Story Window Storytime Blog: November 2007

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

November 28, 2007

Mad About Mo
(For 3.5-5 Year Olds)

Mo Willems is my favorite children's picture-book author right now, and, happily, after this last storytime, the kids seem to love his books, too. I think he's extremely funny, and his characters represent children's emotions well, both in words and images.

We read three books by Willems at storytime this week. The first was one of his easy readers about Elephant and Piggie, There Is a Bird on Your Head. A pair of birds (love birds?) builds a nest on Elephant's head with hilarious results. Thanks to Piggie, Elephant escapes his avian predicament.

We also read Caldecott Honor book Knuffle Bunny. Trixie misplaces her Knuffle Bunny on a trip to the laudromat, and poor Dad can't understand why Trixie is upset. The kids related well to the idea of having--and losing--a favorite stuffed toy.

Last, we read The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog, about the ornery Pigeon who also appears in Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and other books. Duckling wants to share Pigeon's hot dog, but will Pigeon let him? The kids couldn't stop laughing at that pesky Pigeon's antics.

Finally, the kids colored a picture of Knuffle Bunny and added drawings of themselves with the much-loved stuffed animal.

Bonus Mo Willems fact: Check out his Pigeon sketch on display in the Youth Services department!

Posted by Janet at 11:18 AM | TrackBack

November 26, 2007

Colors
(For 1.5-2.5 Year Olds)

Learning about colors is always fun for the storytime kids. Colorful animals pop up on each page in Creepy Crawly Colors, by Robin Koontz. We enjoy singing "Old McDonald Had a Farm" each week while each animal we sing to comes out of a big red soft barn door. This activity reminds us of the the barn in Margaret Wise Brown's colorful book, Big Red Barn. Where is that cute Pip hiding we wondered as I lifted the flaps in the cute duck book by Jane Simmons called, Daisy's Hide and Seek?

Posted by Sue at 8:33 PM | TrackBack

November 21, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving
(For 1.5-2.5 Year Olds)

We talked about the delicious foods that children like to eat on Thanksgiving day. Turkey may not be a big favorite, but pumpkin pie and cookies are yummy. Another important aspect of Thanksgiving is giving thanks and feeling grateful for what we have. Thank You, Thanksgiving, by David Milgrim, provides everyday examples of the nice things children can be grateful for, such as having a family. One of my Thanksgiving rituals each year is to sing while showing a picture book version of the standard, Over the River and Through the Wood by Lydia Child, illustrated by David Catrow. Children and adults always enjoy the folktale Little Red Hen by Byron Barton, about the importance of helping our family make food, and being grateful for it, which ties into an important Thanksgiving theme.

Posted by Sue at 9:41 AM | TrackBack

November 13, 2007

Anarchy and the Ewe K
(For 3.5-5 Year Olds)

Barnyard mayhem broke out at storytime today. We read books about unrest on the farm. These kids have been reading books about regular old farms and farm animals for years, so I decided that it was time to shake things up with some offbeat farm stories. First we read Doreen Cronin's uproarious Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type. Some discontented cows get ahold of a typewriter and start making some serious demands of Farmer Brown. An electric blanket for chickens?!? The kids had fun reading along with me and the text: "Click, clack, MOO! Click, clack, MOO! Clickety clack, MOO!"

Then came my new favorite book: Jarrett Krosoczka's Punk Farm. After Farmer Joe goes to bed, the animals put on a punk rock show. They perform a rip-roaring version of Old MacDonald. The kids howled at the "EEE-I-EEE-I YEEOOOW! OW! OW!" We even had our own version of a Punk Farm. We listened to Old MacDonald and played along on bells and tamborines. As the sheep says, "Thank you, Wisconsin!"

Posted by Janet at 2:37 PM | TrackBack

November 5, 2007

Singing Time
(For 1.5-2.5 Year Olds)

We always enjoy singing along with storybooks. Jane Cabrera, a favorite author of mine, depicts adorable critters dancing along with the classic song in If You're Happy and You Know It. With flaps that make a bus "dance", Paul Zelinsky illustrates another popular song for my storytime kids in the Wheels on the Bus. We found animals under the flaps of various colored hats in Who's Under That Hat? by David Carter.

Posted by Sue at 6:28 PM | TrackBack

November 1, 2007

Halloween Storytime
(For 2.5-3.5 Year Olds)

Halloween... For me, the holiday evokes images of ghosts and witches, a scent of burning leaves, a chill wind, the sweetness of candy, and the burning question of how to find decent Halloween stories appropriate for two and three year olds. This year I was actually fairly happy with the selection I ended up with (though I don't think anyone would argue these books are great literature).

Tucker's Spooky Halloween, by Leslie McGuirk - When Tucker was a puppy, a cute costume was okay. But now he wants to be spooky! A very simple but cute and not at all spooky story.

Jungle Halloween, by Maryann Cocca-Leffler - Fun rhyming story about jungle animals' Halloween party.

Halloween Night, by Elizabeth Hatch, illustrated by Jimmy Pickering - This book is very loosely based on "The House That Jack Built." It lacks the rhythm and order of the traditional rhyme, but it has neat pictures and does the job.

In eleven months, I'll pick up the quest for those perfect stories again...

Posted by Lisa at 4:38 PM | TrackBack

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