May Story Time Themes

My go-to themes for May are connected to spring, growing, flowers, gardens, and Mother's Day.

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Flowers

Suggested Books:

• How to Grow a Friend by Sara Gillingham
• Alison's Zinnia by Anita Lobel
• The Rose in My Garden by Anita Lobel 
• Fantastic Flowers by Susan Stockdale
• This is the Sunflower by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Donald Crews

Extension Activities:

• Five Little Flowers
• Flowers Tall and Small 
• I'm a Little Daisy
• You Are My Flower

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Mothers

Suggested Books:

• Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild by Mem Fox, illustrated by Marla Frazee
• Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara Joosse, illustrated by  Barbara Lavallee
• Mother, Mother, I Want Another by Maria Polushkin Robbins, illustrated by Jon Goodell
• My Mom by Anthony Browne
• The Quilt Story by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Tomie de Paola
• This Quiet Lady by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Anita Lobel

Extension Activities:

• I Asked My Mother for Fifty Cents
• Mother and Father and Uncle John
• Love My Mommy

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Bugs

Suggested Books: 

• Arabella Miller's Tiny Caterpillar by Clare Jarrett 
• Beetle Bop by Denise Fleming 
• Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Bob Barner 
• Butterfly Butterfly by Petr Horacek
• The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
• I Love Bugs! by Philemon Sturges 
• Yoo-Hoo Ladybug by Mem Fox, illustrated by Laura Ljungkvist

Extension Activities:

• Four Colorful Flies
• Ladybugs Fly
• Butterfly Gals
• Flutter Flutter Butterfly

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Gardening

Suggested Books:

• A Garden of Opposites by Nancy Davis 
• In the Garden: Who's Been Here? by Lindsay Barrett George 
• Inch By Inch by David Mallett, illustrated by Ora Eitan 
• My Garden by Kevin Henkes 
• Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott 
• Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
• Whose Garden Is It? by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Jane Dyer 

Extension Activities:

• African Planting Chant
• A Garden Game
• My Garden
• My May Garden

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Fruits & Veggies

Suggested Books:

• The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson
• Jamberry by Bruce Degen
• The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Audrey and Don Wood
• The Pea Patch Jig by Thacher Hurd
• Rah Rah Radishes by April Pulley Sayre 
• Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens

Extension Activities:

• Corn Grows Tall
• Fruit Salad Salsa
• Oats and Beans and Barley Grow
• Picking Fruits and Vegetables