Preschoolers love dressing up & pretending at any time of the year. But, I start to see a lot more costumes right around Halloween. So today, for the first week of the month, I’ve got a book about pretending and a monster song- perfect for the season.

Thought it was a Monster

Justin Roberts does it again with this monster song for kids. As much as I love songs for singing along and dancing, I also think simple story songs are great for kids. “Thought It Was a Monster” tells a simple story of a child hearing some strange sounds and thinking that maybe a monster is making the sounds. I often pair this with a drawing activity (drawing monsters!) or just use it for some quiet listening.

Find it on Amazon or itunes.

Not a Stick

Today’s book recommendation isn’t specifically a music book, though I use it in a music context. But, it’s just too fun to skip in my recommendations.

monster song for kids

This simple, not-very-wordy book leaves much up to the imagination. It is about a little pig with a stick who imagines that the stick can become a bunch of different things. That’s pretty much the whole book right there.

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I get away with reading it in a music class because I usually use it after a few rhythm stick songs and games. The students can pretend along with the pig and turn their rhythm stick into everything they see in the book. Also, at one point, the pig turns the stick into a conductor’s baton, so I get to introduce that word.

Check out “Not a Stick” from the library or find it on Amazon.

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These recommendations are part of a weekly series: Handpicked Songs for Preschoolers and their Adults. Subscribe to stay in the loop!