Predictable Books
Predictable books make use of rhyme,
repetition of words, phrases, sentences and refrains, and such patterns as cumulative
structure, repeated scenes, familiar cultural sequences, interlocking structure and
turn-around plots. These stories invite children to make predictions or guesses about
words, phrases, sentences, events and characters that could come next in the story.
For a listing of Rhyming Predictable
Books, click here.
Kinds of Predictable Books
Note: Story Titles for Each Type of Story are Listed Below!
- Chain or Circular Story
Plot is interlinked so that the ending leads back to the beginning. - Cumulative Story
Each time a new event occurs, all previous events in the story are repeated. - Familiar Sequence
Organized by recognizable theme, such as: Days of Week, Numbers - Pattern Stories
Scenes are repeated with some variation. - Question and Answer
The same or similar questions are repeated throughout the story. - Repetition of Phrase
Word order in a phrase or sentence is repeated. - Rhyme
Rhyming words, refrains, or patterns are used throughout the story. - Songbooks
Familiar songs with predictable elements, such as repetitive phrase.
Chain or Circular Story
50 Below Zero by Robert Munsch, ISBN 0-920236-91-x
Alligator Baby by Robert Munsch, ISBN 0-590-12387-4
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric Kimmell, ISBN 0-8234-0798-5
Farmer Joe's Hot Day by Nancy Wilcox Richards, ISBN 0-590-74280-9
If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff, ISBN 0-06-024596-7
Jonathan Cleaned Up- Then He Heard a Sound by Robert Munsch, ISBN 0-920236-22-7
Look out, Bird! by Marilyn Janovitz
Seven Little Rabbits by John Becker, ISBN 0-59041197-x
Stephanie's Ponytail by Robert Munsch, ISBN 1-55037-484-2
The Mitten by Jan Brett, ISBN 0-399-21920-x
Why the Sun Was Late by Benjamin Elkins
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema, ISBN 0-14-054905-6
Cumulative
Benny's Pennies by Pat Brisson
Bremen Town Musicians by Brothers Grimm
"Buzz, Buzz, Buzz," Went Bumblebee by Colin West
Chicken Licken by Gavin Bishop
Chicken Licken by Kenneth McLeish
Drummer Hoff by Barbara Emberley
Have You Seen the Crocodile? by Colin West
Here Is The Tropical Rain Forest by Madeleine Dunphy
Here Is the Southwestern Desert by Madeleine Dunphy
"I Don't Care!" Said the Bear by Colin West
In Enzo's Splendid Gardens by Patricia Polacco
Inside a Barn in the Country by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
It's a Perfect Day by Abigail Pizer
It's My Birthday by Helen Oxenbury
It's Too Noisy by Joanna Cole
Jack's Garden by Henry Cole
Knock, Knock, Teremok! by K. Arnold
Little Pink Pig by Pat Hutchins
Little Tuppen: An Old Tale by Paul Galdone
May I Bring A Friend? by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
Mike's Kite by Elizabeth MacDonald
Miss Mabel's Table by Deborah Chandra
Moira's Birthday by Robert Munsch
Mr. Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham
My Cat Likes To Hide in Boxes by Eve Sutton
"Not Me," Said the Monkey by Colin West
Rum Pum Pum by Maggie Duff
Seven Sillies by Joyce Dunbar
The Bag I'm Taking to Grandma's by S. Neitzel
The Cat Sat On the Mat by Brian Wildsmith
The Fat Cat by Jack Kent, ISBN 0-590-02174-5
The Gingerbread Man by Jean Richards, ISBN 0-590-41056-3
The Great Big Enormous Turnip by Alexei Tolstoy
The House That Jack Built by Rodney Peppe
The Judge by Harve Zemach
The Napping House by Audrey Wood, ISBN 0-15-201508-6
The Old Woman And Her Pig by Paul Galdone
The Pig In the Pond by Martin Waddell
The Rose In My Garden by Arnold Lobel
The Story of Chicken Licken by Jan Ormerod
The Thing That Bothered Farmer Brown by Teri Sloat
The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett, ISBN 0-698-11569-4
This is the Bear by Sarah Hayes
This is the Star by Joyce Dunbar, ISBN 0-15-200851-9
Today Is Monday by Eric Carle
Familiar Sequence
(days of week, months of year, etc.)
A Prairie Year by Yvette Moore, ISBN 0-88776-334-0
Come Out and Play, Little Mouse by Robert Kraus
Cookie's Week by Cindy Ward
Chicken Soup With Rice by Maurice Sendak
Sunday Potatoes, Monday Potatoes by Vicky Shiefman
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle, ISBN 0-590-31227-8
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle, ISBN 0-399-21166-7
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, ISBN 0-590-03029-9
Today Is Monday by Eric Carle
What Do The Animals Say? by Grace Skaar
Familiar Sequence
(Numbers)
1 Hunter by Pat Hutchins
1, 2, 3, Animal Numbers by Bert Kitchen
1, 2, 3 to the Zoo by Eric Carle
3 Panda's Planting by Megan Halsey, ISBN 0-02-742035-3
10 Bears in My Bed by Stan Mack
Anno's Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno, ISBN 0-590-44675-4
Brian Wildsmith's 1, 2, 3 by Brian Wildsmith
Count Up by John Birmingham
Count and See by Tana Hoban
Counting Wildflowers by Bruce McMillan
One Bear All Alone by Caroline Bucknall
One Crow: A Counting Rhyme by Jim Aylesworth
One Special Star by Anita McFadzean, ISBN 0-00-195999-9
From One to One Hundred by Teri Sloat, ISBN 0-590-48661-6
I Can Count 100 Bunnies by Cyndy Szekeres, ISBN 0-590-38361-2
Moo, Moo, Brown Cow by Jakki Wood
Moja Means One by Muriel Feelings, ISBN 76-134856
Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews
Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang
There Were Ten in the Bed by Karen Young, ISBN 0-590-03092-2
This Old Man by Pam Adams
Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett, ISBN 0-698-11569-4
Up to Ten and Down Again by Lisa Campbell Ernst
What Comes in 2s, 3s, 4s? by Suzanne Aker, ISBN 0-590-47838-9
Who's Counting? by Nancy Tafuri, ISBN 0-688-12266-3
Pattern Story
A Most Unusual Lunch by Robert Bender
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric Kimmell, ISBN 0-8234-0798-5
Anansi Goes Fishing by Eric Kimmell, ISBN 0-8234-1022-6
Are You There Bear? by Ron Maris
Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes, ISBN 0-590-44017-9
Dark Cloud Strong Breeze by Susan Patron
Four Fierce Kittens by Joyce Dunbar
Four Fur Feet by Margaret Wise Brown
Going For a Walk by Beatrice Schenk De Regniers
Henny Penny by H. Werner, ISBN 0-590-73159-9
Hippity Hop, Frog On Top by Natasha Wing
I Wish I Could Fly by Ron Maris
Jeremiah and Mrs. Ming by Sharon Jennings
Little Pink Pig by Pat Hutchins
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, ISBN 0-920668-36-4
Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag, ISBN 0-590-40612-4
Once Upon a Golden Apple by Phoebe Gilman, ISBN 0-670-82963-3
Peter and the Talking Shoes by Kate Banks
Seven Sillies by Joyce Dunbar
Something From Nothing by Phoebe Gilman, ISBN 0-590-74557-3
Spider, Spider by Kate Banks
Stop, Thief! by Robert Kalan
Suddenly! by C. McNaughton
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Kraus
The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone, ISBN 0-89919-163-0
The Little Red Hen by Margot Zemach
The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone, ISBN 0-89919-349-8
The Name of the Tree by Celia Barker Lottridge, ISBN 0-88899-097-9
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
The Sad Story of the Little Bluebird and the Hungry Cat by Edna Mitchell Preston
The Three Bears by Paul Galdone, ISBN 0-89919-401-x
The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone, ISBN 0-89919-035-9
The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone, ISBN 0-89919-275-0
Town Mouse and Country Mouse by Jan Brett, ISBN 0-399-22622-2
Who Took The Farmers Hat? by Joan L. Nodset
Question And Answer
Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman, ISBN 0-394-80018-4
Black Crow, Black Crow by Ginger Foglesong Guy
Bright Star, Bright Star, What Do You See? by Cassandre Maxwell, ISBN 0-8066-2462-0
Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin, Jr.
Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle, ISBN 0-689-80378-8
Is it Time? by Marilyn Janovitz
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Eric Carle, ISBN 0-590-45409-9
Where's the Fish? by Taro Gomi, ISBN 0-688-06241-5
Where's My Share? by Valerie Greeley
Where's Spot? by Eric Hill
Whose Footprints? by Molly Coxe
Whose Mouse Are You? by Robert Kraus
Repetition
of Phrase (and repetitive phrase)
A Beautiful Feast for a Big King Cat by John Archambault & Bill Martin Jr.
A Dark, Dark Tale by Ruth Brown, ISBN 0-8050-1168-4
A Happy Tale by Dorothy Butler
A Big Fish Story by Joanne and David Wylie
A House Is A House For Me by Mary Ann Hoberman
A More Or Less Fish Story by Joanne and David Wylie
A Mouse In My House by Nancy Van Laan
A Promise Is a Promise by Robert Munsch, ISBN 1-555037-008-1
Ask Mr. Bear by Marjorie Flack
Baby Leopard by Linda and Clay Cross, ISBN 0-553-34648-2
Bibi and the Bull by Carol Vaage, ISBN 0-88995-178-0
Big And Little by Ruth Krauss
Black Crow, Black Crow by Ginger Foglesong Guy
Boss For a Week by Libby Handy, ISBN 0-908643-01-2
Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin, Jr.
"Buzz, Buzz, Buzz," Went Bumblebee by Colin West
Cat Boy! by Primrose Lockwoodand Clara Vulliamy
Catch A Little Fox by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes, ISBN 0-590-44017-9
Chicken Soup With Rice by Maurice Sendak
Come Out And Play, Little Mouse by Robert Kraus
Dance Away by George Shannon
Dirty Larry by Bobbie Hamsa
Don't Climb Out Of The Window Tonight by Richard McGilvray
Don't Forget the Bacon by Pat Hutchins, ISBN 0-688-08-743-4
Do You Know What I'll Do? by Charlotte Zolotow
Do You Want To Be My Friend? by Eric Carle
Fortunately by Remy Charlip
Four Fierce Kittens by Joyce Dunbar
From My Window by O. Wong
Going For A Walk by Beatrice Schenk De Regniers
Goodbye, Hello by Robert Welber
Good Morning Chick by Mirra Ginsburg
Good Night! by Claire Masurel & Marie H. Henry
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Good-Night Owl by Pat Hutchins
Go Tell Aunt Rhody by Aliki
Happy Birthday Moon by Frank Asch, ISBN 0-761-66455-7
Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle, ISBN 0-689-80378-8
Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tafuri
Have You Seen the Crocodile? by Colin West
"Hello, Great Big Bullfrog!" by Colin West
Here Are My Hands by Bill Martin, Jr., ISBN 0-8050-1168-4
Hippity Hop, Frog On Top by Natasha Wing
How Do I Put It On? by Shigeo Watanbe
How Joe The Bear And Sam The Mouse Got Together by Beatrice Schenk De Regniers
Hush Little Baby by aliki
I Bought My Love A Tabby Cat by Colin West
"I Don't Care!" Said the Bear by Colin West
If all the Seas Were One Sea by Janina Domanska
If The Dinosaurs Came Back by Bernard Most
Is Your Mama A Llama? by Deborah Guarino
It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles B. Shaw
It's A Perfect Day by Abigail Pizer
I Was Walking Down the Road by Sarah E. Barohas
Jake Baked The Cake by B.G. Hennesy
King Of The Woods by David Day
Knock, Knock! Who's There? by Sally Grindley
Let's Eat! by Ana Zamorano
Little Pink Pig by Pat Hutchins
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, ISBN 0-920668-36-4
Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse, ISBN 0-87701-759-x
Mike's Kite by Elizabeth MacDonald
Moira's Birthday by Robert Munsch, ISBN 0-920303-83
Monkey Face by Frank Asch
Moo, Moo, Brown Cow by Jakki Woo
Mortimer by Robert Munsch, ISBN 0-920303-11-0
Murmel, Murmel, Murmel by Robert Munsch, ISBN 0-920236-31-6
My Five Senses by Aliki
No, Barnaby by Tizzie Knowles
No, No, Titus! by Claire Masurel
"Not Me," Said The Monkey by Colin West
One Bright Monday Morning by Arline Baum and Joseph Baum
One, Two, Three by Alain
Possum Come A-Knockin by Nancy Van Laan
Sailor Bear by Martin Waddell
Seven Little Rabbits by John Becker, ISBN 0-59041197-x
Silly Sally by Audrey Wood
Sitting On The Farm by Bob King, ISBN 1-55074-149-7
Step by Step by Diane Wolkstein
Stop, Thief! by Robert Kalan
Sunday Potatoes, Monday Potatoes by Vicky Shiefman
Teeny Tiny by Jill Bennett
Ten Out Of Bed by Penny Dale
That's Good, That's Bad by Margery Cuyler, ISBN 0-590-45894-9
The Animal by Lorna Ballan
The Baby Blue Cat Who Said No by Ainslie Pryor
The Chick And the Duckling by Jose Aruego, ISBN 02-73540-9
The Cow That Went Oink by Bernard Most, ISBN 0-590-48620-9
The Day Everyone Cried by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone, ISBN 0-89919-163-0
The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown
The Little Fish That Got Away by Bernadine Cook
The Little Red House by Norma Jean Sawicki
The Mixed Up Chameleon by Eric Carle
The Name of the Tree by Celia Barker Lottridge, ISBN 0-88899-097-9
The Piney Woods Peddler by George Shannon
There's A COW In The Road! by Reeve Lindbergh
The Teeny Tiny Woman by Paul Galdone
The Thing That Bothered Farmer Brown Teri Sloat
The Three Bears by Paul Galdone, ISBN 0-89919-401-x
The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone, ISBN 0-89919-035-9
The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone, ISBN 0-89919-275-0
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
This Is The Bear And The Picnic Lunch by Sarah Hayes
Too Much Noise by Ann McGovern
Two Badd Babies by Jeffrie Ross Gordon
Watch Out! Big Bro's Coming! by Jez Alborough
What a Good Lunch! by Shigeo Watanabe
What's Wrong Tom? by Paul and Emma Rogers
Where Are You Going, Little Mouse? by Robert Kraus
Where In the World Is Henry? by Lorna Ballan
Where Is My Daddy? by Shigeo Watanabe
Where's My Share? by Valerie Greeley
Where's the Fish? by Taro Gomi, ISBN 0-688-06241-5
Who Said Red? by Mary Serfozo
Whose Mouse Are You? by Robert Kraus
Whose Footprints? by Molly Coxe
Wombat Stew by Marcia K. Vaughn, ISBN 0-86896-258-9
You Can't Catch Me by Joan Kahn