Faith CoLab: Tapestry of Faith: Chalice Children: A Program about Our Unitarian Universalist Community for Preschoolers

Activity 4: Story

Activity time: 5 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Story book

Preparation for Activity

  • Choose a story from the following suggestions:

    • You Be You by Linda Kranz, 2011. A companion book to the bestselling Only One You, Kranz once again uses her famous "rockfish" to express the themes of diversity, individuality, and acceptance for children.
    • The Red Book by Barbara Lehman, 2004. In this wordless Caldecott Honor Book, a magical red book crosses oceans and continents to deliver one girl into a new world of possibility, where a friend she's never met is waiting. And as with the best of books, at the conclusion of the story, the journey is not over.
    • Inside All by Margaret H. Mason, 2008. With a few well-chosen words and rich, suggestive illustrations, the reader is taken from the outer edges of the universe to a planet, a village, a home, and a room, into the heart of a warm, sleepy child, and finally to an awareness of love that somehow encompasses it all.
    • Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy by Jacky Davis, illustrated by David Soman, 2009. As Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, Lulu and Sam save the playground from hairy monsters and big mean robots, and have their very own parade on the bouncy dinosaurs. They figure out that when they work together, they can create fun games that they both like to play.
  • Review How to Read a Story Book, under Resources in the Introduction.

Description of Activity

Hold up the book and say, in these words or your own:

Here's how I am going to read the story. Does anyone need to move so they can see and hear?

This will help the children move if they need to and then get settled before the story is started, so they don't interrupt the reading. It also serves as a reminder that if they stand or sit right in front of the pages, no one else can see. Invite them to find a place to settle so that everyone can see. When all are ready, read the story. When you finish reading, ask if anyone has thoughts about the story that they would like to share.

Including All Participants

Seat a child with hearing or sight difficulties near the reader.