I learned about the idea of “books that sing” from Nancy Stewart (Learn more about Books that Sing.) These are books that can be sung aloud, rather than read aloud – they may be illustrated versions of traditional songs, or may be new compositions. I built a year-long preschool music curriculum that included 4 of these books each month. Here are some of the books that I found and used.

Farm Theme

• Old McDonald – Cabrera and others
• Old Mikamba had a farm – Isadora
• Barnyard Dance – Boynton – make up your own tune to this musical rhyming book
• Mary Had a Little Lamb – Hoberman or Borgert-Spaniol
• Pickin Peas by Macdonald – may be too long for preschoolers
• Cat goes fiddle-i-fee by Galdone
• Farmer in the Dell Owen

Winter Theme

• We’re going on a bear hunt Oxenbury (notes here https://www.musicintheearlyyears.com/blog/2958-books-that-you-can-sing)
• Ten on the Sled Norman
• The Bear Went Over the Mountain – Trapani
• Jingle Bells. Notes on the versions – Jeffers – words don’t go quite in the order kids expect and it does include Santa and Mrs. Claus; the version illustrated by Darcy May is simple and straightforward all the words in the right order, shows bob tail and sleigh and other new vocabulary well; Kovalski – not the best writing, so I might tell a new story to the pictures; Trapani – highlights Xmas traditions around the world, so may not be suitable for a non-secular setting

Stars/Moon Theme

• Twinkle – several versions! I like Cabrera, Taylor and Litwin versions better than Borgert-Spaniol

Jungle/Zoo

• Five Little Monkeys Christelow
• Animal Boogie Harter
• Old McDonald Had a Zoo
• Monkey Puzzle – how to teach https://www.musicintheearlyyears.com/blog/2958-books-that-you-can-sing

Transportation

• Wheels on the Bus, Zelinsky OR Raffi
• Down by the Station Vetter
• Riding in My Car – Woody Guthrie
• We All Go Traveling By – Roberts

Spring

• Five Little Ducks Kubler or Raffi (See more options)
• Little White Duck;
• Take me out to the Ballgame Simon
• Singing in the Rain Freed (video) 
• Dancing Feet by Lindsey Craig and Mark Brown (video) which would be so easy to make up a jazzy tune to sing it to
• There was a tree – Isadora
• Inch by Inch (the Garden Song) – Mallett
• Over in the Meadow – many versions! (reviews)

Beach

• Down By the Bay – Raffi
• Baby Beluga by Raffi
• Seals on the Bus Hart
• Row Your Boat – Many versions
• Baby Shark
• Over in the ocean – Berkes
• May there always be sunshine – Gill

Other

• Roll Over by Peek
• Tanka Tanka Skunk – the children can echo each line
• Every Little Thing / 3 birds by Bob Marley – children can clap out 1-2-3-pause
• Hickory Dickory Dock Borgert or Baker (all diff animals) or Summer (simple – always a mouse);
• knick knack paddywhack introduces instruments – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEHKQCtrHHw
• If you’re happy and you know it – Ormerod

Here are other places on this site to find: lots of resources for Songs for Music Time, links to videos and lyrics for Favorite Toddler / Preschool Songs, and a post on the benefits of music for early learning.