Alright, folks, we’re in the home stretch of the school year, and let’s be real, things can get a little wacky in May. With the weather warming up and summer break on the horizon, it’s not uncommon for students to start bouncing off the walls. Luckily, we’ve got a secret weapon to keep ’em in check: picture books! That’s right, incorporating stories into your music lessons can be a game-changer for calming the May madness and keeping your kiddos engaged. Whether you’re looking for tales about Cinco de Mayo, something for Mother’s Day, or just some silly stories to lighten the mood, I’ve got you covered. So, without further ado, here are my top picks for picture books to use in the elementary music classroom this May.
- Cinco de Mayo – Senorita Mariposa, by Ben Gundersheimer – a rhyming storybook that tells the tale of the monarch butterfly’s journey from Canada to Mexico. It’s written in both Spanish & English and is full of wonderful illustrations. The best, part . . . it has a song that accompanies the story! You know I love my movement words, and this storybook has a bunch! I love the movement words in the story. A few of my favorites are flying, playing, flash, and beating wings. I even found a delightful read-aloud for those of you who just can’t read the same story 26 times in a row by the author, Mr. G (as he calls himself). I like to use this storybook for movement and instrument improvisation. You could also use the song and storybook to introduce your discussion of Cinco de Mayo.
- Mother’s Day – The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown – this is a book about a bunny who keeps trying to run away, but everywhere he goes, his mom finds him. The little bunny tells his mom he’ll become a fish in a stream, a rock high on the mountain, and a crocus in a hidden garden. His mom keeps telling him what she will become in order to find him. This book provides the perfect way to introduce my song, Mommy to the Rescue, because the mom keeps telling the little bunny how she will rescue him. This storybook is also great to use for high & low and movement.
- Spring – Let’s Go Froggy – Froggy & Dad go on a fun spring bike ride, but before they go, Froggy has to get ready. But it takes him forever, because he has to keep searching for new items that he’s lost. This storybook is part of a series of Froggy books that are playful and so much fun for your littles. The best part is all the wonderful sound words you’ll find in the storybook. Zoop, zup, and zut, zut, zut, along with swish, flop, and bonk. The instrument play opportunities are countless, and there’s also a perfect opportunity for vocal exploration. I like to say the sound words in my silliest voice and have my students echo them.
- Hands Off My Honey, by Jane Chapman – Bear doesn’t want to share his honey, but there’s a surprise at the end. This lively, enjoyable book is perfect for a spring day, when the bees are buzzing and the sun is shining. This is another storybook that has SO.MANY sound words! Some examples are stomp, stamp, rumble, and shook. I also found snap and flump. I like to use this book with my littles to do some improvisation on our frame drums. This gives me another chance to review how to play the frame drum too. With my 2nd graders (an if I’m being honest even my 3rd graders these days), we can add a group of instruments to play the different words. Think the frame drum for stomp & stamp, the maracas for rumble & shook, and the rhythm sticks for snap and tip toe. Notice that these words can also be movement words. If you have time, you can first introduce them as movement to get your students ready to play them later.
- Little Quack, by Lauren Thompson – Mama Duck looks at her ducklings and decides it’s time for them to leave the nest. One by one, they all jump in the pond to swim with her . . . except for Little Quack. This storybook is so cute and even has a counting element. It’s perfect for your PreK through 2nd graders. There are movement words like paddle and march. You’ll also find plop and splash. Of course, this storybook is perfect to add a little movement. Put on your favorite ducky waddle song, model each movement, and let your kiddos do each movement back. There’s a cheerful repeating pattern that works great as a tiny melody (No mama, No . . . I’m too scared).
And there you have it! These picture books are the secret weapon you need to keep your music classroom in check during the wild and wacky month of May. Incorporating storybooks into your music classroom, will help you to keep your students engaged and focused, even when the summer break is calling their names. Why not give it a try and see what kind of shenanigans you can get up to with your class this month?
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