The Seals on the Bus

One thing I still have to remind myself about storytime is that children love repetition. They love hearing stories they know and singing songs they know all the words to. It's comfortable and it's healthy. However, I think it's great to take a familiar song and change it up a bit, and kids seem to like it too.

Lenny Hort does just that in The Seals on the Bus, illustrated by G. Brian Karas. A family takes a ride on a bus that quickly fills up with animals. And the story is told in song.

The seals on the bus go
ERRP, ERRP, ERRP,
ERRP, ERRP, ERRP,
ERRP, ERRP, ERRP.
The seals on the bus go
ERRP, ERRP, ERRP,
All around the town.

The family holds on as long as they can, even when "The vipers on the bus go HISS, HISS, HISS." But when "The skunks on the buss go SSSSS, SSSSS, SSSSS," they have to get off. Only the parents really seem to mind.

Imagine the fun you will have with this book. Add more animals until the cows come home (that was a hint.)

Here's a funny little ditty I learned recently that's along the same lines. Now whenever I'm getting on the bus I'm singing this in my head.

A hip, a hip, a hippopotamus
Got on, got on, got on the city bus.
The people, people, people on the bus
Said, "Ow, you're squishing us."