Houses and Homes (revised)
The 2017 summer reading/learning program themes of “Build a Better World,” from CSLP, and “Reading by Design,” from iREAD and the California State Library, both focus on building, construction, and design. Over the next few months, BayNews and our blog will feature storytime plans that fit those themes while still being appropriate for preschoolers.
Houses are a concept that even toddlers can comprehend, so they make a great “building” related storytime. For a craft project, make houses out of recycled cereal and other boxes: www.handmadecharlotte.com/projects-cereal-box-village/
Barton, Byron. My House. Jim the cat describes his favorite places in his house.
Bean, Jonathan. Building Our House. A family builds a house in this empowering story.
Flood, Bo. The Hogan That Great-Grandfather Built. Using a cumulative text similar to The House That Jack Built, a young Navajo girl describes her home in a Hogan.
Hoberman, Mary Ann. A House Is a House for Me. Different types of animal “houses” are included in this clever rhyming tale.
Horvath, James. Build, Dogs, Build: A Tall Tail. Dogs help build a high-rise apartment house in this rhyming story.
Moore, Inga. A House in the Woods. When Bear and Moose accidentally destroy the small houses of two pigs, all four join together to build a house they can all live in.
Various. The House That Jack Built. There are many different editions of this cumulative rhyme, which will involve audience response.
Various. The Three Little Pigs. What materials you choose are the theme of this popular folktale, which has repeated phrases that will motivate audience participation.