I’ve been running through some of my baby storytime files, hoping to brainstorm some ideas for more homemade big books I can make and use.
I started by looking through my Goodreads baby storytime shelf, jotting down my favorite titles and a couple of notes about their structure and content.
One category of books that work for baby storytime is nursery rhymes. Titles like Keith Baker’s “Big Fat Hen” use big bright illustrations to tell just one Mother Goose rhyme. I think there are a couple of other rhymes that I could make into books, too!
Mary Mary Quite Contrary
I want to write one or two more verses to this rhyme, and then each page of my book could be a different kind of flower or plant. I think the flowers could be represented with basic shapes easily enough, and I could use this book in my Garden, Summer, Colors, or Mother Goose storytimes.
Royal Duke of York
This is a rhyme my mom recited to my sister and me all the time. As I was trying to picture illustrations that I could create, I got an image in my head of the Royal Duke teetering on one foot on the top of a mountain (“When you’re up, you’re up!”) and it made me smile. If I made the soldiers look like nutcrackers or toys (rather than real people!), this would be doable for me. I could use it in my Opposites and Fourth of July storytimes.
Rain on the Green Grass
I made a flannel for this rhyme, and wrote an extra verse, but I could make it into a book as well, with one image for each phrase. I’ll add something small, like a ladybug, on every page, to add continuity & more visual interest. I’d use this in Spring and Summer storytimes.
Down at the Station
I could use the train car patterns I just made, to make a book for this rhyme. I’m going to try to make the engine driver be roly-poly to contrast with all the straight lines of the train cars. I can use this book in my Things That Go storytime, of course!
So that’s my first set of ideas for PiBoIdMo! Other categories of stories I’m going to be thinking about are circular stories, yes/no or question/answer books, ABC books, and cumulative/sequence stories.
What’s a picture book YOU’D love to see created for baby storytimes?
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