Books to Promote Schema Play in the Early Years

Lisa Kane

2 min read

Using picture books as a tool for interaction

“The most supportive thing adults can do to help children learn, even more than selecting high-quality books, is to have conversations with them during reading.”(Strouse, 2018).

Stories can be a wonderful way to develop interactions with children – either as a one-to-one response to their interests or with a small group of like-minded inquirers. Using a story to further explore an idea and provoke discussion and conversation, connects you back to your role as a facilitator as you engage the children through high quality interactions.

We have identified picture books that you can use as a response to each play schema, either as a read aloud or as part of a learning experience. You could also use these in combination with our postcards: Developing vocabulary through schema play as you highlight and introduce new words.

How you can use this booklist in your classroom

As a shared response to an observed schema with an individual child
With a small group of children to promote discussion around shared schematic play
As a provocation, to introduce a new idea related to the observed schema
In a story basket, for children to explore further with story-related items
As part of a learning engagement

The Wind Blew

By Pat Hutchins

Splat!

By Jon Burgerman

Balloon

By Jez Alborogh

Big Red Bath

By Big Red Bath

Walking Through the Jungle

By Julie Lacome

Stomp Dinosaur Stomp!

By Margaret Mayo

The Greatest Gymnast of All

By Cynthia Jabar

Kite Day

By Will Hillenbrand

The Wind Blew

Follow the villagers as they chase their belongings all around the town.

By Pat Hutchins

Splat!

Turn the pages and get splatted!

By Jon Burgerman

Balloon

Run with Billy as he runs around the park, trying to catch his balloon.

By Jez Alborogh

Big Red Bath

Pop! And Splash! with Ben and Bella as they take a bath - but watch out! You never know who will jump in!

By Big Red Bath

Walking Through the Jungle

Move your body in different ways as you cross deserts, mountains and seas.

By Julie Lacome

Stomp Dinosaur Stomp!

Roar and make some noise as you stomp with the dinosaurs.

By Margaret Mayo

The Greatest Gymnast of All

Move with this girl as she swings, jumps and leaps her way across the floor.

By Cynthia Jabar

Kite Day

Get ready to fly with Bear and Mole- but watch out for the trees!

By Will Hillenbrand

Handa’s Surprise

By Eileen Browne

Mr. Grumpy’s Outing

By John Burningham

The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch

By Ronda and David Armitage

Moving House

By Anne Civardi

Red Wagon

By Renatta Liwska

Lines

By Suzie Lee

Handa’s Surprise

Travel with Handa as she fills her basket and walks to her friend’s village. Will her basket still be the same when she arrives?

By Eileen Browne

Mr. Grumpy’s Outing

Sail with Mr. Grumpy as he rows along the river with some unexpected friends!

By John Burningham

The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch

Get into some pulley fun as the lighthouse keeper gets his daily lunch delivery.

By Ronda and David Armitage

Moving House

Pack up those boxes and bags with Sam and Sophie, as they move to a new house.

By Anne Civardi

Red Wagon

Pull your way up and down hills with Lucy, as she goes to the village to collect some groceries for mum.

By Renatta Liwska

Lines

Follow the line in this wordless picture book to trace this girl’s movements as she goes skating across the lake.

By Suzie Lee

The Jolly Postman

By Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao

By Kat Zhang

My Presents

By Rod Campbell

Stop Sticking, Stan!

By Nicola Killen

Hiding Heidi

By Fiona Woodcock

It Was a Cold, Dark Night

By Tim Hopgood

The Jolly Postman

Wait for the postman and open the letters as you go through this delightfully interactive read!

By Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao

Find a way to wrap your perfect bao with Amy, as she becomes a solution finder in the kitchen.

By Kat Zhang

My Presents

Lift the flaps to discover what is inside the wrappings.

By Rod Campbell

Stop Sticking, Stan!

Watch out! Stan may sticker you if you stand still for long enough!

By Nicola Killen

Hiding Heidi

Discover how Heidi can hide herself away, just by wearing the right clothing.

By Fiona Woodcock

It Was a Cold, Dark Night

Explore caves, dens and holes as the animals keep warm in the night.

By Tim Hopgood

This Is Our House

By Michael Rosen

Time for Tacos

By Carla Golembe

A Pocket for Corduroy

By Dan Freeman

Whatever Next!

By Jill Murphy

In a Jar

By Deborah Marcero

Angelica Sprocket's Pockets

By Quentin Blake

Grandma’s Purse

By Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Good Night, Gorilla

By Peggy Rathman

This Is Our House

Play ‘houses’ with these children, as they find ways to be more inclusive in their play.

By Michael Rosen

Time for Tacos

Fill up your taco as you prepare dinner with Dad.

By Carla Golembe

A Pocket for Corduroy

Spot all the baskets, bags and boxes in the story, as Corduroy looks for the perfect pocket.

By Dan Freeman

Whatever Next!

Climb aboard with bear, as he zooms off for adventure.

By Jill Murphy

In a Jar

Choose what treasures you would fill a jar with. Who would you share them with?

By Deborah Marcero

Angelica Sprocket's Pockets

Take a look in your own pockets. Do they hold as many delights as Angelica’s?

By Quentin Blake

Grandma’s Purse

Listen to grandma's stories as she reveals the treasures she keeps in her purse.

By Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Good Night, Gorilla

Use your own words to tell the story as you look through this book. How can the zookeeper make sure the animals are all secure in their enclosures?

By Peggy Rathman

Rosie’s Walk

By Pat Hutchins

All Sorts

By Pippa Goodhart and Emily Rand

Loo Queue

By Nicholas Allan

Pitter Pattern

By Joyce Hesselberth

The Button Box

By Margarette S. Reid

Llama Llama Mess, Mess, Mess

By Anna Dewdney

Rosie’s Walk

Take a walk with Rosie around the farm as you develop positional vocabulary.

By Pat Hutchins

All Sorts

Sort with Frank and explore the different ways that items and people can be grouped.

By Pippa Goodhart and Emily Rand

Loo Queue

Get in line as the animals queue for the toilet. A great way to explore ordinal number.

By Nicholas Allan

Pitter Pattern

Listen, move and look with Lu as she organises her world into patterns throughout this story.

By Joyce Hesselberth

The Button Box

Explore grandma’s button box, and find the ways the buttons can be sorted and positioned.

By Margarette S. Reid

Llama Llama Mess, Mess, Mess

Help llama tidy up his room, after such a big mess, mess, mess!

By Anna Dewdney

Swirl by Swirl

By Joyce Sidman

The Very Busy Spider

By Eric Carle

What Do Wheels Do all Day?

By April Prince

The Dot

By Peter H. Reynolds

Swirl by Swirl

Go round and round with nature.

By Joyce Sidman

The Very Busy Spider

Watch as spider spins his web, page by page.

By Eric Carle

What Do Wheels Do all Day?

Get dizzy as you get up to speed on all things wheels.

By April Prince

The Dot

Go dotty and get creative!

By Peter H. Reynolds

Silly Sally

By Audrey Wood

Shark in the Park!

By Nick Sharratt

Peepo!

By Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses

By James Dean

Look Up!

By Jung Jin-Ho

The Swing

By Robert Louis Stevenson

Kika the Upside-Down Girl

By Jessica Tudos

This Book Is Upside-Down

By Erin Rose Wage

Silly Sally

Meet Sally’s new friends as she topsy-turvies her way into town.

By Audrey Wood

Shark in the Park!

Spy along with Timothy as he plays with his new telescope. Watch out! There are sharks about!

By Nick Sharratt

Peepo!

Spend the day with baby, and see the world through his eyes.

By Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses

Wear your magic glasses and see how Pete the cat views his world.

By James Dean

Look Up!

Look down to the ground below. What do people look like from the balcony? What do they see when they look up?

By Jung Jin-Ho

The Swing

Swing up and over the world with this beautiful poem.

By Robert Louis Stevenson

Kika the Upside-Down Girl

Hang with Kika as she swings and sways in the trees.

By Jessica Tudos

This Book Is Upside-Down

Turn and twist as you read the pages. Which way is up? Which way is down?

By Erin Rose Wage

The Invisible String

By Patrice Karst

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

By James Dean

Too Much Glue

By Jason Lefebvre

The Paper Dolls

By Julia Donaldson

Charlie Needs a Cloak

By Tomo dePaola

My Incredible Knitting Nana

By Rowena Blyth

Iggy Peck Architect

By Andrea Beaty

Kama’s Lei

By Robin Montgomery

The Invisible String

Tie your invisible string to the people you love as you read your way through the story.

By Patrice Karst

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Find a better way to attach Pete’s buttons! They keep falling off, and they are too groovy to lose.

By James Dean

Too Much Glue

Unstick this messy situation as Matty gets creative in art class.

By Jason Lefebvre

The Paper Dolls

Stay connected with the paper dolls as they play with imagination. Take care though - there may be danger snipping around.

By Julia Donaldson

Charlie Needs a Cloak

Weave your way through this story with Charlie, as he finds a way to make a new cloak.

By Tomo dePaola

My Incredible Knitting Nana

Follow Nana around the world and find out how far she goes with a piece of wool.

By Rowena Blyth

Iggy Peck Architect

Imagine the most marvellous creations with Iggy, as he builds with … anything he can get his hands on!

By Andrea Beaty

Kama’s Lei

Discover how Kama gets creative and finds a way to make a lei, with only three flowers.

By Robin Montgomery

Changes, Changes

By Pat Hutchins

Beautiful Oops!

By Barney Saltzberg

Mix it Up!

By Hervé Tullet

Tad

By Benji Davies

I Can Be Anything

By Shinsuke Yoshitake

Mixed up Fairy Tales

By Hilary Robinson

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

By Eric Carle

Wemberly’s Ice-Cream Star

By Kevin Henkes

Changes, Changes

Turn the pages in this wordless picture book and be inspired! Nothing stays the same for long - it’s all about change, change, change.

By Pat Hutchins

Beautiful Oops!

Change isn’t alway intentional. Mistakes can lead to transformative joy too!

By Barney Saltzberg

Mix it Up!

Explore changing colours, with your fingers and a little dot of paint!

By Hervé Tullet

Tad

Watch as Tad’s brothers and sisters change and disappear one by one. What about Tad though?

By Benji Davies

I Can Be Anything

See how the girl uses her body to change, and become many things from around her home.

By Shinsuke Yoshitake

Mixed up Fairy Tales

Flick the pages, split the pages and change the story!

By Hilary Robinson

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Explore transformation through life cycles in this classic story.

By Eric Carle

Wemberly’s Ice-Cream Star

Change can happen drip by drip as we see in this story.

By Kevin Henkes

Books to Promote Schema Play in the Early Years

Using picture books as a tool for interaction

Up next: Related articles, talks and more

Toddle Platform

Why Toddle

Connect with us

More

Connect with us