I'm so excited about this month's coloring page! What could be more fun that this printable paper bookmobile template. Kids can make both a 3-D bookmobile and three historical bookmobile stick puppets for pretend play. The best part is that these bookmobiles fit right in with our other pretend play coloring page templates. You can also pair it with this fun library coloring page.
This bookmobile coloring page is part of our monthly coloring page series designed by children's book illustrator and author, Melanie Hope Greenberg. Melanie draws the art and I try to come up with a creative way your kids can use her wonderful coloring pages!
Be sure to take this opportunity to teach your kids about the history of bookmobiles and their important role in remote communities. Here are a few links that have great information:
- Female librarians on horses in the 1930s.
- Historical photos of bookmobiles
- Picture book: Waiting for the Biblioburro
- Picture book: My Librarian is a Camel
- Picture book: Miss Dorothy and her Bookmobile
- Picture book: The Book Woman
If you are a librarian, making this paper bookmobile is a great activity for story time or arts and craft hour!
How to make the bookmobile:
Download and print the coloring page: (by clicking on the following link you agree to our terms of service* see end of post for details) Four bookmobiles to print and color
I didn't take step by step images of the assembly process, however the bookmobile is the same template as our school bus and you can see the step by step processes on that post if you like. No doubt you can figure it out on your own, anyway!
- Print out template, preferably on card stock (I used regular paper and it works fine, but won't last long in a pretend play scenario.)
- Color as desired and write the name of your favorite library on the roof!
- Cut out bookmobile along exterior solid line
- Fold on dotted lines
- Assemble the bookmobile by inserting the flaps behind the sides of the bus and secure with tape or glue.
- Play!
How to make the stick puppets:
- Color and cut out the images. Perfection not required!
- Glue images to ends of wooden craft sticks.
- Play!
Aren't they adorable?
More template coloring pages that are great for pretend play:
If you live in the NYC area, you can meet the artist this month. Melanie will be reading her books with Katy Stone Wallace of The Sparrow Sisters at the Brooklyn Americana Music Fest on Sun Sept 22 at 4pm Superfine in Dumbo.
About the Illustrator
Melanie Hope Greenberg is an award winning author and illustrator of more than 15 children’s books. Her cheerful, vibrant illustrations can be found in books such as Good Morning, Digger, Down in the Subway and A City Is. Her iconic book, Mermaids on Parade, was selected as a Bank Street Best Book, and for the Texas Reading Club and PBS Kids Summer Reading Lists.
Melanie loves to make school visits where she shares her writing and illustrating process. Learn more at her website.
Her classic book, Aunt Lilly’s Laundromat, has recently been re-published in paperback. The book takes place in Melanie’s neighborhood laundromat on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights.
“Succeeds as a celebration of fond memory and honest labor.” –Publisher’s Weekly.
Click here purchasing information! And don’t forget our exclusive Aunt Lilly’s Laundromat coloring page!
I’m sure you know a kid who likes diggers. Or mermaids? Or subways? Melanie signs all copies of her books purchased through her Amazon vendor link.
*Terms of Service: this coloring page is used with permission from Melanie Hope Greenberg and is for non-commercial use ONLY. You many print out as many copies as you like for personal, library or classroom use. If you would like to share this coloring page, you MUST link to this blog page. It is expressly forbidden to link directly to the coloring page pdf file.
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