Popcorn Storytime

The popcorn book written and illustrated by Tomie de Paola.
New York : Holiday House, c1978.
Presents a variety of facts about popcorn and includes two recipes.

Popcorn by Alex Moran; illustrated by Betsy Everitt.
San Diego : Green Light Readers/Harcourt Brace, c1999.
Illustrations and rhythmic, rhyming text show what happens when popping popcorn gets out of hand.

Popcorn by Frank Asch
New York : Parent's Magazine Press, c1979.
Sam Bear invites his friends to an impromptu Halloween party and asks them to bring a treat.

The Huckabuck family and how they raised popcorn in Nebraska and quit and came back by Carl Sandburg; pictures by David Small.
New York : Farrar Strauss Giroux, c1999.
After the popcorn the Huckabucks had raised explodes in a fire and Pony Pony Huckabuck finds a silver buckle inside a squash, the family decides it is time for a change.

The popcorn dragon written by Jane Thayer; illustrated by Lisa McCue.
New York : Morrow Junior Books, c1989.
Though his hot breath is the envy of all the other animals, a young dragon learns that showing off does not make friends.

Popcorn kernels
In the pot
Jump and dance
When they get hot.

And when they've
Carried on enough,
They do a flip
And turn to fluff!
~Cathy Drinkwater Better~

Popcorn

When Walker and I bought our movie tickets
And went into the lobby,
There were brown boxes
Stacked seven feet high
And ten feet wide
And twenty feet deep.
You could hardly get by.
What was this cardboard castle?
We took a closer look.
On every box was printed one word.
In small letters:
P O P C O R N
"Could you eat that much popcorn?"
Said Walker.
"I already have," I said.
~James Stevenson~

I am a popcorn kernel,
On the electric range,
With oil to my ankles,
Waiting for the change.

Pop, pop, it's started happening,
The noise has just begun.
Pop, pop, there it goes again.
It sounds like a lot of fun.,

Explosions to the left of me.
Explosions to the right.
I'm just about to blow my top,
I really think I might.
BANG!!!
~Dick Wilmes~

Flannelboard: for pattern click here
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How Corn Grows

The farmer plants the seed and waters it (seed)
The seed begins to grow -- down (roots)
Then up (stem and first leaf)
It grows (add leaves, one at a time)
And grows
And grows
Until a tassel grows on top. (add tassel)
Ears grow between leaves and stem
And when they're big and fat
The farmer harvests them.

We peel the husk (opened ear of corn)
And find the corn on the cob.
Let the kernels dry
Put them in a popper
And turn them into POPCORN! (popcorn pieces)

Popcorn
Sung to: I'm A Little Tea Pot

I'm a little popcorn in a pot.
Heat me up and watch me pop.
When I get all fat and white, I'm done.
Popping corn is lots of FUN!
Everyone gets down very low for the first part of the song. At the end jump way up high together on the word FUN!

Popcorn

Popcorn
Popcorn
Pop, pop, pop
Says the popcorn in the pan.
Pop, pop, pop,
You may catch me if you can.

Pop, pop, pop
Says each kernel bright and yellow.
Pop, pop, pop
They are clever little fellows.

Pop, pop, pop
As they scamper 'cross the heat.
Pop, pop, pop
They are very good to eat.

Pop, pop, pop
Pop, pop, pop

POP

You put the oil in the pot and you let it get hot
You put the popcorn in and you start to grin.
Sizzle, sizzle
Sizzle, sizzle
Sizzle, sizzle
Sizzle, sizzle
Sizzle, sizzle
Sizzle, sizzle
POP!
We start the poem in a crouched position, knees bent, hands on the floor. When we start to "sizzle" we s-l-o-w-l-y rise until the final POP! when we jump up in the air.

One little kernel	hold up one finger
Sleeping in the pot.	curl up and pretend to sleep
Turn on the heat
And watch it pop.	jump into the air
Popping, hopping popcorn;	hop around
A munchy, crunchy treat.	pretend to eat
Pour on the butter	pretend to pour on butter
And let me eat!	pretend to eat

Pop a lot of popcorn,	both hands move up and down like popping corn
Thread it on a string.	right hand holding needle, left hand putting popcorn on string
Trim the garland on the tree,	hands placing string of popcorn on tree
We'll all join hands and sing.	holding out hands to others
Oh, pretty little fir tree,	holding up hands in admiration
Trimmed with a nice treat,	continue holding up hands
With your branches filled with popcorn,	start rubbing tummy with hands
You look good enough to eat.	continue rubbing tummy
POP, POP-POP, POP, POP	clap on each "pop", two slow, three fast
With your branches filled with popcorn,	rub tummy
You look good enough to eat. POP!	clap hands loudly on last "pop"

Do you know how to pop popcorn,
Pop popcorn, pop popcorn?
Do you know how to pop popcorn?
Pop-pop-pop.

Make it hot and watch it pop,
Watch it pop, watch it pop.
Make it hot and watch it pop.
Pop-pop-pop.

Pour in a bowl and share with a friend,
Share with a friend, share with a friend.
Pour in a bowl and share with a friend,
Mmmmm-mmmmm-mmmmm!

Give each child a 12 by 12 inch piece of bubble wrap (available in rolls at office supply stores) and let them jump on it to make the sound of popcorn popping. This works best on floors without carpet!

This page updated on December 27, 2001 .

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