World Book Day and Music

You can take most stories and include musical concepts: dynamics (loud and quiet), tempo (speed), rhythm (long and short sounds), pulse (reading to a steady beat)…  You are probably doing these things without even realising; these are what I believe brings story reading to life!

Here is a break down of how I approach the story Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.  This was one of my children’s favourite books when they were young!

What musical elements can we focus on that will bring the story to life?

Melody: Sing the butterfly part to the tune of hush little baby. I always did this with my children; they loved it!Here’s me sing the first few lines:

Call response (question and answer): the dialogue with the main two characters.

Dynamics: small and large fonts (quiet and loud sounds)

Crescendo: no, No, NO! (small font going bigger)  getting louder with each one: creating a crescendo!

You could also follow up by talking about the life cycle of the butterfly: sing A tiny caterpillar on a leaf:

Words: (tune: she'll be coming round the mountain)

There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf , wiggle wiggle,

There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf , wiggle wiggle,

There’s a tiny caterpillar, tiny caterpillar,

There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf , wiggle wiggle.

He will eat the leaves around him ‘til he’s full, munch munch,

He will eat the leaves around him ‘til he’s full, munch munch,

He will eat the leaves around him, eat the leaves around him,

He will eat the leaves around him ‘til he’s full, munch munch,

A cocoon is what he’s spinning for his home, spin spin

A cocoon is what he’s spinning for his home, spin spin

A cocoon is what he’s spinning, a cocoon is what he’s spinning,

A cocoon is what he’s spinning for his home, spin spin.

Then he’ll be a butterfly and fly away, flap flap,

Then he’ll be a butterfly and fly away, flap flap,

Then he’ll be a butterfly, be a butterfly,

Then he’ll be a butterfly and fly away, flap flap,

 Have fun this book week!