Preschool Storytime Ideas
Recycling
Recycling will be something many preschoolers understand, so a storyitme on that theme will be fun – and not just for Earth Day! For a project, check out the many ideas at Making Friends.
Books
Bergen, Lara Rice. DON’T THROW THAT AWAY! This lift-the-flap board book will grab the attention of the storytime crowd. A superhero shows kids how to reuse items around the house.
Child, Lauren. WE ARE EXTREMELY GOOD RECYCLERS. Charlie and Lola learn about recycling, and try to win a contest at school.
Green, Jen. WHY SHOULD I RECYCLE? A class goes on a field trip to the recycling center.
Inches, Alison. I CAN SAVE THE EARTH! Max the monster learns about recycling.
Kleinberg, Naomi. GROUCHES ARE GREEN. Oscar the Grouch shows the residents of Sesame Street how to recycle.
Kooser, Ted. BAG IN THE WIND. With dramatic illustrations by Barry Root, this poignant picture book concerns a grocery bag that travels throughout a town.
Leedy, Loren. THE GREAT TRASH BASH. The animals learn to recycle as a way to control the amount of trash in their town.
Parr, Todd. THE EARTH BOOK. Parr’s signature child-like illustrations in deeply saturated colors add charm to this simple story on living an environmentally friendly life.
Perez, Monica. CURIOUS GEORGE PLANTS A TREE. Everyone’s favorite monkey learns to recycle.
Riddell, Chris. WENDEL’S WORKSHOP. Wendel’s robot assistant takes over the workshop, so Wendel recycles materials to seize control back from the robot.
Wallace, Nancy. RECYCLE EVERYDAY! Minna’s family helps her make a poster for school about recycling.
Walsh, Melanie. TEN THINGS I CAN DO TO HELP MY WORLD. Simple die-cuts and exciting collage illustrations help convey the easy-to-do ideas in this book. Perfect for toddlers, too!
Wellington, Monica. GABBY & GRANDMA GO GREEN. Grandma shows Gabby how easy it is to recycle and repurpose household items for reuse. Fun cartoon-like illustrations will catch listeners’ attention.
Ziefert, Harriet. MY FOREVER DRESS. Grandma sews a dress, and when her granddaughter outgrows it, they just add more material so it will still fit. Cloth collages help convey the idea that you can reuse items rather than throw them away.