Preschool Storytime Ideas
Pets – revised
If you are planning a more elaborate storytime program, invite a local pet store to bring in a few animals and talk about pet care in general. Children always need to hear the message to treat animals and pets gently, and in a kind way, and the pet shop staff can help convey that message. They could bring in a few unusual pets, like lizards, if you don’t want those with allergies to be impacted. Also, check out this website for advice on teaching young children to be gentle with pets.
For an arts and crafts activity, make simple “pet carriers” from a strawberry basket.
Baek, Matthew J. BE GENTLE WITH DOG, DEAR! Baby Elisa needs to learn to be kind to dog Tag.
Biedrzycki, David. ME AND MY DRAGON. A boy describes how he cares for his pet dragon.
Boelts, Maribeth. BEFORE YOU WERE MINE. A little dog is adopted from a shelter.
Brown, Peter. CHILDREN MAKE TERRIBLE PETS. A bear asks her mother if she can keep the child she found in the woods as her pet.
Chamberlain, Margaret. PLEASE DON’T TEASE TOOTSIE. A preschooler threatens to spray water on her pet cat.
Cooper, Melrose. PETS! At a pet show, a child thinks about which pet would be best to have.
Easton, Jason Carter. HOW TO TRAIN A TRAIN. Told like a “how to” book, this funny story describes how to train your pet train.
Keats, Ezra Jack. PET SHOW! Archie can’t find his cat, so he thinks up another entry for the neighborhood pet show.
Kellogg, Steven. CAN I KEEP HIM? Arnold tries out several pets but his mother always objects.
London, Jonathan. FROGGY AND THE DOGGY. This entry in the “Froggy” series sees Froggy and his sister get a new pet.
Mayer, Mercer. JUST ONE MORE PET. Little Critter finds a lost dog and cares for it, until the owner can be found.
Miller, Margaret. MY FIRST GHOST. Similar to How to Train a Train, here a boy learns to care for his pet ghost.
Miller, Virginia. BE GENTLE! Bartholomew the bear gets a little black kitten, and has to learn how to look after her.
Plourde, Lynn. DINO PETS. A boy brings home various dinosaurs from the pet store, to figure out which one would be the best pet.
Schmid, Paul. A PET FOR PETUNIA. Petunia is sure she can care for a pet, even if her choice is a pet skunk.
Verdick, Elizabeth. TAILS ARE NOT FOR PULLING. In this board book, pets describe how they want to be treated.
Also see the previous Pets storytime ideas page from June 2001.