Thursday, July 29, 2010

Go Ahead - Add One More!

Sharing stories that contain repetitive phrases and concepts help develop early literacy skills. Because the phrases are used again and again, young children are able to start participating in the telling of the story because some lines are repeated multiple times in one telling. Also, this helps children develop a sense of sequence - what comes first? what comes next? Below are a number of books that use the repetition theme through 'adding one more'. Each lively and active title adds a new character one at a time while repeating the presence of the previous characters. Because these books are so much fun and filled with rhythm, rhymes and alliteration, they are often a reader's choice among the preschool set. Also, see these books from previous posts: Farmer Dale's Red Pickup Truck and Mr. Gumpy's Outing. Check your library for these great reads!

The Mitten by Jim Aylesworth
This traditional folk tale retold here by Jim Aylesworth is the story of a young boy who loses a white mitten in the snow - a mitten that his grandmother knit. One at a time, a series of forest animals burrow their way inside for warmth. It's a tiny, little mouse that finally stretches those stitches too far. (Ages 2-7)
(Full bibliographic info: Aylesworth, Jim. The Mitten. Helwig Industries, 2008.)

Move Over Rover by Karen Beaumont
Rover is lonesome in his doghouse until the heavens open and a storm pours down. Now all the local animals are taking up residence making for a very overcrowded house. (Ages 2-5)
(Full bibliographic info: Beaumont, Karen. Move Over Rover. Harcourt Trade Publishers, 2006.)

One-Dog Canoe by Mary Casanova
A perfect book to share during the summer, this young girl and her best canine companion set out for a canoe trip (life jackets in place), but their calm trip is interrupted by a series of animals who hop on board. (Ages 2-6)
(Full bibliographic info: Casanova, Mary. One-Dog Canoe. Farrar Straus & Giroux, 2003.)

The Squeaky Door by Margaret Read MacDonald
The little boy is sleeping at Grandma's house tucked snugly into an enormous bed, but it's the squeaky door that causes the severe concern. Add one family animal at a time into bed to help comfort little boy and you add up to a smile-inducing and endearing story. Not to be missed. (Ages 4-7)
(Full bibliographic info: MacDonald, Margaret Read. The Squeaky Door. Harper Collins, 2006.)

My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann
This Caldecott Award winning tale is of Mouse, Mouse's new toy airplane and Mouse's friend Rabbit. Rabbit gets Mouse's plane stuck and sets about solving the problem in a humorous way. Get ready for some giggles. (Ages 3-6)
(Full bibliographic info: Rohmann, Eric. My Friend Rabbit. Roaring Brook Press, 2002.)

The Napping House by Audrey Wood
There is a house, a napping house where everyone is sleeping. They pile, one at a time, on the cozy bed until one little flea sets the whole crew into a flurry. The illustrations draw the reader in - set initially during a blue-gray rainstorm, the story finishes on a bright and glorious afternoon. (Ages 2-7)
(Full bibliographic info: Wood, Audrey. The Napping House. Harcourt, 1984.)