Seven WW1 picture books that will get your students engaged and excited about Social Studies! This post contains affiliate links.
1. The Story of World War One by Richard Brassey
This is my choice of WW1 picture books to use at the beginning of the Social Studies unit. It gives a great overview of the war in an easy-to-understand story, and weaves in a TON of great vocabulary. It is perfect for building some background information before getting into heavy content.
2. War Game by Michael Foreman
This WW1 picture book is adorable, and based on a true story! It tells the story of four men who dream of playing soccer, but join the war efforts instead. They finally get to play during the ceasefire on Christmas Day.
3. Rags: Hero Dog of WWI by Margot Theis Raven
This is an adorable story about a dog helping out in the battlefields of World War One. The pictures are beautiful, and kids always love Rags! It’s packed full of great WW1 vocabulary and teaching points. I have an entire cross-curricular unit that I use to teach this WW1 picture book, click here to check it out!
4. A Brave Soldier by Nicolas Debon
This is one of the more serious WW1 picture books. It tells the story of a Canadian man fighting in World War One. It gives great insight into the mind of a WW1 soldier, and gives students lots to think about and ponder.
5. Archie’s War by Marcia Williams
This one is not so much a read-aloud as it is an AWESOME book for students to flip through and explore on their own. It’s written as a scrapbook from the point of view of Archie, a ten-year-old boy living through World War One. It has tons of primary source photos and eary-to-understand details. There’s so much packed into this one – it will engage students throughout the entire unit!
6. Truce by Jim Murphy
This is a favorite of my WW1 picture books collection. My kids are always shocked when I tell them this story, and this book tells it beautifully. It shares the story of the Christmas Truce, with lots of details and vocabulary about the war that makes it perfect for a class discussion afterward.
7. The Tortoise and the Soldier by Michael Foreman
Another animal World War One story because they’re so cute and students love them! This one shares the story of a WW1 soldier that sees a tortoise while fighting in the trenches. The illustrations are great, and it is an adorable story that brings in lots of discussion on trench warefare!