Today, rather than highlighting new books or books about a particular theme, we thought we would share videos of authors and an illustrator reading their picture books featuring bears. It is terrific to see their enthusiasm and personalities shine as they share these outstanding stories and share storytime fun with bears.
We hope this will be a helpful resource for families who don’t have access to these picture books at home or at their public library.
Ask your child, “Why does Dad want Bear to do small jumps?” “Why does Bear want to do big jumps?” “What time of year is it in this story? Why do you think that?”
Ask your child, “What noise did the family make when they moved through the mud?” “Why did the family stumble in the forest?” “What was inside the narrow, gloomy cave?” “Why won’t the family go on another bear hunt?”
We're Going on a Bear Hunt
Predictable text, rhyming and opportunities for dramatic play make the We're Going on a Bear Hunt chant a favorite with children.
We live very near to several pumpkin patches. At this time of year, the leaves have died away to reveal gorgeous orange fruit. If you and your family have an opportunity to trudge through muddy fields to select just the right pumpkin, be sure to extend your child’s learning with pumpkin theme picture books and printables.
Clayton and Desmond each fall in love with the same pumpkin and are soon working night and day to water and fertilize it. Before long, it is absolutely enormous! One night, as they work to protect the pumpkin from frost, the two young mice meet and discover that they have both been working on the same pumpkin project. Before long, it is time for a pumpkin contest and, together, the new friends enlist the help of dozens of field mice to transport the pumpkin into town.
With only a brief reference to carving a smiling jack-o-lantern face, this story is primarily about caring for the growing pumpkin, discovering a new friend and working cooperatively together. The Biggest Pumpkin Ever is a great opportunity to explore the life cycle of a pumpkin. It will be enjoyed by preschool, kindergarten and early primary age children.
Gorgeous oil paint illustrations in rich Fall colors are a highlight of this book for very young children. Tad Hills (sometimes with Lauren Savage) has written and illustrated an engaging series of books about Duck and Goose. In this story, when Duck and Goose see their friend with a large pumpkin, they decide to find one for themselves. They look EVERYWHERE! It is only when their friend asks if they have looked in the pumpkin patch that they find what they are looking for.
This is a fun and appealing story that young children will especially enjoy before or after a trip to the pumpkin patch. There’s lots of opportunity for vocabulary development and co-‘reading.’
José’s family grows pumpkins and usually they are very careful to only grow the best. One day José and his five brothers discard some ‘lesser’ seeds carelessly. The seeds are blown into town and land on straw roofs and in soil. When spring arrives, the seeds began to grow. Soon intrusive vines push through windows and heavy pumpkins threaten to drop out of trees and off rooftops. José and his family are blissfully unaware of the problem until the brothers venture into town.
Acknowledging their mistake, the boys set about harvesting the pumpkins and returning the town to normal. Observant readers will accurately predict the impact of rewarding the brothers’ hard work by giving them watermelons to eat.
Very good fun for preschool, kindergarten and early primary age children. No reference to Halloween.
Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins Rhyming, counting picture book about harvesting pumpkins written by Dianne Ochiltree and illustrated by Anne-Sophie Lanquetin
Sam Raccoon is confident when she heads out to the pumpkin patch. She pulls a large blue wagon behind her and she is soon filling it with big, lumpy pumpkins. At last the wagon is stacked with sixteen bright orange pumpkins that wiggle and wobble as she pulls it down the bumpy road. Soon, the pumpkins tumble out of the wagon and roll and bounce down the hill to the farmhouse.
Sam runs after the tumbling pumpkins and is disappointed when some are cracked but Grandpa knows exactly what to do with cracked pumpkins. The family gets to work and soon enjoy a delicious dessert.
Engaging illustrations, rollicking rhymes and the chance to count along will have great appeal for preschool, kindergarten and early primary age children.
To access our free Earth day printables, please do the following:
Step 1 – Our early childhood printables, including our Earth Day printables are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access the free PDF downloads. Step 2 – Pin this page, bookmark this page, share this page or “Like” us on Facebook.
Earth Day Recycling Domino Game and Board Game Cards
Print these game pieces onto cardstock and them cut them apart. For the board game, recycle paper scraps to create a fun file folder game board. Playing pieces promote recycling and environmental awareness as players race to the end.
Sharing some fun Prek and Kindergarten St. Patrick’s Day Learning Resources
♣ Picture Book Suggestions for St. Patrick’s Day ♣ Free printable St. Patrick’s Day Fingerplays for Preschool ♣ Free printable Pot of Gold Writing Paper for Beginning Writers ♣ Free printable St. Patrick’s Day Picture Dictionary for Kindergarten ♣ Free printable St. Patrick’s Day Wordsearch for Early Primary
Old Pat and Young Tom decide to compete for the title of ‘Finest Harpist in Ireland.’ They know each other well, Tom learned to play the harp from Old Pat and he is certain that his musical ability has surpassed that of his teacher.
He was much given to boasting and bragging and charging the villagers great amounts of silver for his skills. Old Pat was humble and willing to play his music for free for those who he knew had not the means to pay.’
As the teacher and protege journey from their small town toward the Royal Palace, it occurs to Tom that Old Pat could indeed win the contest so Tom decides to sabotage Old Pat’s harp. Not long after, while camped for the night, the two musicians hear a cry for help. Young Tom is not willing to investigate the problem but Old Pat cannot ignore the plea. Cautiously, he walks through the dark forest to see how he can be of assistance.
In a clearing, he saw a tiny many with his foot down a rabbit hole. Old Pat’s nighttime encounter with a leprechaun leads to all sorts of wonderful magic and an opportunity for Young Tom to learn.
Luminous illustrations enhance this engaging look at two characters and how, when challenged, their decisions impact outcomes. Highly recommended for youngsters aged four years and up, boys and girls will enjoy looking for the sixteen four-leaf clovers hidden throughout the book.
Finn O’Finnegan looked like a rogue and walked like a rascal, so it was widely thought that he was at least one of the other. And his shadow, which followed him closely and knew all of his secrets, might have said he was both.
Finn returns to his hometown only to discover that leprechauns have taken over! They are making shoes day and night in order to earn gold and the tap, tap, tapping is keeping everyone in the town awake. Finn comes up with a clever plan. He angers the leprechauns by finding fault with their creations until they feel they must show him their enormouse pile of gold. Once he knows where they keep their gold, Finn finds the perfect place to hide a pot o‘ gold and eventually restores peace to Dingle.
Delightful illustrations are done with oils and compliment a very enjoyable folklore tale.
Our free early learning printables, including our free St. Patrick’s Day printables are in PDF format, if you don’t already have Adobe Reader, you will need to download it to access the free printables.
Our St. Patrick’s Day Fingerplays for Preschool and Kindergarten
Christmas-theme preschool and kindergarten early learning printables for use at home and in school
As you prepare for the holiday season, we hope our free printables will add to the festivities and fun. We also hope you will share this resource with others.
All of our early learning printables, including these Christmas-theme printables are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to download it to access the files.
Picture dictionaries are useful for young writers and for English language learners.
Christmas Picture Dictionary
Free printable Christmas picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one.
Winter Picture Dictionary
Free printable Winter picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one.
Free Printable Alphabets for Homeschool and Classroom
These printable alphabets can be used for all sorts of learning activities. Print two copies and create a matching/memory game. Cut apart to practice alphabetical order.Decorate your classroom for the season.
Remembrance Day is observed annually in Canada, on November 11th. In the days leading up to November 11th, it is particularly important for adults to find ways to make Remembrance Day meaningful to young children so that they can join with all Canadians in honouring our Veterans, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
A Poppy Is to Remember written by Heather Patterson and illustrated by Ron Lightburn
A Poppy Is to Remember is a wonderful picture book resource for Canadian families, classrooms and libraries.
A Poppy Is to Remember explains, Once there was a long and terrible war – a war some called the Great War. Many young men went off to fight, and many did not return home to their families. As the battle raged, poppies grew in the battlefield and were seen by a Canadian army doctor, John McCrae. McCrae was inspired to write In Flanders Fields, a poem often read at Remembrance Day ceremonies.
Beautifully illustrated, A Poppy Is to Remember salutes John McCrae and shows readers how poppies are used today when remembering the contributions of present day members of the armed forces as well as veterans, those who care for them and those who mourn their loss.
32 pages, suitable for children aged four and up. Additional materials for older children or adults include The Story of the Poppy and Remembrance Day in Canada.
Free Halloween, Thanksgiving and Fall-theme printables for homeschool, kindergarten and preschool.
We love pulling together free preschool and kindergarten printables for young children to enjoy. We have many free Halloween, Thanksgiving and Fall theme kindergarten printables and hope you will check them out. Young children love our colourful Fall theme writing paper and those who are just starting to read and write will have fun with our Fall and Halloween picture dictionaries.
Our early childhood literacy printables, including our free Fall kindergarten printables are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access the downloads. Step 1 – Make sure you have Adobe Reader. If you don’t have it, please click on the ‘Get Adobe Reader’ button to install it for free.
Step 2 – Pin this page, bookmark this page, share this page or “Like” us on Facebook. Step 3 – Choose from any of our 250 free downloads, including these free printable alphabets.
Thanksgiving Picture Dictionary
Free printable Thanksgiving picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one.
Printables for a Halloween-Theme Circle Time or Storytime
For teachers, we have Five Little Ghosts and Five Little Pumpkins – these Halloween rhymes are perfect for circle time. You can easily make a seasonal felt board story with spooky ghosts or bright orange pumpkins.
We have all sorts of goodies lined up for September but thought we would give you a taste today. Our Fall printables include interlined paper (Back to School and Fall themes), a special alphabet, “school” vocabulary and some “Squirrel” goodies.
We are currently pulling together our favourite picture books for autumn – colourful leaves, and crisp, cool days are not far away.
Our early literacy printables, including our Fall printables are in PDF format, if you don’t already used Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access the downloads.
Please note: some of our early literacy printables are available to Storytime Standouts members only. To become a member of the website (without cost or obligation), please click on the “Members” tab and register as a user.
If you appreciate our free early literacy printables,
including these Fall-theme early learning materials,
please support this site by visiting and purchasing from Amazon.com or Amazon.ca.
Enjoy these Fall printables and be sure to let your friends and colleagues know about Storytime Standouts.
A Fall Leaves Alphabet
Attractive free alphabet printable features multi coloured Fall leaves
School Picture Dictionary
Free printable school picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one. Also a great resource for ELL / ESL
Storytime Standouts offers writing paper for (almost) every occasion, check out the entire collection by visiting our writing paper for kids page.
You will also be interested in our new page about gardening with children. It highlights our Planting a Flower Garden sequencing activity and many other great resources for enjoying Spring with young children.
Our early learning printables, including our spring theme printables for kids are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access the downloads.
Some of our early learning printables are available to Storytime Standouts members only. To become a member of the website, please click on the “Members” tab and register as a user.
Spring and Easter Theme Interlined Writing Paper for Preschool and Kindergarten
These are just a few of many free printable writing paper downloads available on this site. Please be sure to check out our Writing Paper for Kids page for many more.
Our free vocabulary printables are great and so versatile. Print onto cardstock. Laminate if you wish. Then, cut apart and create a matching activity or encourage your child to “read” the words (using picture clues). As well, beginning writers love to practice printing the words.
You can create your own categorized picture dictionary if you print more than one. We have many available. Check out our Picture Dictionaries page.
Spring Picture Dictionary
Free printable Spring picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one.
Easter Picture Dictionary
Helpful for children who want to read and write about Easter, this picture dictionary is also suitable for English Language Learners.
Gardening Sequencing activity –
Sequencing activities are great for building comprehension skills
The first sign of spring…. I planted a magic seed…. My friend’s amazing umbrella… Five new baby chicks… When I looked up at the clouds… Jumping in puddles on my way home… Yesterday we saw a rainbow…
Make a colorful poster to advertise Spring. Use words and pictures to explain what is special about spring.
Don’t forget to download some of our free Spring-theme printables
Spring Picture Dictionary
Free printable Spring picture dictionary for readers and writers in kindergarten and grade one.
Our free printables, including our kindergarten springtime-theme printables are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access the downloads.
I am starting to look forward to warm, spring days so thought I would post some new spring printables for kindergarten today.
Why not make some pussy willow pictures? Begin by drawing or painting stems using brown paint, markers or crayons. Allow to dry. Dip a fingertip into light grey or white paint and add “fingerprints’ along the stems. Alternatively, cotton balls or pieces of puffed rice can be glued to the stems.
Enjoy our downloads: some pussy willow writing paper for kids and a traditional poem, “Pussy Willow”.
Our early learning printables, including our spring printables for kindergarten are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access our early literacy resources.
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with Free Printables for Young Readers and Writers
Our early learning printables, including our free St. Patrick’s Day printables are in PDF format, if you don’t already have Adobe Reader, you will need to download it to access the free printables.
Storytime Standouts offers interlined paper for (almost) every occasion, check out the entire collection by visiting our writing paper for kids page.
Be sure to download Storytime Standout’s free St Patrick’s Day vocabulary printable (eight St. Patrick’s Day words together with pictures) and a wordsearch for young readers and writers:
If you appreciate our free early literacy printables,
including these St. Patrick’s Day printables for young learners,
please support this site by visiting and purchasing from Amazon.com or Amazon.ca.
“Once there was a grand old tree. Her roots sank deep into the earth, her arms reached high into the sky. She was home to many creatures.”
Lovingly written and illustrated, A Grand Old Tree is a wonderful tribute to an aging fruit tree. We watch as squirrels scamper, birds chirp and bees buzz in the branches of the tree. Through the seasons, we witness her bloom and produce seeds to blow from her branches. We consider how many leaves she has produced.
One moonlit winter night, she falls. Snow covers her weary trunk and branches. When spring arrives, we can see her offspring growing nearby and we know her decaying trunk is still home to raccoons, insects and lichen. We appreciate her legacy and understand that her children and grandchildren are now growing, flowering, and sowing.
Both informative and quietly reassuring, this is a picture book children will enjoy again and again.
Note: there is a concrete poem (the text is printed to represent the trunk of a tree) in the book.
Free Valentine’s Day printables for children, their teachers and parents. Today we’ll highlight the printables alongside some great picture books for Valentine’s Day
Young children, parents and teachers are sure to enjoy these free Valentine’s Day theme printables.
* Two kinds of free printable Valentine’s Day writing paper for kids * A Valentine’s Day picture dictionary for children who are beginning to read and write * Five Little Valentines – a rhyme that could be perfect for your Valentine’s Day preschool circle time , adapt it as a felt board story * Counting Valentines – a Valentine’s Day song, sung to a familiar tune, also great for Valentine’s Day circle time * Making a Valentine – a Valentine’s Day sequencing activity. This could also be used as a matching game. * Make New Friends – a song sheet
Five Fun Picture Books for Valentine’s Day
The Day it Rained Hearts written and illustrated by Felicia Bond Valentine’s Day picture book published by Harper Collins
You are no doubt familiar with Felicia Bond’s lively illustrations in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Here she tells the story of Cornelia Augusta, a girl who is caught in a rather unusual rainstorm.
On The Day It Rained Hearts Cornelia collected hearts of all different shapes and sizes and then set to work making Valentines for her special friends. Before setting to work, she thinks carefully about each individual and she creates cards and gifts that suit each perfectly.
She found seven that were more or less alike and strung them together with a needle and thread.”I know just the right person for this one,” she thought.
The Day it Rained Hearts encourages thoughtfulness and creativity. A lovely choice for your young Valentine or for sharing at a February storytime.
Extension activities could include a search for hidden hearts, comparing and categorizing hearts and creating Valentine’s Day cards and gifts.
Lilly’s Chocolate Heart written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes Valentine’s Day picture book published by Harper Collins
Lilly is a beloved picturebook character. Best known for Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse , she also appears in Lilly’s Big Day, Chester’s Day, Wemberly Worried and Julius The Baby of the World.
Before going to bed on Valentine’s Day, Lilly must decide what to do with her one remaining foil-wrapped Valentine’s Day chocolate.
“Lilly wanted to find the perfect place to keep the heart. She looked under her bed, but it was too dusty. She looked inside her dresser, but it was too messy.“
Those who know Lilly, will agree that she is exhuberant and sometimes just a little bit impulsive so finding the perfect place for the precious chocolate is quite a challenge.
Lilly’s Chocolate Heart will be a delicious treat for Lilly fans who will no doubt notice her purple plastic purse hanging from a dresser drawer handle and a painting of the purse that hangs on a wall.
Love is You & Me. written and illustrated by Monica Sheehan Picture book about love published by Simon and Schuster
Just in time for February 14th, Monica Sheehan’s celebration of love arrives on bookshelves. Intended for very young children, my copy is in a boardbook format. Fun, breezy illustrations introduce a handsome mouse and his dashing canine friend. They adore spending time together; driving in a convertable, sharing a milkshake, holding hands. riding a roller coaster. Whether doing something exciting or nothing at all, true friends know, “Whever we go love will always be…because…love is you and me.“
A perfect book to share for Valentine’s Day, Love is You & Me. (Monica Sheehan’s warmhearted follow-up to be happy!) delivers a reassuring message that will be enjoyed equally by young children and all those who care deeply for them.
Light and breezy, You: A Story of Love and Friendship has got it right. The world is more colourful, more musical and more exciting when shared with a true friend.
In this picture book about friendship, happy and engaging illustrations invite us to watch as a friends work together to transform a drab birdhouse into a bright and inviting home. When the work is done, they joyfully play music together and manage to endure the highs and lows that life brings.
The world is an exciting place, with ups, downs, around and arounds, and far-far-aways. But the most exciting place in my world is with… you.
Well-suited to very young children, You is a picture book about friendship and love. It would be a a great story to share before a parent or friend leaves on a trip.
Be sure to visit the author’s website (link above) and read about Stephen Michael King’s experience as a hearing impaired child and his path to becoming an author-illustrator.
Zero Kisses for Me written by Manuela Monari and illustrated by Virginie Soumagnac Picture book about affection and independence published by Tundra Books
I have the good fortune to share read alouds with children regularly in my classes. I always look for engaging stories that will hook my students. Sometimes I am lucky enough to find a book that doesn’t just hook the kids – some books have children talking about the story a week later and begging for a reread. Zero Kisses for Me is one of those delightful books that children love to see, listen to and cheer about.
Life is tough when you’re “always being kissed.” When you’re kissed before you go out in the rain and when you’re kissed and called, “Honeybunch” or “Flower Bud.” By the end of the day, you can be “tired of being everybody’s tootsy-wootsy… huggy-bear… kissy-snooks.” You might even demand, “No more mush!” And, you might exclaim, “BLEAH” – the perfect word to make a story memorable and a great word for young children to hear and relish.
Fun illustrations add to the atmosphere in Zero Kisses for Me and convey the little bear’s determination and frustration beautifully. A great read aloud for boys and girls, aged four to six, especially those who enjoy many, many kisses each and every day. Although not a Valentine’s Day book, this would be a terrific choice to reach for on February 14th.
Storytime Standouts Has Free Valentines Day Printables for Preschool, Kindergarten and Homeschool
Our early learning printables, including our Valentine’s Day theme printables for preschool, homeschool and kindergarten are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access the downloads.
Valentine’s Day Circle Time Rhymes and Chants for Preschool or Kindergarten ~
Counting Valentines
Free printable fingerplay for a Valentine's Day circle time or storytime.
Free Printable Valentine’s Day Sequencing Activity
Valentine's Day Sequencing Activity
Cut this Valentine's Day Sequencing Activity apart and have children put it together in the correct order or print two and use as a matching game.
Free Valentine’s Day Printables for Older Children ~
Use these squirrel theme materials to celebrate Squirrel Appreciation Day January 21st! We think these free printables are perfect for preschool, kindergarten and home use.
A number of years ago, my father-in-law was frustrated by some pesky critters in his beautiful garden. Stellar jays were not the only visitors who liked the peanuts he offered, not surprisingly the neighbourhood squirrels were also attracted by the treats. Unfortunately, the squirrels were much less appreciated as guests than the jays – the squirrels dared to dig up his daffodil bulbs! We were sympathetic about the destruction of his flower beds, but we couldn’t resist celebrating Squirrel Appreciation Day with him once we heard about it.
Let’s begin with some squirrel-theme picture books for preschool and kindergarten:
Will and Squill written and illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark
Will and Squillis the story of two very unlikely friends. Will and Squill meet as infants and, although discouraged by their parents, they persist in playing, swimming and swinging together. All is well until Will’s family aquires a kitten and Squill reacts badly to the intrusion into their friendship. Thankfully, it is not long before, Will discovers that a kitten is not nearly as good a companion as Squill and the two mismatched friends are reunited. Well-suited for read aloud, will be enjoyed by children aged four and up.
Matthew and the Midnight Hospital written by Allen Morgan and illustrated by Michael Martchenko
The Flying Flingallees are the stars of the show in Matthew and the Midnight Hospital. When Matthew decides to put together a circus act, he hopes to enlist the help of some neighbourhood creatures. At the end of a performance for his mom, he scrapes his knee and needs some first aid. Just as the bandaid is applied to his knee, a young squirrel in a tree above misses his branch and falls to the ground. Matthew and his mom are both concerned for the animal. They make the injured squirrel comfortable for the night. Matthew worries about the squirrel’s well-being and is thinking about him as he drifts off to sleep. Shortly after midnight, he discovers that the injured squirrel is to be taken to hospital in an ambulance. Unlike any hospital I’ve ever visited, the midnight hospital offers the perfect antidote and soon Danny and Matthew are flying high. Also well-suited for read aloud, this is part of Matthew’s Midnight Adventure Series and will be enjoyed by boys and girls aged five and up.
Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach written and illustrated by Melanie Watt
Scaredy Orville Squirrel whose initials are S.O.S. is an immensely popular character in an equally popular series of picture books. In Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach Scaredy the worrywart is very careful to avoid any sort of real or imagined danger. Rather than encounter pirates, jellyfish, seagulls and sea monsters, he decides to create his very own private backyard beach paradise. After carefully constructing his safe haven, Scaredy realizes that, although his beach “look” is great – his backyard just doesn’t sound like the real thing. The only solution is “Operation Seashell” – a carefully planned and executed mission in search of a seashell that will provide crystal clear ocean sound. Featuring detailed descriptions of Scaredy’s beachware and plans for his mission, Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach will be enjoyed best independently or in a small group or one-on-one read-aloud setting. Best-suited to children five and up.
To enhance a squirrel theme circle time for preschool or kindergarten, we hope you will enjoy our free early learning printables
All of our early learning printables, including these Squirrel theme printables are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to download it to access the files.
We NEVER get paid to review products on this site.
In some cases, I receive books to review free of charge. In other cases I review books that I have purchased or have borrowed from a public library. Whether I receive a book free of charge or not does not influence my review.
If you have questions or concerns about our policies, please do not hesitate to email for details.
We're Going on a Bear Hunt
is a great opportunity to explore the life cycle of a pumpkin. It will be enjoyed by preschool, kindergarten and early primary age children.
and add “fingerprints’ along the stems. Alternatively, 
or pieces of puffed rice can be glued to the stems.
is a wonderful tribute to an aging fruit tree. We watch as squirrels scamper, birds chirp and bees buzz in the branches of the tree. Through the seasons, we witness her bloom and produce seeds to blow from her branches. We consider how many leaves she has produced. 
Cornelia collected hearts of all different shapes and sizes and then set to work making Valentines for her special friends. Before setting to work, she thinks carefully about each individual and she creates cards and gifts that suit each perfectly.
, she also appears in Lilly’s Big Day, Chester’s Day, Wemberly Worried and Julius The Baby of the World.
has got it right. The world is more colourful, more musical and more exciting when shared with a true friend.
is one of those delightful books that children love to see, listen to and cheer about.
