“Stop That Pickle” by Peter Armour Looking for something a little different to read to your threes, fours, and fives? Something a little wild and crazy and totally hilarious? “Stop That Pickle” by Peter Armour is for you. A variation of the well-worn “Gingerbread Man” theme, this story shows how a very fast and determined […]
Tag Archives: stories
“The Gingerbread Cowboy” by Janet Squires Cowboys and cowgirls, you are in for a great time with this hilarious version of “The Gingerbread Boy.” This one has boots, a ten-gallon hat, and a rip-roarin’ attitude. Instead of running from farm animals, this spunky little guy runs through the desert, away from a roadrunner, a band […]
“Are You a Horse?’ by Andy Rash “Are You a Horse?” is one of those stories where the protagonist is clueless and the children listening to the story know what’s going on. Children LOVE these stories, because they give them a chance to be the smart ones. Roy gets a saddle for his birthday and he […]
“Looking for a Moose” by Phyllis Root This is one of my favorite stories for fall, especially because of the use of fall colors in the illustrations. It also has Phyllis Root’s great ear for rhythm and rhymes that captivate young children. There’s not really a lot of plot to “Looking for a Moose.” A […]
“Hiccups for Elephant” by James Preller Have you ever wondered what would happen if an elephant got the hiccups? Well, thanks to James Preller, we now know that some very silly things could happen! All of Elephant’s friends offer their own home remedies for curing hiccups, such as standing on his head, drinking water fast, […]
“The Crickets” from “Mouse Soup” by Arnold Lobel “The Crickets” is a perfect story for music time – funny, well-written. easy to follow, and very musical. It’s one of the stories in “Mouse Soup” by the great Arnold Lobel, about a mouse who puts off ( and escapes) his eventual inclusion in a weasel’s soup pot by […]
“Where There’s a Bear, There’s Trouble” by Michael Catchpool I wish there were more picture books for young children just like this. It’s a very simple, gently humorous story, easy for children to understand, with sweet illustration in two-page spreads that again, are accessible for the very young. Best of all are the many opportunities to […]
The Baby Beebee Bird by Diane Redfield Massey This is one of my students’ all-time favorites! The little beebee bird, new to the zoo, wakes everyone up with his silly song – “Bee-bee, bobby-bobby.” I make up my own tune for this, but any tune would work, as long as it’s high-pitched and annoying! Children will be singing the bird’s […]
Once I read a story about a leopard. To introduce the book, I told the children about leopards and emphasized their lovely spots. I must have said the words “leopards” and “spots” twenty times. When I started the first page, which showed the leopard, and said “Once there was a leopard,” a little boy called […]
Peepsqueak Wants a Friend by Leslie Ann Clark I just discovered this story recently and my students love it! All of the other chicks in the farmyard are in 2’s (they each have a friend) but Peepsqueak is only 1. He goes off to look for a friend, telling each pair of friends (I sing this to the […]
Music (and Science) For Young Children 