Dramatic Play Book List

1. Book: Clifford the firehouse dog

Author: Norman Bridwell
Copyright: 1994
summary: Clifford went on a trip to the fire station. A group of school children were
there, they came for a fire safety class. Stop, Drop, and Roll. There was a fire and
Clifford went with to help with the hose, hydrant, and putting the fire out.
Things that I would include in the dramatic play area to incorporate the book:
Homemade cardboard fire truck
Fire hydrant
Hoses
Phone with 911 sign
Fire safety posters
Fire extinguishers
Fire boots
Fire helmet
Fire jackets
Walkie-talkies
2. The book I chose is "I Have A Restaurant", the author is Ryan Afromsky and the
copyright date is 2011
This book is a book about having a restaurant, and what happens everyday at his
restaurant. It tells a story of what the employees do, when the customers come,
what happens after the restaurant is closed, and how much he loves owning a
restaurant.
If I was to design a dramatic play area around this book I would set it up like a
restaurant. I would have two or three small tables for customers to sit at, I would
have a kitchen area with stove, sink, and oven. There would be a lot of food, along
with plates, cups, trays, I would have chef hats, jackets, and aprons. The children
could make the food and serve it to customers at their restaurant. There would also
be salt and pepper shakers to put on the tables, and some small plants or flowers as
well. I think the children would have such a fun time having their own restaurant.
3. A Day in the Life of a Farmer by Heather Adamson. 9/01/2003

This book takes you through the many roles of a farmer on a typical day of work.
The dramatic play area for this could be set up as a farm with toy tractors, pitch
forks, hay bales, corn stalks. You could have small stools for milking stools in the
area as well as farm related puppets and farmer and farm animal figurines. The
children can dress up in 'bibs', cowboy boots and farmer hats. Pictures of different
types of farms would be hung on the walls and books also in the area about farms,
farmers, and farm equipment.
4. Title: My Father's Boat by Sherry Garland, copyright date: 1998
The book is about a young boy whose father is a fisherman. His father takes him
with him on his shrimp boat. When they are out on the water the father reminisces
about his own father who lives in Vietnam. The father tells him about fishing in
Vietnam with his father and how to fish on his own shrimp boat.
The dramatic play area would of course need a boat, fishing nets, fishing poles,
hats, fishing gear like a tackle box and lures without the sharp bits of course. You
could also have fish and other sea creatures that are illustrated in the book. Some
fabric of different textures and shades of blue and green for water. I like this story
because it exposes the kids to another way of fishing not seen in our area and
another culture. It is a beautiful book about family and the legacy fishing holds in
that family
5. Title: I Want To Be A Nurse
Author: Dan Liebman
Copyright Date:March 3, 2001
This children's books helps explain to children different jobs a nurse has to do.
Taking care of children and adults is just the first job a nurse has to do.
In the dramatic play area I would have doctor outfits, doctor/nurse tools and stuffed
animals to make feel better.
6. Teach Me About The Doctor is an older book :) It was written in 1986 by Joy
Berry.
This book goes into detail, letting children know what happens at the doctor and
why the doctor does the things she/he does. From height and weight, to taking their
blood pressure, to checking their lungs and listening to them breathe. I think this
would be great for a play area for children. We could have the white "coats" that the
doctors wear. They would use their friends for their patients using the tools that the
doctor uses. Such as a stethoscope for lungs/breathing, testing hammer that is
padded for testing their reflexes on their knees and elbows, blood pressure meter, a

stop watch to time their heartbeat. I don't know if this would be a good idea or it
would be "acceptable" but to have a scale for their weight.
7. Title: Community Helpers: Bakers
Author: Tami Deedrick
Copyright: July 1st 1998
Summary: This book talks about how to become a baker, what clothes the baker
wear, the tools they use, and the day-to-day life of a baker. It also talks about the
different things made in a bakery and the different stores and resturaunts the food
travels to.
Play area would include: Baker Hats, aprons, spoons, rolling pins, spatculas, cookie
cutters, felt/ foam baked goods, paper bags, bowls, play oven, timer, muffin tins,
rolling cart, cardboard box transport truck, baskets, empty containor of baking
staples, hair nets, and wisks.
8. Book: Let's Meet a Veterinarian
Author: Gina Bellisario & Cale Kinson
Copyright: August 1, 2014
Summary: Dr. Kate comes to school to do a check up on the class pet. She talks
about what she does, and what things she uses in her profession. The children
learn how to take care of the class guinea pig and other animals that they care for.

In the dramatic play are there would be:

stuffed animals,
a note pad with different animals pictures on it. writing instruments
Stethoscope.
A lab coat.
x-rays
goggles
bandages (toilet paper that they can use to wrap the injured animal)
signs with pictures of different animals
gloves

pet toys
pet dishes for food and water
crates
brown pom poms to be used as "pet food"
phone
tape measure
flashlight
masks
eye droppers
pretend syringe
scale
name tag
blankets or towels
9. Katie the Paramedic by Lysa Walder it was copyrighted on April 20 2009
The book is about how Katie used to work in the circus but she decides that she
wants to become a paramedic because she wants to help people especially children.
So that's exactly what she does!
The dramatic play area would be turned into an ambulance. It could have an area
where the "sick" people could lay down, gloves, bandaids, stethoscope, gauze,
clipboards, blood pressure cuffs, medical tape, a toy steering wheel. Things that you
would typically see in an ambulance.
10. Title: A Day in the Life of A Veterinarian
Author: Heather Adamson
Copyright: July 2000
This book follows a veterinarian through out her day. The information is presented
in a question and answer format. There is also a clock on each page to show what
time of the day each activity occurs.
Dramatic play:
Doctor's kit (stethoscope, syringe, bandages, etc)

Doctor's coat
small bottles or boxes to use as medicines, larger boxes or bowls for food and water
stuffed animals for patients
boxes to use as cages or tables
paper and pencils to make medical charts
11. Fire Truck! by Ivan Ulz. 2002.
This book comes with a CD that sings the story. It talks about what a firefighter
wears, the truck, the ladder, the siren, etc. It's a wonderful way to show my one
year olds what a firefighter does and looks like.
A dramatic play area could include a rain coat/firefighter coat, firefighter hats,
rubber boots, dalmatian stuffed animals, cut-off ends of tubing with funnels on one
end ("fire hoses") or cut-off ends of garden hoses, and in the block area - fire trucks.
Also other books with pictures of firefighters and trucks could be in the Library
area.
12. Let's Meet a Construction Worker (Cloverleaf Books - Community Helpers)
Paperback January 1, 2013
by Bridget Heos (Author), Mike Moran (Illustrator)
Children visit Mr. Moore, a construction worker who's helping to build a new school.
He shows them machines that dig big holes. He explains how he follows the building
plans. And he tells about different workers and how they stay safe.
Items included in dramatic play area: More books about construction, hard hats,
hammers and other tools, paper and pencils for architect work, "work overalls" tool
belt
13. Delivering Your Mail: A Book About Mail Carriers
By Ann Owen
Copyright Date: July 1, 2003
Summary:
A simple book about being a mail carrier. The text is to the point and perfect for
toddlers and young preschoolers learning about mail carriers for the first time. It
focuses on not just what the mail carriers do but how it impacts the reader, which
can be important for children who who might see the world through their
perspective only.

What could be included in a dramactic play center that would extend play around
the book:
Mailbox
Letters
Stamps
Mail man/women costume
Cardboard Mailtruck
Postcards
Bubble Wrap
Packages
Aprons
Mail Bags
Bins for sorting
14. My Mom Is a Firefighter by Lois G. Grambling (August 21, 2007)

This book is about having a hero. For Billy, its his Mom. Billy has two families. He
ahs his mom and dad, but he also has his firehouse uncles who work with his
mom as firefighters. Billy knows that firefighters have a very important job to do,
protecting people and putting out fires. To get the job done right, they all have to
work as a team.

Dramatic Play Area:

Firefighter hats

Boots

Firefighter coats

Small hoses

15. Fantastic Fire Truck

2007 Small World Creations LTD

Published by Playmore Inc.
No author listed
Fantastic Fire Truck is a cute little board book that I think would work for any early
childhood classroom. Although it is a board book (geared toward toddlers) I can see
my preschool classroom enjoying this book as well. The book goes through the steps
that firefighters take to check equipment before a fire, what exactly they do when
the alarm at the fire station goes off, what happens at the scene of the fire, what
happens after the fire truck returns to the station and what fire fighters do when
they visit community events.

Dramatic Play Props

Fire hats
Large boxes (fire trucks)
Small hoses
Rain coats (fire fighter coats)
Rain boots
Illustrated safety tips (pictoral instruction and written words)
Laminated fire (pictures)
Tape (children can tape fire anywhere and fight the fire)
Telephones
During outside time we could take the clothing and phones outside and use the
garden hose with actual running water to fight fires. Our children often turn the
climber on the playground into a police station, fire station, etc. We also have a
playhouse outside that I have a feeling would be on fire quite a bit.
16. I'm Brave by Kate McMullan Septer 2014
This book is a fun way to get to know a fire-truck and brave firefighters who save
people, houses, and other things. There is lots of new vocabulary in this book.
Children will also be introduced to parts of the firefighting vehicle and tools used.
Dramatic Play Area:
Fire-fighter hats

Water boots
Buckets
Hose - see attached: dramatic-play-quadrant-presentation-043.jpg
Cardboard building - see attached o.jpg
17. Going to the Firehouse
By: Mercer Mayer
2008
Little Critter and his classmates are taking a trip to the firehouse! Little Critter puts
on his boots and jacketnow he's ready to help Fireman Joe. After checking the
hose and ladder, Little Critter is ready for a fireman's helmet of his own. Join Little
Critter as he learns to stop, drop, and roll with Fireman Joe!
Items to include in dramatic play area

yellow rubber raincoats

boots
old vacuum hose
phone

whistle
fire safety posters
fire hats walkie-talkies
stepladder gloves
flashlight baby dolls (to rescue)