I learned a new storytime song! I recently visited my family in California and took my niece to a storytime where I picked up this earworm. If you are nervous about using puppets in storytime, this song is for you! Here are the reasons I like it:
- Repetitive, easy-to-remember lyrics for you and families alike
- It’s got kid appeal – the concept is funny and so is making the animals sing the ABCs
- You can adapt to fit whatever puppets you have on hand
- The puppets act as a visual cue, helping babies, toddlers, and ESL families learn animal words
- You don’t have to be a puppet expert -just grab the puppets one after the other and sing along
- The prevalence of animal sounds is great for phonological awareness
Have I convinced you yet? Take a listen to this version from the Anaheim Public Library in English and Spanish.
This video credits Bill Wellington, but I also found a version by Stuart Stotts and Tom Pease and I haven’t been able to track down who the copyright belongs to.
Here are the lyrics:
There’s a dog in school, oh no!
What are we going to do?
As long as there’s a dog in school
He’ll have to learn his alphabet, too!
(Sing ABCs in dog by woofing it)
Final Verse:
There are kids in school, oh no!
What are we going to do?
As long as there are kids in school,
They’ll have to learn their alphabet, too!
(Sing ABCs together)
I recommend alternating the animal pronouns (they, she, he) or simply using “it.”
Need more easy puppet ideas? Try When Cows Get Up in the Morning, Who’s in the Barnyard, or Hickory Dickory Dare.
What are you favourite songs and rhymes to use with puppets? Let’s share in the comments!
Yes!!! I love and use this song often. Stuart Stotts and Tm Pease are in my neck of the woods, so I use a lot of their music and we have had them here as performers too.
So cool! If you happen to have their CD with this song could you check to see who the copyright belongs to? I’d love to know.
This is great! It reminds me of one of our kid’s favorite animal sounds songs, The Animals Sing Old MacDonald 🙂 Did you teach us that, or did I make that up?? After 15 years of storytimes, I’ve not kept up with noting credits for all the songs I use as I do create a a good number of them myself!
The song starts out the same – we sing Old MacDonald had a Farm – then a puppet pops up and whispers in my ear and I say “Hey! Cow wants to sing this, too! Can you help her?” and everybody sings “Moo moo moo moo moo moo moo, moo moo moo moo moooooo!” and etc.
Thank you for sharing a fun new puppet song. I know the kids are going to love this – and this time, I’ll remember to note the credits!!
Haha, I don’t think that one was me! I love it though. Give me all the fun and easy puppet songs!
That is adorable! I’m going to try this in my next storytime!
Terrific! And boy, can this librarian sing! Lovely!
Right? Also impressed that this video is from 2014! They were way ahead of the game.
I know the kids in my group who will love this.
Yay! I’d love to know how it goes.
That’s something I love about taking my kiddo to other libraries, I always come away inspired!
Totally! I was also in awe that not one toddler came and ripped off the felt pieces. My niece was able to tell me the 3 rules of storytime which including being safe and nice (i.e. don’t run around and take things off the board).
Yes! I have loved this song ever since being introduced to it by Miss Carole, who also credits Bill Wellington: https://www.macaronisoup.com/songs/theres-a-dog-in-school.htm
I feel like Rob Reid also might mention it in Animal Shenanigans?
https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/animal-shenanigans-twenty-four-creative-interactive-story-programs-preschoolers
Dang my library doesn’t have that book. If anyone does they could check who he cites. And I feel very late to the game on this one, but it goes to show there’s never an end to learning!
How do we feel about signing the alphabet while we make the animal sounds?
I thought it was fun 🙂
I’m totally down with this song, but I’m going to alternate “he” pronouns with “they” or “she” to be more inclusive when I switch animals.
That’s what I do too!
Hi Lindsey! Love it! would you recommend other resources for English/Spanish Story Time songs?
You’re in luck! I have a bilingual storytime guide with tons of resources: https://jbrary.com/bilingual-storytime-resources/
I worked with Angel for many years! She is an excellent storyteller!!
So cool! I can tell from the video how talented she is.