“I’m the Best” is a wonderful story for music time or any time – young children LOVE it!
No one can be the best at everything! Not even Dog. His confidence is great, but it goes a little too far. Because he can swim better than Donkey, dig better than Goose, run faster than Mole, and is much bigger than Ladybug, Dog’s boasting gets out of hand and he tells his friends that he is, indeed, the best at everything!
But… guess what? Mole can dig better than Dog. And Goose can swim faster, and so on. Uh oh! Dog is sad, but just for a moment – his friends reassure him that he’s the best at being their best friend, and having beautiful fluffy ears! (On the last page, Dog reasons that beautiful fluffy ears are the most important thing anyway.)
Even better than the sweet, relatable plot are Lucy Cousins’ exuberantly colorful and childlike illustrations – big and bright and fun.
To “music it up,” I have the children do the motions indicated in the text (swimming, digging, etc. while I sing “swim, swim, swim” or whatever to a made-up tune. The singing and the active movement involve the children in the action of the story, keeping them focused and also helping them remember the story later.
If you haven’t discovered the amazing Lucy Cousins yet, “I’m the Best!” is a perfect introduction – for you and your students!
Music (and Science) For Young Children 