Story Window Storytime Blog: May 2009
Peek inside for storytime ideas! Wilmette Librarians share suggestions for age-appropriate books, rhymes, songs, and crafts.
May 27, 2009
Transportation
(For 1.5-2.5 Year Olds)
The storytime kids love stories about trucks, trains, and cars. We sang along to a familiar melody as I read the exciting pop-up variation of "Wheels on the Bus" by Margaret McNamara called Whistle on the Train. We all made various vehicle sounds as each one was colorfully depicted in Can You Choo Choo? by David Wojtowycz. A drawbridge is up causing the animals in their colorful vehicles to wait patiently to cross the bridge in the charming The Bridge is Up by Babs Bell. We guessed the colors of the bunnies and counted them in the flannel story, "Five Bunnies".
Posted by Sue at 11:44 AM | TrackBack
May 20, 2009
Growing Up Storytime
(For 2.5-3.5 Year Olds)
To celebrate the end of the spring storytime season, after which many youngsters will "graduate" to the next oldest group, we talked about birthdays and growing up -- what they can do that babies can't, big boy/girl beds, etc. Here's what we read:
- Little Gorilla, by Ruth Bornstein - Simple, classic story of a gorilla whose family and jungle neighbors love him -- from the time he's first born to when he's BIG.
- Hey, Little Baby! by Nola Buck, illustrated by R. W. Alley - Kids can compare their accomplishments to the little girl in this story, as well as all the things little babies can't yet.
- My Big Boy Bed, by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Maggie Smith - Kids who have just graduated or will soon graduate to a big bed will relate to this simple, warmly illustrated story.
Posted by Lisa at 4:18 PM | TrackBack
May 18, 2009
Mother's Day
(For 1.5-2.5 Year Olds)
Mother's Day honors those loving moms and grandmothers that we treasure. To celebrate this special day, I chose books about animal moms and their babies. A child pig works hard to make her mom feel special by making her food and getting her flowers while making many messes in A Special Day For Mommy, by Dan Andreasen. Animal babies are reunited with their moms, thereby depicting mom's important role for us all in the reassuring book, Where Is My Mommy?, by Jule Downing. The love between a mother and child chimpanzee is portrayed in Mama Love, by Kathy Mallat. We thought of spring as I did the flannel story, "Five Little Flowers".
Posted by Sue at 11:23 AM | TrackBack
Lost and Found
(For 1.5-2.5 Year Olds)
Children like to find lost items, animals or people. It's a fun game to them. Mem Fox uses whimsy and humor to describe various types of sheep in the quest to locate a missing green sheep in Where is the Green Sheep. In Overboard! by Sarah Weeks, a mischievous bunny delights in flinging items everywhere! In Where's Spot?, by Eric Hill, the storytime kids enjoyed looking under book flaps and making animals sounds as the missing Spot is finally located. We sang as I read the flannel board story "Five Green and Speckled Frogs".
Posted by Sue at 9:33 AM | TrackBack
May 14, 2009
Eggs and Birds
(For 2.5-3.5 Year Olds)
I like to start out my egg-themed storytime by having the kids name animals that hatch from eggs. Beforehand, I've stuffed a picnic hamper full of puppets representing such animals. From chickens to butterflies to fish to crocodiles, I try to include a bit of everything. I love the delighted surprise when the kids tell me dinosaurs hatch from eggs and I pull out a T-Rex!
Flips, Flap, Fly!, by Phyllis Root, illustrated by David Walker. Not exclusively about animals that hatch from eggs, but there are plenty in there. The story is told in rhyme, with auditory and visual cues of what baby animal will appear on the next page -- fun for the kids to guess! My one beef is that only animal "mamas" are featured in the text, though it's easy enough to throw in a few "papas" to even things out.
Riki's Birdhouse, by Monica Wellington. I do love her informational picture books for this age group. This one takes us through a year in the life of Riki, bird aficionado, as he feeds and admires his feathered friends, and builds a birdhouse for a family of bluebirds.
Fluffy and Baron, by Laura Rankin. I've used this based-on-the-true-story story of a German shepherd and his duck friend for several years now, and I still like it. Kids and caregivers seem to, too.
We sand "Five Little Ducks," counting along with flannel board ducks in different colors, and made bird and egg pictures to take home.
Posted by Lisa at 1:07 PM | TrackBack
May 4, 2009
Colors
(For 1.5-2.5 Year Olds)
Who is ready to identify the colors? The storytime kids are! In the classic title by Ellen Walsh, Mouse Paint, white mice explore (and jump into) jars of paint, discovering the fun of making new colors, changing the color of their fur, and hiding from the cat in the process. Various animals of vibrant color are identified in the toy book Creepy Crawly Colors, by Robin Koontz. Raindrop, Plop! by Wendy Lewison explores colors and counting as the rain falls on a spring like day. The flannel story "Little Red House" demonstrates both sizes and colors in a fun manner.
Posted by Sue at 8:25 PM | TrackBack
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