I’m not sure why I thought it was a great idea to do a bunch of animal-themed storytimes in the months BEFORE our animal-themed summer reading program, but here we are. Kids love animals, so it’s probably okay to do a bunch on them! There were so many great books for pets that I had lots of trouble deciding which to feature.
The flannel pieces I made from “scratch,” starting with clipart from Canva and building the layers. Since there are lots of potential pets, there was plenty of options to choose from, so I did as many animals as I could, and probably still left out a few. It was another labor of love, with some tiny pieces. Does anyone else feel like they ruin anything they add paint to? I just have NOT gotten a handle on how to make puffy paint look good. Overall, though, I’m happy with how it turned out.
See another version of this theme from 2025 here.
You can see the virtual program that does not include the full books read aloud here.
Early Literacy Tip: Even before your child can read on their own, books are a great way to work on visual literacy skills. Let them “read” the pictures to you – they’ll learn to pick up details, tell a narrative, and appreciate how illustrations can tell a story as well as text. Books like Dog in Charge or even wordless picture books are great for this exercise.
Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello
Discussion: Who has a pet at home? What kind? What do you love about them? If not, what kind of pet would you get if you could? Some of us can’t have pets because we’re allergic, or we don’t have the time or live in a space to properly take care of a pet, so maybe we have pretend pets or stuffed animals.
I adapted this rhyme to fit the pets I made flannels for, and updated the names to reflect a more modern and diverse set of kiddos.
Rhyme: Pet Show
We’re having a pet show in our neighborhood
With prizes for the pets that are good
Blake’s cat is the bravest and Juan’s turtle is cute
Quinn’s dog is funny, while Will’s hermit crab sure can scoot
Ana’s bunny is softest with her silky coat
And Noor’s goldfish is pretty, though all it does is float
Lane has a chameleon that is the best at hiding
And Jin has a snake that is very good at sliding
Khari has a guinea pig that really loves to chew
But my bird’s the only one that can say, “I love you”
Credit: adapted by Ms. Emily from Stratford Library (CT)
Read: Some Pets by Angela DiTerlizzi & Brendan Wenzel
Flannel Activity: Pet Voices
This my pet _____ . They make this sound ______.
(for example)
This is my pet fish. They make this sound: “Glub Glub”
Get creative with noises! Dog, cat, bird, snake, rabbit, lizard, turtle, etc.
Credit: Jen in the Library
Song: How Much is that Pet in the Window?
How much is that doggy in the window? Woof woof!
The one with the waggily tail?
How much is that doggy in the window? Woof woof!
I do hope that doggy’s for sale
Additional verses: (What do other animals do and say?)
Kitty…meow…whiskers so long
Bird… tweet tweet…flappity wings
Rabbit…hop hop…hoppity legs
Fish… glub glub… swimmy fins
Credit: Jen in the Library
Update 6/17/21: I recently used this song at an outreach event and played it on ukulele. It was a hit!
Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet here!
I used the template at kizclub.com for this one. I’m a little extra, so I used an exacto knife to cut out some of the white spaces before laminating. I also changed up the animal pronouns instead of defaulting male as the book does.
Flannel Retelling: Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
I love this title so much. There’s some inference needed to understand what’s going on in the story, so don’t be afraid to talk it out with a younger group, but it’s just such a sweet book.
Read: Alfie by Thyra Heder
Action Rhyme: I Had a Little Turtle
I had a little turtle (make turtle with fist – thumb is the head)
His name was Tiny Tim
I put him in the bathtub
To see if he could swim.
He drank up all the water (glub, glub)
He ate up all the soap (munch, munch)
And when he woke up next morning
He had bubbles in his throat! (bubbly noises)
Credit: Jbrary
Action Rhyme: Can You?
(act out each line)
Can you hop like a rabbit?
Can you creep like turtle in a bog?
Can you stalk like a cat?
Can you run like a dog?
Can you slither like a snake?
Can you swim like a fish?
Can you sit down now and listen
And be as still as this?
Credit: adapted from Jen in the Library
I went back and forth on whether to read this one or Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He’s the Favorite. Both are great. Dog in Charge is a little shorter, though, so it won out.
Read: Dog in Charge by K.L. Going & Dan Santat
Ukulele Song: The Goldfish by The Laurie Berkner Band, from the album Victor Vito
Get a downloadable ukulele songsheet for “The Goldfish” here!
Craft: Fishbowl
Paper plate crafts are great. I love that it (hopefully) shows parents that they don’t need fancy art supplies to let their kids get creative. For this one, I took inspiration from Sunflower Storytime (who, in turn, credits Daisy Cottage Designs), and mine turned out to be a mix of the two. Since I had just given out cereal last week, I decided to use some leftover dried beans as the aquarium rocks, and used green tissue paper to make the underwater plant. If you don’t have beans, puffed rice would make a lighter alternative. I liked the look of the multicolored beans, though. I had two plants only because I had alternative directions on how to make two kinds, but gave the kids material enough for just one.
I also suggested these alternative titles during the permanent YouTube video.
Lola Gets a Cat by Anna McQuinn & Rosalind Beardshaw
Take Your Pet to School Day by Linda Ashman & Suzanne Kaufman
Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He’s the Favorite by Stacy McAnulty & Edward Hemingway
Closing Rhyme: Tickle the Stars
This storytime was presented virtually on 3/9/21.
Storytime Handout:
Storytime with Ms. Emily Library 
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