SurLaLune Storytime: Rain Makes Applesauce

Rain on the green grass
[Flutter fingers up and down.]
Rain on the tree
[Raise both hands to form tree.]
Rain on the rooftop
[Hands form point over head like roof.]
But not on me!
[Point to self.]

Five umbrellas stood by the back door,
The red one went outside, then there were four.
Four umbrellas stood pretty as can be,
The blue one went outside, then there were three.
Three umbrellas stood with nothing to do,
The green one went outside, then there was two.
Two umbrellas stood watching for the sun,
The yellow one went outside, then there was one.
Just one umbrella stood alone in the hall,
The white one went outside, and then that was all!

It's raining, it's pouring;
The old man is snoring.
He went to bed and he
Bumped his head
And he couldn't get up this morning.

The itsy bitsy spider
Crawled up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider
Crawled up the spout again.

	*Rainbabies* by Laura Melmed Age Level: PreK-2
Synopsis: A loving couple without children discovers 12 rain babies in the dew outside after a magical moon shower. They raise the babies and protect them from all sorts of danger. Mother Moon shower eventually comes for her children and brings them a daughter all their own.

	*Chicken Little* by Steven Kellogg Age Level: K-2 Running Time: 9 Minutes
Synopsis: When an acorn falls on her head, Chicken Little convinces herself and her bird-brained friends that the sky is falling. A hungry fox hears their cries for help and almost gets away with impersonating a police officer before his goose is cooked.

More Books to Read On Your Own

Monsoon
by Uma Krishnaswami
Age Level: Kindergarten and up
Synopsis: A child describes waiting for the monsoon rains to arrive and the worry that they will not come.

Big Rain Coming
by Katrina Germein
Age Level: Kindergarten and up
Synopsis: As one dry day follows another in the Australian outback, everyone and everything is waiting for the rain, which seems as though it will never come.

Come On, Rain!
by Karen Hesse
Age Level: Preschool and up
Synopsis: A young girl eagerly awaits a coming rainstorm to bring relief from the oppressive summer heat.

Rain Rain Rivers
by Uri Shulevitz
Age Level: Preschool and up
Synopsis: A lovely and exhilarating portrait of a gentle rain. A young girl watches the falling rain from her bedroom window, and imagines it raining all over the world.

In the Rain With Baby Duck
by Amy Hest
Age Level: Preschool and up
Synopsis: Although her parents love walking in the rain, Baby Duck does not--until Grandpa shares a secret with her.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
by Judi Barrett
Age Level: Advanced Preschool and up
Synopsis: If food dropped like rain from the sky, wouldn't it be marvelous! Or would it? It could, after all, be messy. And you'd have no choice. What if you didn't like what fell? Or what if too much came? Have you ever thought of what it might be like to be squashed flat by a pancake.

Hello, Goodbye
by David Lloyd
Age Level: Preschool and up
Synopsis: A bear, two bees, some birds, and other creatures meet at a tree and say hello until the rain begins and they say goodbye.

In the Middle of the Puddle
by Mike Thaler
Age Level: Preschool and up
Synopsis: A frog and a turtle watch the rain turn their puddle into an ocean before the sun comes along and returns things to normal.

The Puddle
by David McPhail
Age Level: Preschool and up
Synopsis: A boy sets out to sail his boat in a puddle and is joined by a frog, a turtle, an alligator, a pig, and an elephant.

Puddles
by Jonathan London
Age Level: Preschool and up
Synopsis: When the rain stops falling and the skies clear up, it's time to put on boots and go outside to play in the puddles.

More Songs for at Home

It Ain't Gonna Rain

It ain't gonna rain no more, no more
It ain't gonna rain no more,
How in the heck will we wash the neck
If it ain't gonna rain no more?

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Rain, rain, go away
Come again some other day
We want to go outside and play
Come again some other day

Zippity Do Dah

REFRAIN
Zippity do dah, Zippity eah.
My oh my what a wonderful day.
Plenty of sunshine heading my way.
Zippity do dah, zippity eah.

Mr. Bluebird's on my shoulder
It's the truth, it's actual
Everything is satisfactual.

It Is Raining
(Tune: "Frere Jacques")

It is raining, It is raining,
On my head, on my head.
Pitter, patter raindrops,
Pitter, patter raindrops,
I'm all wet, I'm all wet!

Rain Song
(Tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")

First a little drop of rain hit the ground, (Tap, Tap)
Then another drop of rain hit the ground, (Tap, Tap)
Then another and another and another and another,
And pretty soon we heard a different sound. (Splash! Splash!)

What's the Weather?
(Tune: "Oh, My Darling Clementine")

What's the weather, What's the weather.
What's the weather, everyone?
Is it windy, is it cloudy,
Is there rain or is there sun?

Rain on my Umbrella
(Tune: "Frere Jacques")

Drip, drip, drop, drop,
Drip, drip, drop, drop,
Drip, drip, drop,
Drip, drip, drop.
Rain on my Umbrella,
Rain on my umbrella,
Never stops.
Drip, drip, drop.

I Hear Thunder
(Tune: "Frere Jacques")

I hear thunder,
[Stomp feet.]
I hear thunder
Hark don't you
[Cup hand over one ear.]
Hark, don't you
Pitter patter raindrops
[Wiggle fingers and move arms down.]
Pitter patter raindrops
I'm wet through
[Shake your body.]
So are you!
[Point at someone else.]

Busy Windshield Wipers

Busy windshield wipers go
A-dash, a-dash, a-dash
Wiping all the drops away
Splash, splash, splash!
[Hold arms up in front of body and move them from side to side.]

Falling Raindrops

Raindrops, raindrops!
[Move fingers to imitate falling rain.]
Falling all around
Pitter-patter on the rooftops,
[Tap softly on the floor.]
Pitter-patter on the ground

Here is my umbrella
[Pretend to open umbrella.]
It will keep me dry
[Place over head.]
When I go walking in the rain
I hold it up so high.
[Hold high in the air.]

Little Raindrops

This is the sun, high up in the sky
[Form large circle with arms up.]
A dark cloud suddenly comes sailing by
[Move hands through the air in a parallel motion.]
These are the raindrops
[Brings arms down, flutter fingers.]
Pitter, pattering down.
Watering the flowers
[Cup hands to form flowers.]
Growing on the ground.

The Rain

Pitter-patter, raindrops,
Falling from the sky;
[Wiggle fingers to imitate falling rain.]
Here is my umbrella
To keep me safe and dry!
[Hands over head.]
When the rain is over,
[Make large circle with arms.]
And the sun begins to glow,
Little flowers start to bud,
[Cup two hands together.]
And grow and grow and grow!
[Spread hands apart slowly.]

The Wind Blows

The wind blows through the chimney.
[Stand straight, arms overhead.]
Ooooohhhhh!
[Hands to mouth, sway body back and forth.]
The wind blows through our town.
[Stand straight, arms at sides.]
Ooooohhhhh!
[Repeat motion.]
He howls in all the treetops.
[Stand straight, sway arms back and forth overhead.]
Ooooohhhhh!
[Repeat motion.]
And makes the leaves fall down.
[Flutter fingers downward.]
Ooooohhhhh!
[Repeat motion.]

Pretending

[Start this fingerplay with children standing.]
It's raining, it's dripping,
[Stand up, wiggle fingers over head.]
We're not bored, you know.
[Shake head.]
We can pretend
[Point to head.]
Places we'd like to go.
Let's pretend there's a beach,
[Point to head.]
With gulls flying free,
[Flap arms.]
We'll lie in the sun,
[Place hands behind head.]
And swim in the sea.
[Make swimming motions.]
Let's pretend there's a castle,
[Point to head.]
With a dragon inside.
[Hold hands like claws.]
We'll put on a helmet
[Pat head.]
And go for a ride.
[Gallop in place.]
Let's pretend there's an airplane,
[Point to head.]
With an engine that roars.
[Spread arms for wings.]
We'll put on a parachute
[Pat back.]
And jump out the door.
[Jump to seated position.]
It's raining, it's dripping,
[Wiggle fingers over head.]
But we have lots to play.
[Point to self.]
It's fun to pretend
[Point to head.]
On a rainy day.
[Wiggle fingers over head.]

Available on Amazon.com

Available on
Amazon.com