9 Cumulative Tales to Share Together
I love cumulative tales! They are so fun to read and can be so interactive in storytime (albeit a little long at times). Cumulative tales, also called chain tales are “rhythmic stories with a narration that builds upon itself, adding on and repeating previous information.” (Imagination Soup) As the story builds, you continue to repeat previous refrains. One of the most famous cumulative tales would have to be I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly which can also be sung out loud!
What I love most about cumulative tales is that you can take a fairly predictable format and adapt it to stories from around the world. Pulling this list together, I was so excited to see such a diverse group of stories. Whether you’re incorporating Spanish into the story, or sharing Hawaiian culture the familiar format allows readers to absorb the story completely even as you introduce new words into their vocabulary.
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9 Cumulative Tales to Share Together
The Apple Pie that Papa Baked
by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Jonathan Bean
These are the apples, juicy and red,
that went in the pie,
warm and sweet,
that Papa baked…
for guess who!
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain
by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Beatriz Vidal
A cumulative rhyme relating how Ki-pat brought rain to the drought-stricken Kapiti Plain. Verna Aardema has brought the original story closer to the English nursery rhyme by putting in a cumulative refrain and giving the tale the rhythm of “The House That Jack Built.”
The Little Old Lady Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything
by Linda Williams, illustrated by Megan Lloyd
Once upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one autumn night, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard . . . clomp, clomp, shake, shake, clap, clap.
And the little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life! With bouncy refrains and classic art, this timeless Halloween story is perfect for reading aloud.
The Napping House
by Audrey Wood and Don Wood
In the napping house is a cozy bed piled high with a snoring granny, a dreaming child, a dozing dog, a snoozing cat, and a slumbering mouse. What could be more comfy?
All is at peace until a wakeful flea crawls into the mix. One beastly bite from him and the entire pyramid of sleepers might topple. Is he getting ready to nibble?
One Day in a Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree
by Daniel Bernstrom, illustrated by Brendan Wenzel
A sneaky snake has no idea that the captives in his belly are planning their escape! In the spirit of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback, the reader sees a cutaway of the snake’s belly and can even guess how the tale ends!
‘Ohana Means Family
by Ilima Loomis, illustrated by Kenard Pak
“This is the land that’s never been sold, where work the hands, so wise and old, that reach through the water, clear and cold, into the mud to pick the taro to make the poi for our ohana’s luau.”
The Piñata That the Farm Maiden Hung
by Samantha R. Vamos, illustrated by Sebastià Serra
A young girl sets out on errands for the day, and while she’s gone, the farm maiden prepares a piñata from scratch with help from a boy, horse, goose, cat, sheep, and farmer. After they all fall asleep in the afternoon sun, they must scramble to finish preparations in time–just as the girl arrives back to her surprise party. Key English words change to Spanish as the cumulative verse builds to the celebratory ending. With the familiarity of “The House That Jack Built,” the tale cleverly incorporates Spanish words, adding a new one in place of the English word from the previous page. This book makes learning the language easy and fun. Back matter includes a glossary, definitions, and directions for making a piñata at home.
There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight
by Penny Parker Klostermann, illustrated by Ben Mantle
We all know that “there was an old lady” who swallowed lots of things. Now meet the old dragon who swallows pretty much an entire kingdom! Will he ever learn a little moderation?! This rollicking rhyme is full to bursting with sight gags, silly characters, and plenty of burps! Parents and kids alike will delight in Ben Mantle’s precisely funny illustrations and in Penny Parker Klostermann’s wacky rhymes.
This Is the House That Jack Built
by Simms Taback
What happened in the house that Jack built? It all started with the cheese that lay in the house that Jack built. And then came the rat that ate the cheese and the cat who killed the rat. Caldecott Medal winning author and illustrator Simms Taback brings his distinctive humor and creativity to the beloved story of Jack and the house that he built.
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