Here you will find links to books and stories which are P-Group favourites or are suggested by Mrs Pemberton for reading at home. When enjoying stories in class we use silly voices and great expression to convey character and mood. The first section points you toward some great books for you to try at home. The second, toward some great online storytellers.
Many of our students have visual impairments and so this is one way of accessing the story instead of pictures. The books recommended here are just for reading with your child, there is a separate section for sensory stories (stories enhanced through sensory stimuli), because engaging through listening is an important skill our students need to develop.
Poetry: Over My Toes - A Michael Rosen Poem
Poetry: The Child Who Was Wild - A Poem by Michael Rosen
Storyteller: Josie Lawrence reads 'Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs'
Storyteller: Fox on Box - Read by Laura Miller
Book: Website for 'The Book With No Pictures'
Storyteller: Michael Rosen - You Tube Channel
Michael Rosen Story - Chocolate Cake
Michael Rosen Story - Gymnastics
Michael Rosen Story - Australia
Michael Rosen Story - Babysitter
Michael Rosen Story - Washing Up
Caliban's Speech to Prospero from Shakespeares The Tempest read by Michael Rosen
Michael Rosen Story - Attacked by a Banana
A great example of an expressive story teller is Michael Rosen, indeed P-Group love listening to him read his own poems and stories via his YouTube channel, good examples are ‘Chocolate Cake’ and ‘Australia’. Don’t leave it to him though – a great start is ‘Michael Rosens Book of Very Silly Poems’, you can also find a number of his poems online – see the ‘Online Storytellers’ section.
The P-Group love to listen to stories with repetitive or silly word play. An excellent book for this (and one of our favourites) is ‘The Book with no Pictures’ as recommended on the P-Group Class page of the website. There is also a version called ‘My Book with no Pictures’, which involves parents/carers selecting various words (those which their child finds the funniest!) and inserting them into the story to make their own unique book. If you are unable to get hold of this version then the original is available as a digital download and you can go rouge when reading!
Hurve Tullet’s books are fantastic for interaction with your child. The books encourage you to support your child as they are asked to rub the page, shake the book, press the dot etc. The books help teach cause and effect in a fun and inventive way
I have a soft spot for Kes Grey’s Oi Dog! series having giggled my way through them with my own children. His latest book ‘The Diddle That Dummed’ is another cheeky story with clever repetitive word play, which I know will have several members of the P-Group smiling. I recommend taking a deep breath before you attempt a couple of the pages! Currently available in hardback or as a digital download.
‘Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs’ series are the ultimate favourites in class. I’m not sure if it’s the great story telling, my pirate accent or the extended singing (it seemed like a good idea at the time), but these books never fail to get a response! There are several versions of celebrities reading these online if your voice needs a break, but trust me when I say your child will much prefer you throwing yourself into full character.
Online Storytellers
There are a number of different online ‘storyteller’ resources. We use these in class when students need a break from our teacher voices! A number feature actors or professional storytellers and so are great examples of using expression during storytelling – Mr Michael Rosen being the class favourite. Our Current Michael Rosen story is below – for previous stories please see the links to the side of the page. You will also find links to several other storytellers to the side of the page.
Another good site is Storyline Online (link provided) where actors read a story accompanied by enhanced images from the books. The latest being ‘Zombies don’t eat Veggies’ available in English and Spanish and ‘Trombone Shorty’.