Preschool – Books

“If You Were a Penguin” by Wendell and Florence Minor
“Playful Little Penguins” by Tony Mitton
“Grumpy Pants” by Claire Messer

Toddlers – Books

“Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups” by Tadgh Bentley
“Blue Penguin” by Petr Horacek
“If You Were a Penguin” by Wendell and Florence Minor

Five Perky Penguins

Five perky penguins stood on the shore
One went for a swim, then there were four
Four perky penguins looked out to sea
One went swimming, then there were three
Three perky penguins said “What can we do?”
One jumped in the water, then there were two
Two perky penguins sat in the sun
One swam off and then there was one
One perky penguins said “This is no fun”
He dived in the water and then there were none

Penguin Song by Genevieve Jereb

There are a lot of versions of this song but the Genevieve Jereb one is my favorite. You can also sing this song yourself. 

Have you ever seen a penguin drinking tea?
Take a look at me, a penguin you will see
Penguins attention, penguins begin
Right arm, left arm (flap arms)

Have you ever seen a penguin drinking tea?
Take a look at me, a penguin you will see
Penguins attention, penguins begin
Right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg (flap arms, waddle legs)

Have you ever seen a penguin drinking tea?
Take a look at me, a penguin you will see
Penguins attention, penguins begin
Right arm, left arm, right left, left leg, nod your head (flap arms, waddle legs, nod head)

Penguins on Sticks

Put Your Penguins
Put your penguins up,
Put your penguins down
Hold your penguins and turn around
Put your penguins up
Put your penguins down
Put your penguins on the ground

Did You Ever See a Penguin? (Tune: Did you Ever See a Lassie?)
Did you ever see a penguin, a penguin, a penguin
Did you ever see a penguin waddle this way and that
Waddle this way and that way, this way and that way
Did you ever see a penguin waddle this way and that

Where is Penguin? (Tune: Where is Thumbkin)
Where is penguin, where is penguin?
Here I am, here I am
How are you today sir?
Very well I thank you
Waddle away, waddle away

The Penguins
The penguins are here, the penguins are there
The penguins, the penguins are everywhere
The penguins are up, the penguins are down
The penguins, the penguins are all around
The penguins are in, the penguins are out
The penguins, the penguins are all about
The penguins go low, the penguins go high
The penguins, the penguins all wave goodbye

How it Went: I ended up using different books for the preschool kids and the toddlers. I wanted to try some new books and couldn’t help myself (I’m so happy I did). “Grumpy Pants” is one of my favorite books (maybe because it is me…), I wasn’t sure how it would go over in story time but the preschoolers loved it. “Perky Little Penguins” was a little too long for the preschoolers so I knew the toddlers wouldn’t do well with it. “Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups” is such a fun and interactive story, it worked really well with the toddlers and I wish it arrived in time for the preschoolers. The Penguin Song was also very popular, children were giggling and exhausted by the time the song was over.