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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
The Little House
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
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.
DOWNLOAD YOUR PRINTABLES
This Teaching Verbs printable pack is only available to my readers. Click the button below, enter your information, and download your printables.
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I am wondering if some of your book examples are personification? The Day the Crayons Quit- while they do come to life and provide perspective, it isn’t for literary effect. Isn’t that the purpose of personification, to provide a figurative language to paint a more meaningful picture rather simply stating what you want to say.
I don’t know if I am correct, but that was my interpretation. I am curious to hear your thoughts.
Great question! Personification gives human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, or ideas. The fact that the crayons feel emotions and write letters to express those feelings is personification.