Susan Stephenson
Here is a list of picture books I've reviewed, or had recommended to me, that I believe make ideal books to use for performance with children.
"From the creator of Penguin and the Tilly and Friends series comes a wicked, rollicking read-aloud which asks the question: Is a lion still a lion if he … wears a hat? And carries an umbrella? Is a lion still a lion if he … arrives at your door and invites himself in with a “How do you do?” (Isn’t he polite!) And is a lion still a lion if he asks for a dance? What about when he licks his lips and says, “Oh yes, lunch would be lovely, thank you...” Is a lion still a lion then?" (Walker Books) Check out my review at The Book Chook.
"It’s perfect to share with kids because it has lots of opportunities for movement and noise-making.
Let's play music, make a beat. Clap your hands and stamp your feet." Read more at The Book Chook.
While some picture books can be used almost verbatim as text for say, reader's theatre, Go to Sleep Jessie lends itself more to being a first step or focus for improvised action and other drama skills. This is a picture book that really resonates with kids.
Because it's a cumulative story, In the Lion makes a good picture book for kids to both memorise and bring to life. Check out my review at The Book Chook.
"I’m a Dirty Dinosaur is perfect for performance. Divide a class into groups and ask kids to work out ways to present it. After their presentations, discuss ways to make the communications more effective. Consider voice, props, setting, bodies, movement, actions, faces, eye contact, adding percussion and/or instruments, body percussion, dividing the text, repeating certain parts… Try again and refine until presentations are ready for an audience." Grab more ideas at The Book Chook.
" The Wrong Book is ideal as a focus for improvisation. Kids could innovate on the main idea, acting out scenes from well-known tales and have them interrupted by something or someone. Or they could re-create scenes from the book, making still pictures with their bodies, then coming to life when a character enters and interrupts." Read more at The Book Chook.
I Just Ate my Friend is a picture book that will make kids laugh. I think audiences will enjoy children presenting it as a focus for improvisation of their own - perhaps a combination of improvised scenes, a chosen sentence or two to repeat as a chorus and masks inspired by the illustrations? Read my review at The Book Chook.
What is the children's picture book, The Ugly Five, all about? Strong rhyme and rhythm, lots of fun and some actual learning about some very odd animals. Great for reader's theatre! Read my review at The Book Chook.
Teacher, writer and book reviewer who's passionate about children's literature and helping kids have fun with learning. Blogger at www.thebookchook.com
