ACL

Association of Children's Librarians

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • About
    • Meeting Minutes
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Institutes
    • Performers’ Showcase
    • Professional Development
  • Resources
    • Storytime Ideas
    • Read-alikes
    • Reviews
    • Programming Ideas
    • Distinguished Books Lists
    • More…
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Join

Storytime

Train Storytime Ideas (2010)

Even in this day and age, preschoolers love trains! A train-themed storytime will always be popular, and not just with boys. Here in the Bay Area, many children have been on a BART train, or at least seen a train while driving with a parent. Be sure to sing “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” and “Down by the Station,”along with your usual opening and closing songs. For a craft, there are several you can try. I like to make trains out of shapes – a rectangle for the main portion, a square for a window, a triangle for the cowcatcher, circles for wheels, etc. You can also make a train whistle, following the instructions at Everything Preschool.

Freight Train

Crews, Donald. FREIGHT TRAIN.    A very simple story that teaches the concept of colors is brought to life in this Caldecott Honor book.

Aylesworth, Jim. COUNTRY CROSSING.    A rhythmic text and the nighttime setting make this a unique participatory book for storytime.

Merriam, Eve. TRAIN LEAVES THE STATION.    A rhyming text and brightly colored illustrations make for a great readaloud.

Voake, Charlotte. HERE COMES THE TRAIN.    Dad and two kids watch a train from the top of an overpass.

Neitzel, Shirley. I’M TAKING A TRIP ON A TRAIN.    Rebus pictures and a cumulative text make this a storytime winner.

Piper, Wally. THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD.    A classic that will have the audience repeating ,”I think I can, I think I can…,”

Sturges, Philemon. I LOVE TRAINS.    A little boy describes the assets of a train, in rhyming text and cartoon illustrations that will appeal to toddlers.

Brown, Margaret Wise. TWO LITTLE TRAINS.    A new streamlined train and an old-fashioned toy train take similar trips.

Rockwell, Anne. TRAINS.    With a format seen in all of Rockwell’s easy nonfiction books, here the text describes what a train is and why trains are imprtant.

Various. DOWN BY THE STATION.    This song has been turned into several picture books, including one by Will Hillenbrand that is set in a zoo.

Various. I’VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAILROAD.    The popular song has been adapted into several picture book versions.

Ziefert, Harriet. TRAIN SONG.    A rhyming story of a boy with a toy train watching a real train go by.

Lewis, Kevin. CHUGGA CHUGGA CHOO CHOO.    Listeners will call out the train sounds in this simple rhyming story set on a toy train in a child’s bedroom.

Sobel, June. THE GOODNIGHT TRAIN.    Great for a nighttime storytime, this rhyming tale has plenty of train sounds for the listeners to repeat, along with a description of customary ,”going to bed,” routines.

Also see the previous Train storytime ideas page from November 2001.

Penny Peck,San Leandro Public Library July, 2010

Published on Jul 1, 2010
Posted by: mersteiner
Storytime Categories: Everyday things
Storytime Ages: Toddler/Preschool
Rainbows Storytime Ideas »
« Alaska Storytime Ideas

Recent Posts

  • Fall Board Book Round-up, Part I
  • Electric Cars Review
  • Dirt Bikes Review
  • Big Rigs Review
  • Ambulances Review

Sign up to receive our blog and other updates by email.

Blog updates
Sending

Categories

  • ACL Events
  • Awards
  • Board Book Round Up
  • Book Discussion Groups
  • Book Themed
  • DIY: Do It Yourself
  • General
  • Media Watch
  • Message from ACL
  • Movie Themed
  • Multicultural Programs/Equity   
  • News
  • Obituary
  • Out of the Ordinary
  • Outstanding Books of the Month
  • Professional Development
  • Programming Ideas
  • Review
  • San Francisco Public Library
  • STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
  • storytime
  • Updates
  • Virtual
  • Website of the Month

Tags

2018 Summer Reading 2019 Summer Reading ACL BayNews ACL Institute ACL Meeting ALA Conference ALSC American Library Association Arne Nixon Center BAYA Bay Area Storytelling Festival BayNews Beatty Award Beverly Cleary Board books Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards Caldecott Medal California Library Association Children's Fairyland Cindy CLA Common Core Do-It-Yourself Programs Dorothy Helfeld Fellowships Dr. Seuss Edgar Awards fantasy Flap books Infopeople Jacqueline Woodson Kate DiCamillo Mary Ann Scheuer Maurice Sendak National Book Award National Book Awards Newbery Medal Oakland Public Library outstanding Performers' Showcase Pop-up books School Library Journal Storytime Summer Reading Summer Reading Program Sydney Taylor Awards

Archives

  • 2023
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2022
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2021
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2020
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2019
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2018
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2017
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2016
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2015
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2014
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2013
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2012
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2011
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2010
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2009
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2008
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2007
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • July
    • June
    • April
    • February
    • January
  • 2006
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • March
    • February
  • 2005
    • December
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • March
  • 2004
    • December
    • September
    • January
  • 2003
    • October
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • February
    • January
  • 2002
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • May
  • 2001
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • March
    • February
  • 2000
    • December
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • June
    • May
    • March
    • January
  • 1999
    • December
    • November

© Copyright 1999 - 2023 Association of Children's Librarians of Northern California · All Rights Reserved · Log In