Book 'Em, Bobbi: Theme: Berries

Reason theme was chosen
Focus on seasons and colors

Overview & Purpose
Discuss seasonal fruits, colors, cooking, measuring, rhyming and counting

Books / stories used as songs

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear By Don Wood – BIG BOOK

More Blueberries By Susan Musgraves

Strawberries are Red by Petr Horacek

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes By James Dean

The Very Berry Counting Book By Jerry Pallotta

Strawberries are Red By Petr Horacek

Jamberry By Bruce Degen

Jam and Honey By Melita Morales

The Berry Book by Gail Gibbons

One Little Blueberry by Tammi Salzano

Blueberry Mouse By Alice Low

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Bear Sees Colors By Karma Wilson

Blackberry Booties By Tricia Gardella

Blueberries for Sal By Robert McCloskey (pre-read this if you are reading to a group. There are areas where you can shorten it for preschoolers)

Songs

Fruit Salad Song By the Wiggles

Fruit Salad Salsa Song By Laurie Berkner

Fingerplays / rhymes

Picked a Berry
Pick Berries High

Flannelboard: Five Ripe Berries

New words introduced

Ripe

Activity

Free “paint” with raspberries and blueberries

Materials needed
Cardstock, raspberries and blueberries

Rhyme: Pick Berries High

Pick berries high (reach up high)

Pick berries low (reach down low)

Pick berries on the bush, nine in a row (clap 9x)

Some like them red (palm up)

Some like them blue (other palm up)

Here’s one for me - yum! (eat)

And here’s one for you. (give)

Hand Rhyme: 5 Berries

Five ripe berries sitting in a bowl.

(hold up five fingers)

The _____ fell out and started to roll.
(Hold up finger, and roll hands)

It bumped the table and hit my toe

(clap once, and touch toes)

How many berries in the bowl?

1-2-3-4 (Count berries)

Flannel board: “Five Strawberries”

Five red strawberries, sweet to the core.
Bear came and ate one and then there were four.
Four red strawberries, growing near a tree.
Bear came and ate one and then there were three.
Three red strawberries, for you and you and you.
Bear came and ate one and then there were two.
Two red strawberries, sitting in the sun.
Bear came and ate one and then there was one.
One red strawberry, left all alone.
Bear came and ate it and then there were none.

Other ideas:

Picked a Berry
(Tune: Clementine)

Picked a blueberry, picked a blueberry (picking motion)

That was growing in the sun (circle arms above head)

Then I washed it and I ate it (pretend to eat)

And I picked another one.