Warm Things Storytime

Toddler Read-Alouds
Baby Duck and the Cozy Blanket by Amy Hest
The Blanket by John Burningham
Blankie by Leslie Patricelli
Every Color Soup by Jorey Hurley (2018)
Flora's Blanket by Debi Gliori
Frozen Noses by Jan Carr
A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Morgan Stoeke
Knitty Kitty by David Elliot
My Red Mittens by Candy Crocker
Oh, Brother by Kathy Mallat
Pickle and the Blanket by Lynn Breeze
Pigs and a Blanket by James Burks (2016)
Small Bunny's Blue Blanket by Tatyana Feeney
Under My Hood, I Have A Hat by Karla Kuskin

Preschool Read-Alouds
Chicken Soup by Jean Van Leeuwen 
Everyone Needs A Friend by Dubravka Kolanovic
Feeding the Sheep by Leda Schubert
Fly Blanky Fly by Anne Margaret Lewis
Hello Snow! by Hope Vestergaard
Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush by Jane Cabrera
Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley Neitzel
Kiki's Blankie by Janie Bynum
Little Lamb, Have You Any Wool?  By Isabel Minhos Martins (sheep version of Giving Tree)
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
Mo’s Stinky Sweater by David Bedford
My Blankie by Patricia Lampl
One Mitten by Kristine George O'Connell
Pajamas Anytime by Marsha Hayles
Quilt by Ann Jonas
Red Is Best by Kathy Stinson
Soup for One by Ethan Long  (you wouldn't want bugs in your soup!)
Snowfall Fight by Jimmy Fallon
Soup Day by Melissa Iwai
Warm Things by Jacob Grant (2016)

Kindergarten Read-Alouds
Alvie Eats Soup by Ross Collins
Annie Hoot and the Knitting Extravaganza by Holly Clifton-Brown
Do You Have a Hat? by Eileen Spinelli
Duck Soup by  Jackie Urbanovic
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett
Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
Geraldine's Blanket by Holly Keller
Joseph Had An Overcoat by Simms Taback
Mean Soup by Betsy Everitt
The Mitten by Jan Brett
Owen by Kevin Henkes
Perfect Soup by Lisa Moser - NEW
Winter Is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer
Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza

Flannels, Songs and Story Extensions

Book That Work Well As Flannels
The Mitten by Jim Aylesworth

If You’re Cold & You Know It
(Tune: “If You’re Happy & You Know It”)
If you’re cold and you know it, just say “Brr…”
If you’re cold and you know it, get a blanket…
If you’re cold and you know it, get some mittens…
If you’re cold and you know it, eat some soup…

Oh Me, Oh My
At breakfast time, oh me, oh my
Milk spilled on my blanket – oh me, oh my
Have to wash my blanket
And lay it out to dry

At lunch time, oh me, oh my
Peanut butter spilled on my blanket – oh me, oh my
Have to wash my blanket
And lay it out to dry

At snack time, oh me, oh my
Mustard spilled on my blanket – oh me, oh my
Have to wash my blanket
And lay it out to dry

At dinner time, oh me, oh my
Spaghetti spilled on my blanket – oh me, oh my
Have to wash my blanket
And lay it out to dry

At bed time, oh me, oh my
Cocoa spilled on my blanket – oh me, oh my
Have to wash my blanket
And lay it out to dry.

Mitten in the Snow
(Tune: "Farmer in the Dell")
The mitten in the snow, the mitten in the snow
Help us please, so we don't freeze
The mitten in the snow

A (animal) squeezes in,
A (animal) squeezes in,
Help us please, so we don't freeze
The mitten in the snow Keep adding more animals

The mittens in the snow, the mitten in the snow
With a rip and a snap, it split in half,
The mitten in the snow

Ten in the Bed
There were ten in the bed, and the little one said,
Roll over, roll over!
So, they all rolled over, and one fell out!
(countdown)

Books That Translate Well into Flannel/Prop Stories
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep by Iza Trapani
Is There Room on the Feather Bed? by Libba Gray
Joseph Had A Little Overcoat by Simms Taback makes a wonderful fold and tell
*“Three Little Kittens Lost Their Mittens” works well as a flannel story.

Thanksgiving storytime

Toddler Read-Alouds
Corduroy's Thanksgiving by Don Freedman
Down on the Farm by Merrily Kutner (includes a turkey)
Happy Thanksgiving, Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Snappy Little Thanksgiving by Beth Harwood
Spot's Thanksgiving by Eric Hill
Tasty Thanksgiving by Suzy-Jane Tanner
Theo's Thanksgiving by David Steinberg

Preschool Read-Alouds
All for Pie, Pie for All by David Martin
Bear Say Thanks by Karma Wilson
Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell
Happy Thanksgiving, Emily! by Claire Masurel
Hungry Hen by Richard Waring
1, 2, 3, Thanksgiving by W. Nikola-Lisa
Over the River: A Turkey’s Tale by Derek Anderson
Run, Turkey, Run!  by Diane Mayr 
Sometimes It's Turkey - Sometimes It's Feathers by Lorna Balian
Ten Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston
10 Turkeys in the Road by Brenda Reeves Sturgis
Thanksgiving in the Barn by Nadine Westcott
Thanksgiving Is Here! by Diane Goode
Thanksgiving Treat by Catherine Stock
Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes
Thank You, Thanksgiving by David Milgrim
The Littlest Pilgrim by Brandi Dougherty
Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming
Turkey Surprise by Peggy Archer
Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano - MY FAVORITE (works for Kindergarteners, too!)
 
School Age Read-Alouds
Hide and Seek Turkeys by Judith Ross Enderle
Gus, the Pilgrim Turkey by Teresa Bateman
I'm A Turkey by Jim Arnosky
I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Pie by Alison Jackson
One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by B. G. Hennessy
Over the River and Through the Wood by Lydia Maria Child
Perfect Thanksgiving by Eileen Spinelli
Perfect Pumpkin Pie by Denys Cazet
Splat Says Thank You by Rob Scotton
Thelonius Turkey Lives by Lynn Rowe Reed
This is the Feast by Diane Shore
Turk and Runt by Lisa Wheeler
Turkeys Never Gobble by Joan Holub
Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz

Flannels, Songs and Story Extensions

Flannel Stories:
-“Ten Little Turkeys”
-“Turkey in the Brown Straw”
-“Turkey Wore His Red Feather"

Turkey puppet
(Tune of "I'm A Little Teapot")
I'm a little turkey, my name is Ted
Here are my feathers; here is my head
Gobble, gobble, gobble, is what I say
I run and hide on Thanksgiving Day!

Five Little Pumpkins fingerplay
Five little pumpkins sitting on the ground
The first one said, "I'm big, orange and round!"
The second one said, "I'm fresh off the vine!"
The third one said, "I taste divine!"
The fourth one said, "I'm ready to be tasted!"
The fifth one said, "Bake my seeds so they're not wasted!"
Someone from the kitchen picked them up and we know why....
The five little pumpkins all became Pumpkin Pie.

The Turkey (fingerplay)
The turkey is a funny bird.
Its head goes wobble, wobble.
All he knows is just one word:
"Gobble, gobble, gobble"

Mr. Turkey, Run Away
(Tune of “Are You Sleeping?”)
Mr. Turkey, Mr. Turkey
Run away, run away.
If you are not careful,
You will be a mouthful,
Thanksgiving Day, Thanksgiving Day.

Hello Mr. Turkey
(Tune of “Happy & You Know It”)
"Gobble, gobble, gobble" says the bird.
"Gobble, gobble, gobble" says the bird.
Mr. Turkey gobble-gobbles, and his feet go wobble-wobble.
"Gobble, gobble, gobble" says the bird.

Pumpkin Pie
(Tune of “Peanut Butter & Jelly”)
First you take the pumpkin and you pick it, you pick it.
Then you take the pumpkin and you carve it, you carve it.
Next you take the spices and you mix it, you mix it.
Chorus: Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie-Yummy! Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie-Yummy!

You put it in the oven and you bake it, you bake it
You put it on a plate and then you cut it, you cut
You put it in your mouth and then you chew it, young chew it
Chorus: Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie-Yummy! Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie-Yummy!

We Eat Turkey
(Tune of “Are You Sleeping?”)
We eat turkey, we eat turkey
Oh so good, oh so good
Always on Thanksgiving, always on Thankgiving
Yum, yum, yum
Yum, yum, yum

Mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes
Oh so good, oh so good
Always on Thanksgiving, always on Thanks giving
Yum,yum,yum...
Children love adding what they will bring to the feast.

Glad I’m Not A Turkey
(Tune of "Did You Ever See A Lassie")
I am glad I'm not a turkey, a turkey, a turkey
I ma glad I'm not a turkey on Thanksgiving Day
They stuff you and bake you
And then they will taste you
I'm glad I'm not a turkey on Thanksgiving Day!

Turkey Dinner
(Tune of “Are You Sleeping?”)
Turkey dinner, turkey dinner
Gather round; gather round
Who will get the drumstick?
Yummy, yummy drumstick
All sit down, all sit down.

Cornbread, muffins,
Chesnuts, stuffing,
Pudding pie -- ten feet high.
We were all much thinner, before we sat for dinner!
Me, oh, my me, oh, my.

"Gulp" Storytime

Toddler Read-Alouds
Books Are for Eating by Sherry Walton
Charlie the Chicken by Sue Denchfield
Hungry Hen by Richard Waring
I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly by Nadine Westcott
Little Bee by Edward Gibbs
Only Joking, Laughed the Lobster by Colin West
What's for Lunch by John Schindel
What's for Dinner? by Ann Garrett

Preschool Read-Alouds
Bark George by Jules Feiffer
Dinner Time by Jan Pienkowski
Dinnertime! by Sue Williams
Do Like A Duck Does by Judy Hindley
Drat That Fat Cat by Pat Thomson
Gobble It Up! by Jim Arnosky
I Will Not Eat You by Adam Lehrhaupt (2016)
Jump!  by Scott M. Fischer
Look Out for the Big Bad Fish by Sheridan Cain
Teeny Weeny Tadpole by Sheridan Cain (note: same book as above; just different title)
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly by Simms Taback
Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza
Yuck! by Mick Manning

Kindergarten Read-Alouds
Clay Boy by Mirra Ginsburg
Epossamundus Saves the Day by Janet Stevens
Glerp by David McPhail
Gobble Gobble Slip Slop by So
I Know A Shy Fellow Who Swallowed A Cello by Barbara Garriel
My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman
Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini
Snap! by Mick Manning
What Pete Ate From A-Z by Maira Kalman
Yummy Yummy Food for My Tummy by Sam Lloyd

Flannels, Songs and Story Extensions

Books That Translate Well Into Puppet / Flannel Stories:
Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
Singing Chick by Victoria Stenmark
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Trout by Teri Sloat
Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza

“Five Little Mice”
(To the tune of "Five Little Ducks")
Five little mice came out to play
Gathering cheese along the way
Out came the kitty cat, nice and fat – CHOMP!
Four little mice came scampering back.

(Countdown until:)
One little mouse came out to play
Carrying a feather along the way
Out came the kitty cat, nice and fat – A-A-CHOO!
All five mice came scampering back.
Hooray!

“Five Little Goldfish”
(To the rhythm of "Five Little Monkeys)
Five little goldfish swimming in the sea
Teasing Mr. Shark, "You can't catch me!"
Along came Mr. Shark, quiet as can be - SNAP!
(Countdown until none are left)

Storytime about Eating Habits and Picky Eaters

Toddler Read-Alouds
Eat up, Gemma by Sarah Hayes
Eat Your Dinner by Virginia Miller
Hunky Dory Ate It by Katie Evan
Lunch by Denise Fleming
Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley
One Little Spoonful by Aliki
Ruby's Dinnertime by Paul and Emma Rogers
Tickle Tum by Nancy Van Laan

Preschool Read-Alouds
Crunch Munch by Jonathan London
Eat Your Peas by Kes Gray
Eat Your Peas, Ivy Louise! by Leo Landry
I Eat Vegetables!  by Hannah Tofts
Little Pea by Eric Battut
Little Pea by Amy Rosenthal
Mabel O'Leary Put Peas in Her Ear-y by Mary Delaney

Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks
Night of the Veggie Monster by George McClements
Oliver's Vegetables by Vivian French
Pizza Kittens by Charlotte Voake
Rabbit Food by Susanna Gretz
Too Many Pears by Jackie French
Too Pickley!  by Jean Reidy

Kindergarten Read-Alouds
Burger Boy by Alan Durant
Gladys Goes Out to Lunch by Derek Anderson
Frankenstein Makes A Sandwich by Adam Rex
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child
Jake Goes Peanuts by Michael Wright
Oodles of Noodles by Diana Hendry
Pinkalicious by Victoria & Elizabeth Kann
Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Anne Hoberman
Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens
Trouble At Dinosaur Cafe by Brian Moses

Flannels, Songs and Story Extensions

Creative Dramatic / Draw-and-Tell

Tops and Bottoms by Jan Stevens
Here are patterns for the Bear and the Rabbit.
The kids can hold them and help act the story out!

Check out this book at your local library:
Mudluscious by Jan Irving and Robin Currie
My favorite flannel story from the book is "Picky Paul."

Five Fat Peas
Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed
One grew, two grew, so did all the rest
They grew and they grew
And never stopped,
Until one day, the pod went POP!

I Like Veggies
I like broccoli, how about you?
Let's eat and eat 'til the day is through!
Okay, kids, we've had enough -
It's time to eat some other stuff!

(repeat with different veggie props)

Peas Porridge
Peas Porridge hot,
Peas Porridge cold,
Peas Porridge in the pot
Nine days old.

Some like it hot,
Some like it cold,
Some like it the pot
Nine days old.

(Can you tell I hate peas?)

Stories About Manners

What better way for kids to get psyched up for Thanksgiving than a "Manners"-themed storytime? And teddy bears always use good manners when they have a picnic!

Toddler Read-Alouds
Banana by Ed Vere
Bear and Hare Share! by Emily Gravett (2016)
Be Brown by Barbara Bottner - dog's behavior: can he ever get it right?
Chocolate-Covered Cookie Tantrum by Deborah Blumenthal
Excuse Me! A Little Book of Manners by Karen Katz (recently republished)
Good Dog, Daisy! by Lisa Kopper
Little Dinos Don't Yell by Michael Dahl (2013)
No Biting!  by Karen Katz
No David by David Shannon
No! No! No! by Anne Rockwell
Not Me by Nigel McMullen
Oops, Sorry! by Richard Morgan
Penguin Says Please by Michael Dahl (2012)
Please Pick Me Up, Mama! by Robin Luebs
Say Please by Virginia Austin
So Cozy by Lerryn Korda (2015)
Sometimes Buzzy Shares by Harriet Zeifert
Thank You!  by Ethan Long (2016)

Preschool Read-Alouds
Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson
Crocodiles Say... by Robert Heidbreder
Don't Play With Your Food by Bob Shea (2014)
Eat, Cried Little Pig by Jonathan London - pig with poor table manners
Give Please a Chance by Bill O'Reilly  (2016)
How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? by Jane Yolen
I'll Wait, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony (2016)
Kitty Princess and the Newspaper Dress by Emma Carlow
LLama LLama Time to Share by Anna Dewdney
Martha Doesn't Say Sorry by Samantha Berger
My Dog Never Says Please by Suzanne Williams
Pardon Me!  by Daniel Miyares (2014)
Please Mr. Panda by Steve Antony (2015)
Please Say Please by Margery Cuyler
Please Say PLEASE! by Kyle Webster (2016)
Rude Mule by Pamela Edwards
Someday We'll Have Very Good Manners by Harriet Ziefert
Very Worst Monster by Pat Hutchins
Will Sheila Share? by Elivia Savadier
Yes, Please! No, Thank You! by Valarie Wheeler

Kindergarten Read-AloudsBeing a Pig is Nice by Sally Lloyd-James
Chicken Fingers, Mac & Cheese, Why Do You Always Have to Say Please? by Wendy Rosen
Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller
Froggy Eats Out by Jonathan London
Good Thing You're Not An Octopus by Julie Markes
Happy Hocky Family by Jon Scieszka - bragging girl: "I have a white coat? Do you have a white coat? I do!"Meet Wild Boars by Meg Rosoff
Me First by Helen Lester
Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Super Hungry Dinosaur by Martin Waddell

Read-Alouds for 1st and 2nd Graders
Are You Quite Polite? Silly Dilly Manners Songs by Alan Katz
Bill in a China Shop by Katie Weaver
Mary Louise Loses Her Manners by Diane Cuneo
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown
One Smile by Cindy McKinley
Quentin Fenton Herter III by Amy MacDonald
Rules of the Wild by Bridgit Levin
School for Bandits by Hannah Shaw

Flannels, Songs and Story Extensions

Fussy Eater Song
(To tune of “Mulberry Bush”)
This is the way we eat our food,
Eat our food, eat our food
This is how we eat our food,
The fussy eater way

Nibble, nibble, pick-pick-pick
Pick-pick-pick, pick-pick-pick
Nibble, nibble, pick-pick-pick
The fussy eater way

Before I Eat My Meals
(To the tune of: “Happy & You Know It”)Oh, before I eat my meals, I wash my hands
Oh, before I eat my meals, I wash my hands
Oh it’s very smart I think – to wash those germs right down the sink
Oh, before I eat my meals, I wash my hands

Oh before I eat my meals, I set my place
Oh before I eat my meals, I set my place
With a fork a knife a spoon, and a plate, there’s lots of room
Oh before I eat my meals, I set my place

Oh, before I eat my meals, I pass the food
Oh, before I eat my meals, I pass the food
Oh, it would be very rude, if I didn’t share the food
Oh, before I eat my meals, I pass the food

If You're Friendly And You Know It  (Tune of "Happy and You Know It")
...wave hello
... just say please
... say "thank you"
... say you're sorry

This is the Way We
This is the way we pass the food,
Pass the food, pass the food
This is the way we pass the food,
When we’re at the dinner table…

This is the way we say please and thank you,
Please and thank you, please and thank you
This is the way we say please and thank you
When we’re at the dinner table…

Then we say, “Can I be excused?”
Can I be excused? Can I be excused?
Then we say, “Can I be excused”
To leave the dinner table…

Three Nice Mice
(To the tune of: "Three Blind Mice")
Three nice mice, three nice mice
See how nice they are, see how nice they are
They're always polite when they nibble their cheese
They never forget to say thank you or please
They cover their noses whenever they sneeze
Those three nice mice...

Books That Translate Well Into Flannel or Puppet Stories
The Mightiest by Keiko Kasza
That Apple Is Mine! by Katya Arnold