5 May Storybooks to Engage & Entertain Your Students in the Music Classroom.

Today we're going to be discussing five fantastic storybooks that you can use to engage and entertain your students in the music classroom this May. These books cover a range of topics, from Cinco de Mayo to Mother's Day to springtime adventures, and are sure to capture your students' imaginations. So without further ado, let's dive in!

Book 1: "Cinco de Mayo - Senorita Mariposa, by Ben Gundersheimer

This rhyming storybook tells the tale of the monarch butterfly's journey from Canada to Mexico. It's written in both Spanish and English, making it a great way to introduce your students to bilingual storytelling. You can use this book to teach your students about Cinco de Mayo and Mexican culture while also exploring the musical traditions of the region.

Book 2: "The Runaway Bunny" by Margaret Wise Brown

This classic book is perfect for Mother's Day. It tells the story of a bunny who runs away, but no matter where he goes, his mother always finds him. You can use this book to explore the theme of love and family in music, and even have your students create their own songs about their moms.

Book 3: "Let's Go Froggy" by Jonathan London

In this book, Froggy and his dad go on a fun spring bike ride, but not before Froggy has to get ready. This book is a great way to teach your students about the changing seasons and how they can be reflected in music. You can even have your students create their own songs about springtime adventures.

Book 4: "Hands Off My Honey" by Jane Chapman

Bear doesn't want to share his honey, but there's a surprise at the end of this book that will delight your students. You can use this book to teach your students about sharing and cooperation, and even incorporate some musical activities that require teamwork.

Book 5: "Little Quack" by Lauren Thompson

This book is all about Mama duck and her ducklings as they leave the nest and jump into the pond to swim. Except for Little Quack, that is. You can use this book to teach your students about bravery and overcoming fear, and even create your own songs about courage and taking risks.

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This episode is brought to you by stories that sing. Do you love storybook lessons as much as I do? That's great because you can get three for free just by going to stories that sing dotnet forward slash lesson plan sampler. See you there

are you an elementary music teacher who's frustrated and overwhelmed? I'm Jeanette Shorey, a happy music teacher who loves teaching every day. But it wasn't long ago, I was in your shoes. Join me Wednesdays to help you find happy in your music classroom.

It was the beginning of May, and I was teaching that class. They were fidgety and chatty. And I was truly trying to teach them a little something new. In preparation for our last unit of the school year, I literally couldn't get two words out before someone interrupted me, or started doing a silly little dance when I wasn't looking.

I was so done. But I took a pause. And I thought to myself, You know what, I just can't, I stopped what I was doing. And I decided, You know what, this particular class doesn't need any new information at this time of the year, they are so distracted. And all I'm doing is walking over and over into a brick wall. And you know how they say the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over again and getting the same result? Well, I just decided that I wasn't going to do that anymore. And I have really made that a policy in the last maybe five years of my teaching career that if something's not working, I am not going to beat my head against that brick wall. I am going to change it and find a way to make it better, not just for me, but also for my kiddos. So here's what I did. My kids were not these particular kids because they had not earned a reward date in a while. But after this class, they did earn a reward day and there will be more on reward days later in another episode. But what I wanted to tell you is choose your own exit music is a reward day that I use and my kiddos in this particular year, which was maybe two years ago, we're choosing they were choosing this song called Crab rave. And I will link to it in the show notes. It is in my students opinion, absolutely hysterical. I think it's kind of cool. I really liked the music. But I can't tell you that I find the video as funny as they do. But the the crabs are like dancing around. It's I mean, I guess it's pretty funny. But I don't find it as funny as they do. Anyway. So there's this funny video that goes along with the song Krabbe rave. And so I put that on. And I literally like stopped, I was right in the middle of a lesson and I stopped and I was like I can't and I said to the boys and girls. Okay, we're going to stop and we're going to regroup and I want you to watch this video and then we're going to do something with it. And I tend to be really, really good at flying by the seat of my pants. Not everyone is comfortable with it, of course. But for me, I'm really good at stopping and just pivoting. So what I did is I came up with a rhythm, a rhythm play for the song while they were watching the video. And that was the beginning of just a whole new policy for me in especially starting after spring break. So from spring break until the end of the school year. We do not learn anything new in any of my classes because it doesn't work. I mean, I've been reading about it all over Facebook. Haven't you been reading that? Everybody's like, oh my gosh, the kindergarteners are falling out of their chair and they're doing this and the second graders are talking over me and you know, even the kiddos who are usually so good.

The last maybe

six weeks of school, maybe even more than that, if we're being honest, are just so challenging. So what I did is I just decided no more. We are going to do fun and active and engaging and pull out all the manipulatives I mean, we've been talking about this, right?

Okay, my lovelies, we are coming down to the homestretch of the school year. And let's be real things are getting a little wacky, right? It's May. That's why I'm calling it may madness. The weather's getting warmer, summer breaks on the horizon. And not only are your kiddos starting to bounce off the walls and feel that oh, my gosh, it's almost summer break. But you're feeling it too. And you're tired. I mean, I'm reading about people who have had like, I had a friend call me the other day and be like, Oh, my gosh, Jeanette, I have a I forget what she calls it an info. I don't know, whatever, whatever she calls it. It's a really cool term. I have to go back and ask her. But basically, what she does is she gets the parents in. And they do Oh, she calls it an informants. So it's not a performance. But she has every kindergarten in her school, doing an informants where they are doing something that they would do in the classroom for the parents. And it's a great idea. But not only is she doing that, and she's not the only one because I've been reading a lot of people doing that. She is also doing, I don't know, like off fourth grade performance and acquire performance and IT field trip and I mean, the amount of stuff she's got coming up is absolutely insane. I mean, I am so happy that I don't have nearly that much to do. But I digress. Sorry about that.

in Spanish and English and the illustrations are just wonderful The best part is that there's a song that accompanies the story and I'm going to play you a little bit of the song senorita matassa.

Musa

Senor thematic pasa where responded No sir

layer of butterfly

you just caught my

butterfly through the sky

I mean, how cute is that? Right? So that is the author singing that song. And for those of you who just can't read the same story 26 times in a row, I found a delightful read aloud by the author he calls himself Mr. G. So, you know, I love my movement words in a story book, and a few of my favorite in this one are flying and playing and flash and beating wings. And I love to use the storybook for movement and instrument improvisation. You could also teach your kiddos the song, and use the storybook to introduce your discussion of Cinco Demayo. So, I mean, there's all kinds of cool stuff you can do with this storybook. We also celebrate Mother's Day, during May, as you know if you are a mom, so I found the most adorable book. It's called the runaway bunny. And it's by Margaret Wise Brown. And this is a book about a bunny, who keeps telling his mom he's going to run away. And he tells his mom who's going to become efficient a stream, a rock high on the mountain, a crocus in a hidden garden. And his mom keeps telling him that she's going to transform herself in two different things. In order to find him like she says that she's going to become a fisherman so she can fish and catch him. So it is the perfect way to celebrate Mother's Day because it's all about the love that moms have for their kiddos. And it's also the perfect way to introduce my song, mommy to the rescue, which is all about how mommies are heroes and all the things that mommies do to help their kiddos. I will link to that song, the bundle for that song in the show notes. This book's also a really good way to talk about high and low and to do some moving. The other thing we're celebrating in May is spring. So I have three spring storybooks for you. The first one is called Let's go Froggy. And froggy and dad are going on a fun spring bike ride. But before they go, froggy needs to get ready. And he is taking his time it's taking him for ever. Because he has to go keep looking for things that he's lost. And I can so totally relate to this book. Because I'm telling you my son Taylor, oh my gosh, he's highly intelligent. But he has a very, let's just say artistic brain. And I can say that because I also have an artistic brain. And so like one time 18 years old, I took him to the doctor's, and we get out of the car and he loved to walk around barefoot. So I took him to the doctor's. And I looked down as he was getting out of the car and I was like Taylor shoes. And he goes

and would you believe I had to take him into the doctor's with no shoes on. Another time we were going to a violin lesson because he's a bassoonist now, but he started out as a violinist and we were going to a conservatory lesson, excuse me a conservatory level teacher to give him some really like high level lessons. And it was costing me a small fortune. And he was dropped off by my other son Devin. And when he got in my car I was I was doing a garage sale and he got in my car and he was like, I'm the stupidest person on the face of the earth. And I was like, What are you talking about? And he said, I forgot my violin. So I called the teacher and I was like, I'm so sorry, but he forgot his violin. I don't have time to go back and the violin teacher was like, no problem. I've got extras that happens all the time.

I was like, okay, it happens all the time. So one more I know this is a huge aside, but just too funny not to share. He gets to the violin. Listen, he takes his shoes off because the violin teacher doesn't like to have, you know, shoes on and his house, goes up the stairs does the lesson he does a great job. It's all awesome. We leave the house we get home, he looks down at his feet. He's like, Oh my gosh, Mom, I left my shoes at the violin teacher's house. And I was like, Oh, for goodness sakes. So

I can so relate to this story, because froggy has all of these items he's lost. So this storybook is part of a series of froggy books. They're all playful, and they're so much fun. And I love to use them for my littles. And honestly, I'll even use them through third grade. So the best part is all the wonderful sound words you're going to find in the story. There's like zoop, ends up and Z and swish and flop and bonk. And I mean, the list goes on and on. There are tons of vocal exploration opportunities. And I love to use instrument play opportunities as well. I mean, there are countless ones of them. I love to say the sound words and my silly voices like zoom. And then my kids echo it, and then I'll be like, zoo, zoo.

And they'll have to echo it and then like,

and you know, so I'll do some really funny voices. And that's such a wonderful opportunity for your littles to explore the way that their voices can sound. And to kind of get them in that mode of, you know, using their voices in ways they're not used to, the more you can do that, the more comfortable they're going to be with singing and with exploring ways that they don't use their voices normally. So that is, let's go Froggy.

Then we have hands off my honey by JANE CHAPMAN. And this was the discovery that at my little school that I talk about all the time that I go to on Thursdays, they give away books, like all the time, and I have to, like ask the librarian, why they're giving away these books. But there's always a box of books, I'm not sure why they're getting rid of them. But whatever the case may be, I am going through those boxes every time they're there. So I found this adorable book. And it's all about a bear who it seems like he doesn't want to share his honey. But there's a surprise at the end. And by the way, I'm going to put my Amazon affiliate links into the show notes. So you have them there. So this is a lively book. It's perfect for a spring day when the bees are buzzing and the sun is shining. And you can talk all about how there's love, there's their honey, and where honey comes from. And it has so many sound words in it. So there's like stomp and stamp and rumble. And sure.

I'll do that with my kids. I also found snap and follow up. And I love to use this book with my littles and we'll do some improvisation. So I hand out the frame drums. And it gives me a chance to review how to play the front frame drum because you know what happens? They get that drum and they put it on the floor and they're like banging away at it and you're like, oh my gosh, that sounds terrible. So I love to tell my students, we are making beautiful music and not nasty noise. So I will demonstrate how to use the frame drum. And then we will go through and I'll put on some fun music. And I'll just do all of these different ways to play the filler frame drum I really well you might tap it with our fingertips, and then we might do like a finger tap. And then we might do a whole hand bounce where we cup our hands. So it makes that nice, resonant, boomy sound, and then we might scratch it. And I mean, we will go to town on all the different ways we can play our frame drums and you want to give your kids a frame of reference first, and then with my littles. I will do the improvisation and they will just follow me with my second graders and honestly my third graders these days, I can add either a group of instruments or I can give them the opportunity to use the frame drums and improv on the frame drums once we've kind of explored those waters. So if you're going to use a group of instruments think like frame drums or Congas or two banners or something like that for stamp and stamp. The maracas could be for rumble and shook and rhythm sticks for things like snap and tip toe. These are also

Good movement words. So if you have the time, you can introduce them first as movement words. And then they can become sound words later. And I love to call them movement words and sound words with my kiddos, because then they're going to be looking for those as well. So my next spring storybook is called Little quack. And it is to use an Alabama word precious. And it is by Lauren Thompson. And Mama duck is like, oh my gosh, my ducklings are getting so big. And I think it's time for them to leave the nest. So they all jump in the pond one at a time to swim with her except for a little quack. And this book is so cute. It even has like a counting element to it. And it's perfect for your pre K through your second graders. It again has lots of movement words, because this time of the year, we are doing way more movement than we normally do. And I'm going to tell you, I do a ton of movement, especially with my littles always but even more this time of the year, so there's like plop and splash, paddle and March. And you can also what I love to do is find like a good ducky waddle song and model each movement and then I let my kids do the model move they get to do the movement back. There's also a really cute cheerful repeating pattern. And it goes no mama, no, I'm too scared. And I have a really cute song that goes with this one as well that that's kind of goes along with it. So and obviously if you're gonna write a melody to no mama, no, I'm too scared. You may want to make it in a minor key just to make it sound more like the little duckling is scared. So there you have it. Let me go back and give you all of those storybooks. One more time. We've got Senorita Mariposa by Ben goondas Shimer, and again, I'll be linking these in the show notes. And this one has in it movement, and instrument play, and all those wonderful illustrations plus the song that accompanies the story. Then for Mother's Day, we've got the runaway bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown, and it's all about that bunny who is running away. And I love to use that one for high and low. And you know, like when the when the mom is fishing, you can do like a year.

While she's fishing and you know, anything like that. Then for spring we've got let's go froggy by Jonathan London. And that is all about froggy and dad going on the spring bike ride. And all those amazing sound words that you're going to find in there great opportunity for vocal exploration. And also for instrument play. Hands off my honey by Jane, Jane, bear, JANE CHAPMAN, and how bear doesn't want to share his honey, and all those fun sound words and the improvisation on the frame drums. And finally, we have little quack by Lauren Thompson. And that is the repeating pattern. No mama, no, I'm too scared. And you could actually do that. If you don't want to make up a melody. You could also do just a rhythm with that. Now, pro tip that I told you at the very beginning of this episode. Do not try to teach your kiddos in May or especially June if you're going into June. New things this is my opinion. You may disagree with me but do not beat your head against the wall. If it's not working. Regroup, refocus, read pivot and or I should say pivot and do something else. So there you have it. Five picture books are the secret weapon you need to keep your music classroom flowing smoothly during the wild and wacky month of May. Make sure you incorporate lots of storybooks into your music classroom and that's going to keep your students engaged and focused. Even when summer break is calling their names. Why not give it a try and see what you can get up to with your class this month. If you need some direction, some ideas, any questions you might have about these storybooks. Feel free to email me Jeanette at stories that sing.net Well, that's all I have for you today. But before I go, let me remind you, keep learning, keep growing and keep being fabulous. You