Name a book's covers and title page, tell whether a text is a story, a poem or a play, find the author and illustrator, and tell what the words, pictures, title and headings each give a reader

Learning goal: When a story or an information book is read aloud, the child locates the names of the author and the illustrator, describes how each one contributes to telling the story or to presenting facts and ideas, and describes the information that a title, the headings and the illustrations give. With a literary read-aloud the child also describes the information an illustration shows or helps explain, including which moment of the story it shows, and identifies the type of literary text (story, poem or play) and shows understanding of print concepts by naming the front and back covers and pointing to the title page. This lesson teaches Ohio's 2026 kindergarten standards RL.K.6, RI.K.6, RI.K.7, RL.K.5 and RL.K.7, first implemented in the 2027-28 school year.

Why this matters. A kindergartner who can only say "the author writes and the illustrator draws" has learned two job titles. The 2026 standards ask for more: find the names on the book, and then describe how each person's work helps. That means comparing what the words tell with what the pictures show, and noticing when a picture tells something the words never say.

Step 1: Name the covers, find the title page, and locate the author and the illustrator. Hold up a real picture book from your classroom or library. Name the front cover: the outside of the book that faces you when the book is ready to open, usually with the title and a picture. Turn the book over and name the back cover: the outside at the end of the book. Open the book and point to the title page: a page near the front, inside the book, that prints the title again (and usually the names). Children should name the two covers and point to the title page themselves, on more than one book, because books look different. Then go back to the front cover and read the title. Then read the small print under it, which often says "by" or "written by" and "illustrated by" or "pictures by". Turn to the title page and find the same names again. Some books name one person for both jobs; some information books use photographs, and then a photographer is credited instead of an illustrator. Always read the names that are actually printed; never make up a name for a book that does not show one. The two texts in this lesson are original drafts written for this website, so there is no real author name to find. Instead, your class will make its own title page for them, with a credit line that says the words are an original story from this website, read aloud by the adult (reading or copying out a story does not make someone its author), and the children named as the illustrators of the pictures they draw.

Step 2: Read a story and ask what the words do.

Original story — Pip Wants the Red Boots

Pip had new boots. They were red, and they were too big. "You will grow into them," said Gran.

Pip did not want to wait. On Monday it rained. Pip put on the red boots and ran to the door. Flop, flop, flop went the boots.

Outside, there was a big puddle by the gate. Pip jumped in. Splash! One red boot stayed in the puddle, and Pip's foot came out in a wet sock.

Pip stood on one foot. "Gran!" Pip called. Gran came out with an umbrella. She pulled the boot out of the puddle and poured out the water.

"Let's put a thick sock in the toe," said Gran. She rolled up a warm sock and pushed it into the boot. Pip put the boot on again. It did not flop.

Pip walked to the gate, slowly this time. Then Pip jumped in the puddle one more time. Splash! Both boots stayed on.

"They fit now," said Pip.

"For today," said Gran, and she smiled.

The author chose the words. The words tell us the boots are red and too big, that it rained on Monday, that one boot came off in the puddle, and how Gran fixed the problem with a sock. The words also give sounds, such as flop, flop, flop and splash, and they tell us what the characters say. The words do not tell us what Pip's face looked like, what color the umbrella was, or whether the gate is wooden or metal.

What kind of literary text is it? (RL.K.5a). Literary texts come in different types, and a kindergartner can name the type from features they hear and see when it is read aloud. Pip Wants the Red Boots is a story: it has characters (Pip and Gran), a place, and events that happen in order, told in sentences. A poem is set out in short lines, and many poems (not all) use rhyme or a repeated beat. A play (a drama) is written to be acted out: each character's name comes before the words that character says. The play below has no narrator telling "said Gran"; the names show who is speaking. (Some plays do give a narrator a part, so look for the names before the words.) Compare the same puddle told two more ways.

Poem: Red boots, red boots, / flop to the gate. / Splash in the puddle! / Now they fit great.

Play: PIP: Gran! My boot is in the puddle! / GRAN: Let's put a thick sock in the toe.

Short lines with a beat and rhyme (gate, great): a poem. Character names before the words they say: a play. Sentences that tell what happened, with "said Pip": a story. Some books mix types, so name the type from the features you actually find, and never decide only from how long the text is.

Step 3: Ask what the pictures could do. An illustrator reads the words and decides what to draw. An illustrator could show Pip's worried face while standing on one foot, the boot sticking up out of the brown puddle, and Gran's umbrella. A picture can show a feeling the words do not name. The words say Pip stood on one foot and called; a picture of Pip with wide eyes and a wobbly arm would show that Pip was surprised and a little upset. That is how the illustrator contributes to telling the story. Ask children to illustrate one page, then compare two children's pictures of the same sentence. Both pictures can fit the words even if they choose different umbrella colors, because the words did not say.

What an illustration shows or helps explain (RL.K.7). When a picture in a story book is on the page, ask two questions about it. First, which moment of the story does this picture show? The child finds the words that go with the picture: a drawing of Pip on one foot beside the puddle, with a wet sock, shows the moment right after the boot stayed in the puddle and before Gran came out. Second, what information does the picture give or help explain? This one shows Pip's upset face and how deep the puddle is, which the words do not say, and it helps explain why Pip called for Gran. Do the same with each child's drawing and with the pictures in a real picture book: point to the picture, name the moment, then say one thing it shows or explains. A picture that shows a moment the words never tell (Pip swimming in the puddle) does not fit this story.

Step 4: Do the same with an information text.

Original information text — Nests

What Is a Nest? Many birds build nests. A nest is a place a bird makes to hold its eggs. Many baby birds, such as baby robins, stay in the nest for a while after they hatch.

What Birds Use Birds build nests from things they find, such as twigs, grass, leaves and mud. Different kinds of birds build different kinds of nests.

A Robin's Nest An American robin builds a nest shaped like a cup. It uses grass and twigs and packs them with mud. Robin eggs are blue.

(Picture for this text: before reading, the adult draws on chart paper, or shows a photograph of, a cup-shaped nest on a branch with three blue eggs inside, and writes two labels with arrows, grass and mud. The labeled picture must be in front of the children before the questions about it are asked.)

Step 5: Describe what the title, headings and pictures give. The title, Nests, tells the whole topic before the reading starts. Each heading tells what one part is about: the first part says what a nest is, the second tells what birds use, and the third is about one bird, the robin. A child who wants to know what nests are made of can go straight to the part called What Birds Use. The picture with labels shows where the mud and grass are and what shape the nest is, which is easier to see than to hear. In an information book, the author presents the facts in words, and the illustrator (or photographer) helps readers see those facts.

A common misunderstanding. Children often say "the illustrator wrote the pictures" or think the author also drew everything. Separate the two jobs with the credits, then show that they work together: in Pip Wants the Red Boots the words give the events and talk, and the pictures can show faces and feelings; in Nests the words give the facts and the labeled drawing shows the shape and the parts.

Worked example 1: Locate and describe (story). The adult opens a real picture book and asks, "Where are the author's and illustrator's names?" A child points to the front cover under the title and finds the same names on the title page. The adult reads one page and asks, "What did the author tell us in the words? What did the illustrator show us that the words did not say?" A strong answer: "The words said the dog ran away. The picture shows the dog is holding a shoe." The child has located both names and described each person's contribution.

Worked example 2: Words versus picture in Pip's story. Sentence: "Pip stood on one foot." Question: "What do the words tell? What could a picture add?" Answer: The words tell that Pip is standing on one foot after the boot came off. A picture could show again the wet sock and the boot left in the puddle, which the words already tell, and it could add Pip's surprised face, which the words do not tell. So the author told the event, and the illustrator can show how Pip feels.

Worked example 3: Title, heading, picture (information). Question: "Where would you look to find out what a robin's nest is made of?" Answer: Under the heading A Robin's Nest, because that heading tells us the part is about a robin; the words say grass, twigs and mud, and the labeled picture shows where the mud is. The title Nests tells the topic of the whole text, so it would not answer this exact question by itself.

Worked example 4: Photographs. An information book about frogs has photographs and says "Photographs by" on the title page. Question: "Who made the pictures?" Answer: the photographer, whose name is on the title page. The photographs show what frogs really look like, while the author's words explain facts such as where frogs lay eggs.

Worked example 5: Covers, title page and type. The adult holds up a book of rhymes. The child points to the front cover ("front cover, it has the title"), turns the book over ("back cover"), opens it and points to the title page ("the title again, inside"). The adult reads one page aloud. Question: "Is this a story, a poem or a play?" Answer: "A poem, because it is in short lines and the ends rhyme." The child has named both covers, pointed to the title page and identified the type of literary text from its features.

Representation task — Words and pictures chart: Make a two-column class chart with the headings "The words tell" and "The pictures show". Read Pip Wants the Red Boots aloud twice. Children dictate at least two entries for each column. Then each child illustrates one sentence of the story. Put the drawings together and make a class title page that reads "Words: an original story from this website, read aloud by (adult's name)" and "Pictures by (children's names)" so the credits are true.

Representation task — Heading hunt: Reread Nests. Hold up three cards with the three headings. Ask a question for each ("What do birds use?") and have a child point to the heading card where the answer is found.

Independent performance (one child at a time, adult reads aloud): Give the child a real picture book or information book from the classroom. The child (1) names the front cover and the back cover and points to the title page, (2) points to where the author's name is on the front cover or title page, (3) points to the illustrator's or photographer's name, (4) tells one thing the words tell and one thing the pictures show, and for the story names which moment one picture shows, (5) tells what the title says the book is about, (6) for a literary book, says whether it is a story, a poem or a play and names one feature that shows it, and (7) in an information book with headings, tells what one heading says a part is about.

Success criteria: Seven checks, one for each step above (step 6 applies to the story and step 7 to the information book). A child meets the goal when every step that applies is shown, allowing one prompted step, on two different books, one story and one information book. Record which step needed a prompt.