The Greedy Python – A Singable Story

Today I am excited to share with you a “singable story.” So what is a singable story?  You can get the full explanation here, but basically it is a story that has been set to music and is sung instead of spoken.  I have found that singable stories hold my children’s attention better than if I was just reading aloud. You can find my top 8 singable stories here.

A former practicum student (AKA music therapist in training) of mine introduced me to this particular story. It was not originally set to music as some can be, but she created a melody and chords to accompany the rhyming text. It turned out beautifully! In fact, I loved it so much that I use it with my groups and individual sessions all the time!  And the kids love it too!

The Greedy Python by Richard Buckley & Eric Carle

I created this video so that YOU would be able to easily access it for your child(ren).  Just hit play and you’re all set.

Tips & Tricks

Comprehension.  Singable stories are particularly good for comprehension skills such as answering WH questions.  What is he doing? Who is the main character?  The particular story is also good for animal identification. And some unconventional ones at that (porcupine, buffalo, leopard). For children working on more abstract concepts, talking about what “greedy” means is also a great topic.

Use the book. In addition to the video, you can purchase your own copy on Amazon here.  I got mine used for about $4 (including shipping) and it was just like new.  Children may like to have something physical they can point to (and you can take your time on each page). A quick note: some of the new editions of this book have slightly varied words to reflect younger age vocabulary.

Add movements. Pick key words throughout the story to add motor movements. It becomes even more engaging this way.  Here’s a few to get you started: “hidden” (pretend to hide), “very long” (arms out wide), “monstrous appetite” (rub tummy & say YUM!), “elephant with trunk” (arm out & pretend it’s a swinging trunk), “resting” (pretend to sleep), “began to kick” (feet kicking), “sick” (hand on forehead), “swallowed” (pretend to eat or gulp!).

Let me know what you think! My favorite part is the reaction I typically get at the end. “Ewwww He ate his tail!!!” The kids find it super funny!

Sing on,

Mary

P.S. If you want to get our Singable Story ebook which contains a list of 25 of the best singable stories, where to find them, and where to find the music, join our list below! It’s FREE.