Grumpy Bird: Sensory Storytime Book of the Month

Bird woke up grumpy today. Will a walk with friends turn his frown upside down? Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard is the perfect storytime book for exploring the themes of emotions, feelings, birds, or springtime with toddlers and preschoolers. Below, you’ll find ways to make the reading experience more interactive and extend it with song and sensory play activities. Work one or more of these elements into your next Sensory Storytime for more engagement and fun.

Flannel/Magnet Board Animals

Children will enjoy identifying the animals Bird meets and may relate to how his bad mood impacts his desire to eat, play, and fly. To help children follow along, create flannel or magnet board versions of each animal and place them on the board as they appear in the story.

Encourage Attendees to Move Like Bird

The text also includes movements children will enjoy performing, which will improve engagement and keep their attention; plus, it’s fun! Encourage kids to make grumpy faces, stomp along with Bird, stand on one leg, jump, and fly as instructed in the story.

Here is an intro blurb to help you set the stage:

For our first book, you need a grumpy face and walking feet. Let’s get our faces and feet ready. Show me a grumpy face. It’s the face you make when you’re angry, mad, or upset. Here is a picture of Grumpy Bird’s grumpy face [show title page]; his eyes are squinted, his nose is scrunched, and his mouth is frowning…great grumpy faces!

Now, let’s practice our walking feet. We’re grumpy, so we’re going to make loud stomps with our feet. You can do this sitting or standing. Stomp, stomp, stomp those feet! Every time you hear the word “walking,” be sure to stomp your feet! Ok, let’s see if Grumpy Bird can feel better and see what kind of animal friends he makes along the way.

Movement Songs

Extend the story (and get even more wiggles out) by reviewing the movements featured in the book with this song. I’ve been seeking the source of the original tune but have yet to find it. I use this movement song frequently, swapping the movements out for various themes:

Stomp and Stop

We stomp and stomp and STOP [freeze!]
We stomp and stomp and STOP
We stomp and stomp and stomp
And stomp and stomp and stomp
And STOP!

​We stand [on one leg]…jump…fly…sit…

If You’re Happy & You Know It Feelings Version

Discuss feelings people often experience and practice making faces for each. Place a face on the board each time the appropriate feeling is mentioned in this song:

If you’re happy and you know it smile and clap
If you’re happy and you know it smile and clap
If you’re happy and you know it and you really want to show it
If you’re happy and you know it smile and clap

If you’re grumpy and you know it frown and stomp…
If you’re surprised and you know it put your hands on your face…
If you’re excited and you know it jump up and down…

Sensory Play Activities

Ending Sensory Storytime with free play provides children and their caregivers an excellent opportunity to explore and socialize. Here are great play activities to enjoy with Grumpy Bird:

My Feelings Bean Bags

If you have the budget, these My Feelings Bean Bags are $24.99 and worth every penny, as you can use them in a variety of programs. Each features a different emotion, texture, and color. Children like to hold, toss, and catch them, and the cute faces offer an opportunity to talk about emotions. I’ve set them out during free play following storytimes about shapes and colors, too.

Coloring Pages

Set out coloring pages and jumbo crayons for children to complete at the library or home. Visit JeremyTankard.com for more coloring pages and fun.

More Activities

Georgia’s SEEDS For Storytime Grumpy Bird Guide
Excellent ideas for using the book to promote social-emotional development with talking points and extension activities.

Scholastic’s Grumpy Bird Story Hour Activity Sheets
More coloring pages, a maze, a doorknob hanger, and other reproducibles.

More Sensory Storytime Books

Grumpy Bird pairs beautifully with these other storytime books. Making Faces is one of my favorites, as it shows photos of actual faces for kiddos to mimic:

Visit The Youth Desk’s Sensory Storytime page for a full outline, more books, songs, crafts, and play ideas to incorporate into your next Sensory Storytime!