Achievable	Pick something you can actually do with effort	Not “become a YouTuber tomorrow”
R — Relevant	Make it matter to you	A math goal if you struggle with math
T — Time-bound	Decide when you’ll finish	"By Spring Break"

Then model “weak” vs. “strong” goals aloud:

❌ “I want to be smarter.”
✅ “I will memorize all my math facts up to 12 × 12 by March so I can do harder problems faster.”

Let students help fix the vague ones. They'll giggle—“That’s not a real goal!” which means they’re getting it.

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Offer Goal Categories So They Don’t All Write “Be Better at Reading”

When kids only think of school goals, they miss how rich and inspiring goal setting can be.

Provide a menu and let them choose from one or more categories. You might even color-code or put each type on different brainstorming posters around the room.

Goal Categories for Elementary Students:

• 🧠 Academic Goals — reading level, math fluency, handwriting, writing stamina
  
  

• 🎒 Organization & Responsibility Goals — remembering folders, turning in homework, packing up quietly
  
  

• 🤝 Social Goals — being a better partner, including others, using kind words
  
  

• 🏃 Personal Growth Goals — learning to tie shoes, waking up without reminders, practicing patience
  
  

• 🎨 Creative or Hobby Goals — learn a new skill like drawing, piano, coding, or baking
  
  

• 💪 Health & Movement Goals — doing five push-ups every day, learning a cartwheel
  
  

Suddenly goal writing becomes personal, not just “because my teacher told me to.”

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Teach “Action Steps” With LEGO or Recipe Analogies

Kids often write big goals — “I want to read 100 books!” — but don’t know how to reach them.

Teach that goals are like LEGO sets or recipes:

You can’t build the castle by skipping steps. You need many small pieces to make one big thing.

Have students break their goal into 3–5 action steps using sentence frames:

• To reach my goal, I will…
  
  

• I will practice…
  
  

• I will ask ______ to help me…
  
  

• I will do this ____ times per week…
  
  

Example:

Goal: “I want to be better at multiplication.”
Steps:

1. I will practice flashcards 10 minutes three times a week.
   
   

2. I will play multiplication games on my tablet instead of random games.
   
   

3. I will ask my teacher to quiz me on Fridays.
   
   

Now the goal feels possible, not overwhelming.

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Build in Accountability — Without Making It Scary

Once goals are set, don’t hide them in a folder.

Kids thrive when goals become part of daily or weekly routines.

Try one or more of these accountability formats:

✅ Personal Goal Check-In Cards

Give each student a small half-sheet tracker where they mark ✅ or ❌ beside each action step at the end of the day or week.

🤝 Accountability Buddies

Pair students (or let them choose!). They check in on each other once a week to ask, “How’s your goal going? Need help?”

This builds peer encouragement rather than feeling like teacher surveillance.

🎙 Friday Celebration Circle

Every Friday, ask a few volunteers to share one progress win — even tiny ones.

“I remembered my homework four days in a row!”
“I didn’t cry when I was frustrated in math this week!”

Normalize progress, not just final results.

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Model Goal Setting Yourself

Want students to believe in the power of goal setting? Show them you do it too.

At the very beginning, write your own January goal on an anchor chart and share your progress weekly.

Keep it school-related so they see adults still grow too:

• “My goal is to stay patient during transitions”
  
  

• “My goal is to learn 5 new art techniques to teach you”
  
  

• “My goal is to drink water instead of cold coffee all morning”
  
  

Students will love keeping you accountable.

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Celebrate Progress in Meaningful Ways (Without Pizza Parties Every Time)

Kids don’t need giant rewards to stay motivated — they need recognition.

Here are simple classroom-friendly ways to celebrate:

• “Goal Getter” Wall: A bulletin board where small sticky notes are added every time a student meets a mini milestone.
  
  

• Class Shout-Out Ritual: At morning meeting, let students clap or cheer for someone who made visible effort.
  
  

• Progress Beads or Chains: Each time a student moves a step forward, they add a bead or paper chain link.
  
  

Important: Reward effort and persistence, not just success. If a student sticks with a goal for two weeks straight but hasn’t “finished” yet, that’s the moment to recognize.

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When Students Fail — Teach Resetting, Not Shame

What happens when a student doesn’t meet their goal?

Spoiler: Most won’t. That’s reality.

But this is where the magic of goal setting really happens.

Use failure as a teaching moment, not a dead end.

Ask reflective reframing questions:

• Did I choose a goal that was too big?
  
  

• Did I forget to make steps?
  
  

• Did I need more help?
  
  

• Should I keep this goal or change it?
  
  

Students learn that adjusting goals is not quitting — it’s growing.

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Kids who learn to set goals early don’t just perform better academically — they become resilient thinkers.

They learn:

• I can change myself on purpose.
  
  

• I can make plans and stick to them.
  
  

• I can mess up and try again.
  
  

• I am in charge of my future, even when I’m little.
  
  

That’s not just a school skill — that’s a life skill.

So go ahead — help your students dream big, plan small, and celebrate loudly. January is more than the middle of the school year.

It’s a reset button.

And your classroom is the perfect place to press it.