Story Window Storytime Blog: December 2008

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

December 17, 2008

More Snowy Days
(For 1.5-2.5 Year Olds)

Cold snowy days are here once more. Snow can be thrilling and fun. In Mouse's First Snow, by Lauren Thompson, Mouse and his dad have lots of snow fun with sledding, building ice houses and creating snow mice. Who is Driving?, by Leo Timmers had the kids guessing which animal would drive each vehicle while making the funny vehicle sounds. We sang along with the big book version of This Old Man and did the fingerplays. The flannel board story, How Do I Put It On? by Shigeo Watanabe is always a big favorite because getting dressed is a big accomplishment for my baby group!

Posted by Sue at 12:13 PM | TrackBack

December 15, 2008

Snow Is Here
(For 1.5-2.5 Year Olds)

All children love to play in the snow. In Cleo and the Snow, by Caroline Mockford, Cleo the cat and his puppy friend Caspar have snowy excitement as they go sledding and play outdoors. Various animals note the whiteness of winter snow against their fur in the nicely illustrated Snow, by Manya Stojic. In the big book version of Sleepy Bear, by Lydia Dabcovich, Bear gets ready for his winter hibernation and sleeps until spring. We identified the colors of the snowmen hats in the flannel story "Five Little Snowmen".

Posted by Sue at 6:23 PM | TrackBack

December 4, 2008

Winter Storytime
(For 2.5-3.5 Year Olds)

The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats - This beautifully illustrated classic rarely fails to hold the children's interest!

A Hat for Minerva Louise, by Janet Morgan Stoeke - My favorite book about the silly chicken Minerva Louise, in which she explores winter apparel.

Bear Snores On, by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman - Rhyming picture book about a bear woken from hibernation by a party in his very own cave.

Posted by Lisa at 4:32 PM | TrackBack

December 3, 2008

Trucking About
(For 1.5-2.5 Year Olds)

Truck books are a favorite with the storytime kids. They are familiar, large, make interesting noises and do various types of work. Easy Street, by Rita Gray depicts how a road is made out of asphalt with the help of many trucks. In Tip Tip Dig Dig, by Emma Garcia, brightly colored trucks create a playground out of a messy area. The kids enjoyed identifying the colors and the names of the trucks. We had another color and name identification (of each car) opportunity with the large book version of Freight Train, by Donald Crews. Due to our small group size, I was able to have the kids move around some trucks and people on a "Construction Machinery" flannelboard.

Posted by Sue at 12:13 PM | TrackBack

December 1, 2008

Owl Storytime
(For 2.5-3.5 Year Olds)

Owl Babies, by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Patrick Benson - Three baby owls anxiously wait for their mother to return in this ultimately reassuring tale.

I'm Not Cute, by Jonathan Allen - Amusing story of a fierce little owl who keeps getting the "cute" treatment from other woodland critters.

Little Hoot, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Jen Corace - This bedtime story turns the usual trope on its head; Little Hoot wants to go to bed, but his mom and dad won't let him! Very young children won't get the joke, but grown-ups will, and the little ones can still enjoy the story at face value.

We did an owl action rhyme, too (make up actions as appropriate):

There's a wise old owl
With a pointed nose
Two pointed ears
And claws for toes
He lives way up in the tree
And when he looks at you
He spreads his wings
And say, "Whoo! Whoo!"

Posted by Lisa at 3:40 PM | TrackBack

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