Tag Archives: toddler music

Books that Sing by Theme

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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

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.