Suzanne Barchers has adapted a number of different folktales from all over the world to be presented in a "Readers Theatre" format. Readers Theatre is a presentation by two or more people who read interpretively from scripts for an audience. Some props may be used (especially with young children) in the presentation. The folktales in this book are grouped by reading level (from 1st-5th grade) based on the Flesch-Kincaid readability scale. Each tale is briefly summarized, and includes suggestions for presentation, props, and delivery. A script and a list of characters follows each entry; sources for 28 of the folktale adaptations are given.

Fujita, Hiroko. Stories to Play with: Kids' Tales Told with Puppets, Paper, Toys, and Imagination. August House Publishers Inc., 1999. Paper ed. ISBN 0-87483-553-4; $12.95. 96p.

Hiroko Fujita is a Japanese storyteller and educator. She originally wrote this book for a Japanese audience to give beginning storytellers in her country a place to start when sharing stories with small children. Her emphasis is on "playing" the story with children. Librarians and educators in the United States have also found her methods and stories useful during storytimes and in the classroom. Instead of reading from a book, Hiroko uses toys and props to help tell her stories. These props can be made with simple materials that can be found around the house (and the children may enjoy making them, too!). Her techniques have been used with students through high school age. The stories themselves are simple and easy to learn or adapt, and storytellers are encouraged to find their own way of telling them. Includes a pronunciation guide for Japanese words, and story notes with some suggested applications.

Warren, Jean. Theme-A-Saurus: The Great Big Book of Mini Teaching Themes. Warren Publishing House, 1989. Paper ed. ISBN 0-911019-20-0; 277p.

This book contains a wealth of activities for young children, organized thematically. Activities include: games, crafts, songs, food/snacks, dancing, and learning activities. The book is arranged alphabetically by theme and has an index organized by the following categories: animals, food, nature, and objects. Each mini theme runs from 4-8 pages; the materials for crafts/projects are inexpensive and should be readily available. Some of the mini themes included in the book are: apples, bells, bears, pumpkins.

Dailey, Susan M. A Storytime Year: A Month-to-Month Kit for Preschool Programming. Neal-Schuman Publishers Inc., 2001. ISBN 1-55570-389-5. 400p.

This is a great resource designed for anyone, regardless of their experience level, who develops and conducts storytime programs for young children. Materials are organized by month, starting with January. Each month has four program themes (48 ready-to-use programs in all), and each program theme includes an annotated bibliography of suggested titles, a storytelling tip, a video suggestion, participation activities, and a craft idea. All programs are designed chidlren ages 3-5 years. Dailey offers a number of program planning tips in the beginning of the book, including a form to use in planning the activities for story times. The book is comprised of loose-leaf sheets in a binder, so templates/figures can be photocopied easily. Lists of figures, and themes are followed by appendices on how to make a lap stage and story outlines. Indexes for programming, subjects, picture books, stories, and participation activities are also included.