Printables for Teaching Personification with Picture Books

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Are you teaching personification? It’s so much fun to do with this list of picture books and set of printables. Perfect for early elementary students.

You know what? I really don’t remember learning about figures of speech other than metaphors and similes when I was in school. Alliteration, hyperboles, and personification? I don’t remember learning about them until I started my homeschool journey eighteen years ago.

The first time I remember learning about personification was when my daughter and I used Five in a Row, a wonderful literature based curriculum, many years ago.

The Little House was a book I had never read until then, as well. However, this sweet picture book is perfect for teaching personification.

Teaching Personification

Personification is when an object or idea is given human qualities and characteristics. Virginia Lee Burton’s The Little House is a book that shares the story of a Little House. As we move through the story, the countryside around Little House changes, and so does Little House. I love the way Burton drew the windows, front door, and front steps to represent Little House’s face.

Have your kids notice the way her “face” changes as she ages throughout the book. Through the illustrations and the mood of the story, readers forget that Little House isn’t a person.

Once you’ve read The Little House, discuss the definition of personification. Have your kids give you examples from the story. Then, see if they can create examples of their own to share orally.

Once you feel like they’ve got the hang of it, let them use the worksheets in my Personification Mini-Pack below to create and illustrate more examples.

More Books with Personification

Below, I’ve featured just a handful of personification books that will help your students grasp the concept of personification.

You should be able to find them at your local library or bookstore. If you can’t find them locally, you can click each image cover to purchase them on Amazon.

The Day the Crayons Quit – Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit!

The Little Engine That Could – The story of a train filled with toys and gifts for little boys and girls that breaks down before reaching the children. After asking several passing trains for help over the hill, a little blue train agrees to help the stranded toys. Even though she is small, the blue train tries her best to bring the toys to the children on the other side of the hill.

Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type – Come join the fun as a bunch of literate cows turn Farmer Brown’s farm upside down.

Personification Mini-Pack

Once you’ve read one or more books that demonstrate personification, teach your students the definition. Use the anchor chart in today’s free printable.

Then, read another story (or reread their favorite), and see if they can identify the instances of personification in the story you’re reading.

After that, choose an activity page that works best for your age group. Students can personify the pictures on one page. Or, they can read sentences to pick out the personification on the other.