Humans have communicated through arts such as storytelling, music and dance throughout history, and have often used combinations of different art forms to express ideas. Just as traditional storytellers have done in many cultures through the ages, early childhood practitioners can use a variety of art forms when they share books and stories with children. This article outlines ways in which music, movement and drama can be integrated with literature, providing young children with experience of a range of artistic symbol systems. The author presents practical ideas for developing musical stories based on her experience as an early childhood music educator and researcher, and discusses the potential for future research into children's use of symbol systems such as music and dance in exploring literature.