Once I Was a Cardboard Box... But Now I'm a Book About Polar Bears!

Looking for an interesting informational text in a picture book about polar bears? How about one about recycling? If you're looking for both in one book, you might want to take a peek at Once I Was a Cardboard Box... But Now I'm a Book About Polar Bears! (2009) by Anton Poitier and illustrated by Melvyn Evans.

While it may sound ridiculous, Once I Was a Cardboard Box... is a fun read that is loaded with a lot of information. While the book is mainly about polar bears, the right side of each right page has a vertical story that reads from the top to the bottom. The story is about the book. It tells us about how it used to be a cardboard box and how it became the book that now sits in your hands.

This would definitely be a multiple read book with my kindergartners. The first read through would be to learn about the polar bears. The second would be for the story of the box that became a book. I think the first read through could be coupled with a sticky note activity where we put notes on pages that we either don't understand, or want to learn more about. The cardboard box story lends itself well towards a timeline activity, where the kids will determine what will happen next to the box before it becomes a book.

Whether you're working with kindergarten, first or second, there are plenty of facts and fun in this book to keep their attention and keep students engaged!