Book Prop Kits

The Aminal
by Lorna Balian
Like a good game of post office, this story combines word of mouth communication with children's' imaginations and comes up with an animal of monstrous proportions.  As you tell the story you "eat" lunch and at the end pull out the animal to the delight of your audience.

Benny's Pennies
by Pat Brisson
Basic addition and subtraction are clearly presented in this story in which Benny, the generous hero, has five pennies burning a hole in his pocket.  Benny spends his small fortune one penny at a time keeping in mind the helpful suggestions of his family.   Along with basic math concepts this story and prop also provide a wonderful opportunity to talk about giving and sharing.

New Biggest Best Snowman
by Margory Cuyler
 Little Nell's family doesn't miss a chance to pigeonhole her as being too little to be of much good to anyone, even herself. Nell, however has a secret support group in her animal friends in the woods and together they build an amazing snowman, surprising even Nell. When she returns home she announces that she has built something impressive. Incredulous at the sight of it, her mother and sisters are astonished at her accomplishment and suddenly see Nell in a new light. This is the kind of book we rarely see. It has a strong uplifting message without being preachy combined with hilarious illustrations which add real dimension to the text. 

Cake That Mack Ate
by Rose Robart
Farmer plants seed to grow corn to feed a chicken to lay an egg to make a cake to...ooh no!  not to be eaten by the dog!!  This story is about the making of a cake with a surprise ending.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
by Judi Barrett
This prop is the first one offered by the Book Props company.  This classic prop is built around a large blue hat which represents the sky.  Off of the hat and from under the brim tumble a large assortment of soft sculpture food. 

Elmer
by David McKee
Feeling different and wanting to conform are often recurring issues for us all.   The successful resolution of this conflict is depicted by the elephant, Elmer.   He learns in the course of the story that it is what is different about him that is the most wonderful and the most valuable. 

Froggy Gets Dressed
by Jonathan London
What teacher, parent or child hasn't sung the "I Hate Dressing for Winter" blues?  In a comical book full of simple language, great sounds and drawings young Froggy attempts to get dressed for a snowy excursion but keeps having to return home for yet another forgotten item of clothing.  At the end the weary but wiser young frog does what we'd all like to do and goes back to bed.

Go Away Big Green Monster
by Ed Emberley
This book combines its strong message about how to successfully cope with fears with striking visuals and comes out a winner.  You will find this a perfect prop to use around Halloween or anytime you need to do the monster mash!

A Halloween Mask for Monster
by Virginia Mueller
This story supports kids feeling good about themselves.  In this book, with simple language and wonderful drawings, Monster tries on a series of masks for Halloween and ends up deciding that his face is the best face of all.  This Halloween monster is a great spokesman at any time of year for the joys of being yourself.

Hi, Pizza Man!
by Virginia Walter
This is a simple story about a mother keeping her child occupied until their pizza is delivered.. It has animal sounds, and teaches patience.

Humbug Witch
by Lorna Bahan
This great Halloween story about a young wanna-be-witch and her sidekick, Fred, will entertain your young audiences as the true, less-than-supernatural identity of the heroine is revealed.

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
by Nadine Bernard Westcott
This classic story/song explains with indisputable logic to young minds the dire consequences of eating a fly. 

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie
by Alison Jackson
This old lady definitely learned a thing or two from her fly-eating sister; her digestive crisis stems from the ingestion of an entire Thanksgiving Day pie. 

I Went Walking
by Sue Williams
So begins a young boy's exciting adventure with a menagerie of  colorful animals.  Children will enjoy identifying the animals and colors, and reciting the rhythmic text over and over.. 

If You Give A Moose A Muffin
by Laura Numerous
Sequel to the delightful story If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.   In this story a young boy goes over the consequences of giving a moose a muffiin.

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie
by Laura Numeroff
This popular circular story describes in detail the hazards of offering a cookie to a mouse.

Imogene's Antlers
by David Small
This is a cute and funny story about coping with a difficult situation.   Imogene wakes up and she has antlers on her head.  She and her family deal with the situation in many humerous ways.

It's Mine
by Leo Lionni
Tale of three selfish frogs that learn to share when a flood comes to their small island.  They find comfort in sharing the same hopes and fears.  When the flood subsides they have a new respect for their friends and their surroundings.

The Lady With the Alligator Purse
by  Nadine Bernard Westcott
Ahhh, another cautionary tale about the dangers of overconsumption. This story's young hero, Tiny Tim, ends up with a whale of a bellyache after ingesting bathwater, soap and nearly the bathtub too in the course of a swimming lesson.  Diagnosis and cure are keenly debated by a doctor, a nurse, and the lady with the alligator purse.

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
by Linda Williams
Facing fears and dealing constructively with them is the underlying theme of this sweet story.  This is a perfect harvest time prop.

Lunch
by Denise Fleming
Story of a young mouse who is famished.  In fact he is so hungry that when he starts eating, he can''t stop. The children will enjoy identifying the colors of the foods, and guessing what fruit or vegetable he will eat next.  This is one book about colors that make the plain old primaries look positively pale.

Miss Nelson is Missing
by James Marshall
Class of students look high and low when their wonderful teacher whom they were inconsiderate and unappreciative of disappears and is replaced by a mean old witch like substitute. This story points out the folly of being unappreciative and inconsiderate.

The Mitten
by Jan Brett
The Ukranian tale about a lost mitten becoming the temporary winter home to a variety of forest animals is sure to captivate your young audience. 

New Mrs. Spitzer's Garden
by Edith Pattou
Mrs. Spitzer is a bit of an eccentric. She has a cozy and inviting classroom but her amazing skills of intuition are revealed in her gardening. The Principal regularly gives Mrs. Spitzer a packet of new seeds for her metaphoric garden. Like those of you who work with children on a daily basis, she knows how to encourage each and every seedling, watching, standing back, analyzing, and allowing individuals to thrive and grow.

Nettie Jo's Friends
by Patricia McKissack   ill by Scott Cook
Southern tale of friendship and generosity.

Once There Was a Bull...Frog
by Rick Walton
I have a friend who always finishes everyone's sentences.  I thought she must have written this book so I was surprised to see that Rick Walton had.  A frog who has lost his hop is the subject of this western cliffhanger.  Frog looks for the oddest places.  The fun of this book is the language and the way it's used to make this book a page turner.  The words hint at one image and the illustrations another.  

Parts
by Tedd Arnold
This story is about a boy who is convinced his body is falling apart based on, we have to agree,s ome rather compelling evidence.  Hair in the comb, belly button lint, peeling skin, mysterious nose emissions and a loose tooth lead this highly imaginative lad to suspect that, part by part, his body will unravel and he'll end up in pieces.  It doesn't get more fun than this!

Piggybook
by Anthony Brown
An eye opening story of a mother who did everything for her inconsiderate family, who did not appreciate her.  One day she leaves and the family  literally goes to the pigs.  In the end mom comes home and the family shares the responsibilities of the house hold chores.

Pigs' Picnic
by Keiko Kasza
In a story giving gentle support to the message that we are fine, just the way we are we met Miss Pig and Mr. Pig.  Mr. Pig wants to ask Miss Pig to a picnic but momentarily lacking self-confidence, unwisely borrows mane, stripes and tail from three well-meaning friends.

The Rainbow Fish and Rainbow Fish to the Rescue
by Marcus Pfister
This charming Swiss story tells the tale of the beautiful Rainbow fish who must learn to share his cherished scales in order to find real happiness.  This book and prop are wonderful tools for reinforcing the idea that one is strengthened not diminished by giving and sharing.  Rainbow Fish to the Rescue is the sequel to The Rainbow Fish.  The books and props are both in the same box.

Sam's Sandwich
by David Pelham
With wonderful rhyming language, this story of Samantha and her brother Sam making a sandwich together will both stand your hair on end and get your stomach growling.   As Samantha enthusiastically builds her sandwich, Sam slyly slips creepy, crawly creatures between each layer.  The lunchroom may be quieter than usual after your audience hears this tale!

Seven Blind Mice
by Ed Young
Story of seven brightly colored mice that will captivate your audience and lead them to discoveries of color, the days of the week, and one of the truest paths to wisdom.

Some Smug Slug
by Pamela Duncan Edwards
Set in Oregon, where the summers are short.  When the rains finally stop in spring they scurry out and garden like crazy.  Their enemy is the slug, the slimy preposterous creature who thrives in the soggy climate.  You'll love the language in this book and there are some surprises to look for in the illustrations.  You may not want to tell this story right before lunch.

Splash
by Ann Jonas
This beautifully illustrated book about the comings and goings in a well visited pond will provide you and your audience with a wonderful opportunity to practice counting.   Four goldfish and two catfish are a constant in the pond which has a variety of other creatures splashing in and out in various combinations.

The Surprise
by George Shannon
Squirrel wanted to give his mother a birthday present, but he had already given her everything he could think of.  So the day before her birthday he calls her and tells her that he is sending her a surprise, to open as soon as possible.  Mother squirrel opens box after box after box until her surprise pops out.  Do you want to know what the surprise is?  If so read the book!

New Thunder Cake
by Patricia Polacco
All of us want this grandmother for our very own, a woman with her priorities squarely in order. With an approaching storm and her granddaughter cowering under the bed in fright, Grandma decides to bake a thunder cake. One by one the two generations gather the needed ingredients from the farm--the eggs, milk, sugar and flour, tomatoes and strawberries. Scurrying into the safety of the kitchen they melt, sift, churn and finally pour the cake into pans in the waiting oven. Then the sweet old woman sits and convinces her granddaughter just how brave she has been and the young girl must agree. When the cake finally emerges and is frosted, and the storm is in full force overhead, the two sit down, snug in the cozy house with hot and steaming cups of tea and relish their treasured cake

Too Much Noise
by Ann McGovern
Just when we think something's awful, something worse happens and we find ourselves pining for the past.  An old man named Peter thinks his house is unbearably noisy.  He asks a wise man for advice and is told to get himself a cow to park in his living room.  Instead of seeing the error in his logic he goes back again and again to the wise man and eventually finds himself living with a donkey, a sheep, a hen, a dog and a cat.  Peter finally comes to his senses, releases his furry friends and comes to deeply appreciate the quiet he formerly thought too noisy.  Let this be a lesson in creative problem solving.

The Very Lonely Firefly
by Eric Carle
This compelling story features a lonely, newborn firefly who goes looking for the companionship of other fireflies and runs into a succession of misleading lights in the night instead.  His persistence wins out in the end but not before he has mistakenly flown to a lightbulb, a candle, a flashlight, a lantern, the eyes of a dog, cat and owl, car headlights and fireworks.  The prop pieces are lined with glow in the dark paint so you can tell your story with the lights on or off.  This prop will surely "light up" your small group storytelling time!

Where's The Cat?
by Stella Blackstone
This simple but vividly illustrated book clearly presents a variety of prepositions through activities of a very busy cat.  On, up, under, behind, in, by, with....that cat is everywhere!

Wolf's Chicken Stew
by Keiko Kasza
This is another story where kindheartedness proves to be stronger than greed.   In this case a hungry wolf goes looking for chicken stew and ends up becoming the provider and friend to a mother hen and her many chicks.

Also available for checkout:
Aprons & More Library Unit Apron Kit