Story Window Storytime Blog: July 2006

Peek inside for storytime ideas! Wilmette Librarians share suggestions for age-appropriate books, rhymes, songs, and crafts.

July 20, 2006

Sing, Sing a Song!
(Songs & Fingerplays)

I'm not exactly American Idol material, but I like to use lots of songs in storytime. The point is not how well you can sing, but how much fun you have while doing it.

The following songs are tried-and-true favorites that you can find on CD at the Library. With the exception of the "warming up" songs, we do all of these a cappella or, if I'm feeling ambitious, the Autoharp.

Warming Up

"Warm-up" can be translated to "wear-out." We often do one of these while waiting for a quorum.

"Bodies 1-2-3," by Peter T. Allard and Ellen Allard, from Sing it! say it! stamp it! sway it! Vol. 2
"Can't Wait to Celebrate," by Jim Gill, from Jim Gill's irrational anthem: and more salutes to nonsense

Getting Ready to Listen

"Open, Shut Them", by Learning Station, from Where is thumbkin?

Taking a Break from Books

"Spider on the Floor," by Raffi, from Singable songs for the very young — fun to do with a spider puppet, which occasionally hops onto a child
"Shake My Sillies Out," by Raffi, from More singable songs and several other recordings
"Two Little Blackbirds," by Carole Peterson, from Sticky Bubblegum: and other tasty tunes — this one always seems to surprise and delight little boys in particular, probably because you're supposed to sing loud in parts
"Pig on Her Head," by Laurie Berkner, from Buzz Buzz — every child can choose an animal for his or her verse

Saying Goodbye (or, more accurately, Going to the Craft Table)

"Reach for the Sky", by Pamela Beall and Susan Nipp, found on Wee Sing: children's songs and fingerplays

Posted by Lisa at 3:28 PM

July 13, 2006

At the Seaside with 3 to 5s
(For 3.5-5 Year Olds)

During the school year, I usually do storytime for younger children, so it's nice to have a chance to try out some slightly longer stories with the 3-5 age group. Here's what we read on Tuesday:

- Lost and Found, by Oliver Jeffers. This is a new book, very cute, and a winner, judging by Tuesday's crowd! A penguin arrives at a small boy's doorstep. He helps the penguin return to the South Pole, only to realize that the penguin was not lost, but lonely. The big pages and rich watercolor illustrations make it okay for a big group.

- Swimmy, by Leo Lionni. My feeling is that you can never go wrong with Leo Lionni. A clever black fish helps his little red friends outsmart the bigger fish who want to eat them. No, fish can't really talk, as I was informed by my listeners, but it's still a good story.

- Ebb & Flo and the Greedy Gulls, by Jane Simmons. This story doesn't have many words, but so much happens in the pictures and between the lines, it's a nice way to get kids actively involved in telling the story with you. Also, it's perfect if you want to introduce the word "sulk" to your kids' vocabulary.

We also sang "Ten Little Fishies" (to the tune of "Ten Little Indians") with flannelboard fish, and I dusted off our Autoharp to play "Pig on Her Head," from Laurie Berkner's album Buzz Buzz. Every kid who wanted to chose an animal to have on his or her head, and we sang about it. Needless to say, there were lots of sharks and whales and dolphins on Tuesday!

Posted by Lisa at 10:30 AM | Comments (1)

July 12, 2006

Tiny Tots
(Special Storytimes)

This morning I visited some of the Tiny Tots groups run by the Park District. Saw three groups of 3 and 4 year olds; read for 20 - 25 minutes to each group. Amazing what a great book Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems is! One of those sure-fire, never miss read-alouds. Also have new appreciation for Shannon's Duck on a Bike. There are some patterns in the narrative that are interesting to exploit - and one little girl observed, very rightly, that the Duck can talk, while the other animals cannot. But they all (the animals, that is) certainly do a lot of thinking. When I pointed out how snooty the cat was being, "snooty" became the kids'new favorite word, at least for a little while.

Posted by Lyn at 3:38 PM

July 7, 2006

Welcome to Story Window
(General Discussion)

"What happens in storytime stays in storytime."

Just kidding. That's not a rule, and we don't want it to be the reality. Storytime is not a secret club whose rituals are privy only to preschoolers! We know that working moms and dads, caregivers, and other librarians may want to know what we're doing in that brightly painted room with the colorful carpet.

We've started this storytime blog as a means of communicating with families about what their children are doing and learning in storytime. What books are we reading? What songs are we singing? What early literacy skills are we working on?

We also see the potential for idea-sharing with youth librarians and other folk who work in early childhood education.

By all means, please leave comments or questions. We will begin blogging about our storytimes over the summer, gearing up for our regular storytime season this fall. Peek in whenever you like!

Posted by Lisa at 2:37 PM

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