Preschool Storytime Ideas
Pets
A “pet” themed storytime will be a winner, even if the children don’t have pets. Craft ideas are abundant: a simple cat mask made from a paper plate, or a dog paperbag puppet. Because so many people have pet allergies, it may be best to leave the pets at home – unless you have a goldfish.
Simont, Marc. THE STRAY DOG. In this simple but heart-felt story, a brother and sister want to take home the stray they have found in the park. The exuberant illustrations and short text work even for toddler-time.
Jenkins, Emily. FIVE CREATURES. A girl describes the five who live in the house: two parents, one daughter, two cats. Teachers can use this engaging story to demonstrate Venn diagrams.
Brown, Marc. ARTHUR’S NEW PUPPY. The usual problems with a new puppy – paper training, tearing things up – all with Arthur’s usual creative problem-solving.
Johnson, Angela. JULIUS. Maya has a pet pig named Julius. With colorful cartoon illustrations by Dav Pilkey.
Keats, Ezra Jack. PET SHOW! Archie can’t find his cat to bring to the neighborhood pet show, so he thinks of a creative alternative.
Miller, Virginia. BE GENTLE! Bartholomew Bear gets a kitten, so his mother reminds him to “Be Gentle!” Brief and funny – this will also work for toddler-time.
Inkpen, Mick. THE GREAT PET SALE. A boy cannot decide which pet to buy when the pet store has a sale.
Masurel, Claire. TEN DOGS IN THE WINDOW. A fun counting story showing how dogs resemble their owners.
Cooper, Melrose. PETS! With engaging illustrations by Yumi Heo, this book debates “Which pet is best?”
Palmer, Helen. FISH OUT OF WATER. A classic! When a boy over-feeds his goldfish, it grows so much he needs to find a bigger place for it to live.
Also see the updated Pets storytime ideas page from November 2013.