La la la! Picture Books You Can Sing!

Singing with children seems to be a no-brainer. It's fun, and if you sing a soft lullaby at bedtime, it lulls them to sleep. But singing together has even more great benefits!

Singing songs helps children train their ear to hear the many parts that make up words, including rhymes, letter sounds, and syllables. From songs they learn new vocabulary (does anyone talk about their water spout in regular conversation?) and gain background knowledge. It helps with memory, motor coordination, and so much more! So, in the words of the late, great Joe Raposo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW_PU7WwCAc

Here are some of my favorite books you can sing:

EVERY LITTLE THING by Bob Marley, Cedella Marley, and Vanessa Brantley-Newton

When I shared this in storytime, all the grownups sang along to the refrain! It's a lovely message and the additional words make it ever more relatable to a child's experience.

IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT (and many, many others!) by Jane Cabrera

Jane Cabrera is the absolute QUEEN of picture books to sing. Her version of this song, as well as others such as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Row Row Row Your Boat" are storytime staples. The bright, colorful illustrations are perfect for toddlers and her additional verses make sense and rhyme beautifully.

MONSTERS IN THE BRINY by Lynn Becker and Scott Brundage

This fun pirate adventure is sung to the tune of "What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor" and features amazing vocabulary and a variety of sea monsters - some lesser known. The rhyming text fits the tune perfectly and the energetic illustrations feature diverse child pirates. Perfect for "Talk Like a Pirate Day" - or any day, really!

OVER IN THE GARDEN by Janna Matthies and Tisha Lee

This is a pitch-perfect version of the traditional "Over in the Meadow" song that depicts children caring for a community garden. Matthies' rhymes work so well and the colorful, playful illustrations pair well with the bouncy nature of the tune.

POP! GOES THE NURSERY RHYME by Betsy Bird and Andrea Tsurumi

Think this is a simple retelling of traditional nursery rhymes? Think again! The weasel keeps popping up (literally) in all the wrong places. Kids will love chiming in whith every "POP! Goes the weasel!"

THE RICE IN THE POT GOES ROUND AND ROUND by Wendy Wan-Long Shang and Lorian Tu

This multi-award winning twist on "The Wheels on the Bus" celebrates a family gathering round the table for a meal, including squishing tofu and slurping noodles. A pronunciation guide is included at the back. This book is sure to make you hungry!

THE SEALS ON THE BUS by Lenny Hort and G. Brian Karas

There's a good reason why this book, originally published in 2003, has stayed in print - it's SO. MUCH. FUN. Sung to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus" (obviously) this chaotic bus ride includes the titular seals, tigers, snakes, bunnies, skunks, and lots of bewildered people delightfully depicted by Karas.

TWELVE DINGING DOORBELLS by Tameka Fryer Brown and Ebony Glenn

The holiday song "12 Days of Christmas" is reimagined into a song celebrating a family gathering. A little girl is trying to get a piece of grandma's sweet potato pie but the doorbell keeps ringing, bringing more and more guests into the home! Glenn's digital collage illustrations are sweet and colorful.

TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE CAR by Kate Dopirak and Mary Peterson

Young transportation fans will adore this twist on "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." A little red car goes around town saying goodnight to all the other vehicles, until it finally reaches its own garage to sleep. The bright, blocky illustrations are just right for toddlers.

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD by Bob Thiele, George David Weiss, and Tim Hopgood

I love this book so much I learned how to play the song on the ukulele so that I could sing and play it in storytime. This is the well-known song performed most famously by Louis Armstrong, made even more impactful by Hopgood's gorgeous crayon/collage-style illustrations. I want to live in the world of this book. See also: Hopgood's illustrated version of SINGING IN THE RAIN.

THE WHEELS ON THE TUK TUK by Kabir Sehgal, Surishtha Sehgal and Jess Golden

Take a ride on a tuk tuk in this international take on "The Wheels on the Bus!" People get on and off while the rupees go "ching ching ching" and the tuk tuk wala says "squish in together!" Lively watercolor illustrations capture the fun ride.