Spring Storybook Share
It’s April, and that means your students are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The end of the school year is near, and everyone’s tired . . . and ready for the year to be over. That also means you’re probably seeing some ahem, interesting behavior. What’s an over-it music teacher to do? I say read, read, read!
Reading aloud to your kiddos can offer them comfort, while distracting them from any anxiety they may be feeling. You only have to watch their faces while you’re reading to them. This means you’ve got a built-in way to help them relax, anytime you need a bit of ahhhh. So the next time you’re kiddos are feeling the spring cray cray, just pull out your favorite storybook.
It’s always nice to work with a theme, and at this time of the year, I like to pull out my spring picture books about baby animals, chicks, rabbits, warm weather fun like picnics, and rainy weather. Here are 7 great storybook suggestions for spring:
- Little Rabbit Foo Foo, by Micahel Rosen & Arthur Robins – just like the favorite children’s song by the same name! You can use this storybook to teach:
- Melody
- Instrument Play
- Movement
- Good News, Bad News, by Jeff Mack – This is a funny adventure with a rabbit and a rat. The rabbit’s hilarious antics get him in more and more trouble with rat, when all he’s really trying to do is take rat on a picnic. This storybook is great to teach:
- Melody
- Major & Minor
- Composition
- The Listening Walk, by Paul Showers – a girl, her dad, and her dog, Major take a walk through their neighborhood and find all kinds of fun sounds to listen to. This storybook can be used to teach:
- Instrument Play
- Loud & Soft
- High & Low
- Listening Skills
- Composition
- Hoppity Skip Little Chick, by Jo Brown – Little Chick is bored. His mom is busy hatching new brothers & sisters, so he takes a stroll around the farm. Along the way he makes friends with all the animals he meets. This storybook is great to teach:
- Movement
- Instrument Play
- Fast & Slow
- Mallet Skills
- Yellow Umbrella, by Jae Soo Liu – The illustrations in this storybook are so beautiful, with umbrellas of all the bright colors in the rainbow. And the fun part is that there are no words. There’s even a song at the end called Underneath the Sky, along with a CD that you can use as you read along with the author. This storybook is great for teaching:
- Melody
- Themes
- Loud & Soft
- Instrument Play
- The Eensy-Weensy Spider, adapted by Mary Ann Hoberman – While there are many storybook versions of this song, this one is my favorite. The spider goes on a grand adventure, climbing up the waterspout but then taking a walk, skipping out to play, swimming with a frog, and finally ending up climbing back up the waterspout at the end. This storybook is great for teaching:
- High & Low
- Going up & Down the Scale
- Orff Instrument Play
- Rhythm Instrument Play
- Melody
- Where There’s a Bear, There’s Trouble, by Michael Catchpool – Bear is taking a nap in the meadow amid the flowers, when a bumble bee comes scooting by. He follows the bee as quiet as can be. Along the way, he encounters other animals. This storybook has lots of great sound words & movement words. You can use it to teach:
- Movement
- Fast & Slow
- Loud & Soft
- Vocal Exploration
- Mallet Skills
Spring is such a wonderful time to add some storybook lessons to your curriculum. Not only are they fun to read, but they’re also so incredibly fun to explore with your students. Be sure to reach out and let me know what ideas you have for these adorable picture books.
Need some extra help or suggestions on how to use storybooks in your music classroom? The Happy Music Teacher Academy is the best place to find courses on how to use picture books to teach music skills. You can check us out by clicking the button below.