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.

Kinds of Predictable Books

Note: Story Titles for Each Type of Story are Listed Below!

1. Chain or Circular Story
   Plot is interlinked so that the ending leads back to the beginning.
2. Cumulative Story
   Each time a new event occurs, all previous events in the story are repeated.
3. Familiar Sequence
   Organized by recognizable theme, such as: Days of Week, Numbers
4. Pattern Stories
   Scenes are repeated with some variation.
5. Question and Answer
   The same or similar questions are repeated throughout the story.
6. Repetition of Phrase
   Word order in a phrase or sentence is repeated.
7. Rhyme
   Rhyming words, refrains, or patterns are used throughout the story.
8. 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