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Story Window Storytime Blog: For 2.5-3.5 Year Olds

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

February 23, 2010

Work Machine Storytime

I Am a Backhoe, by Anna Grossnickle Hines. We read this book about a boy and his father pretending to be various work machines. Then we got out the scarves and did some pretending of our own: pushing the scarves like bulldozers, smoothing them like steamrollers, scooping them like backhoes, lifting them high like cranes...

I'm Dirty, by Kate and Jim McMullan. A day in the life of a backhoe. Full of jargon and humor.

Hush, Little Digger, by Ellen Olson-Brown, illustrated by Lee White. A work machine-filled adaptation of the old song. The kids get a kick out of the funny pictures, and adults appreciate the clever rhymes.

We also did our "Little Red House" flannel board and our "Here Is a House" action rhyme.

Posted by Lisa at 11:28 AM | TrackBack

February 22, 2010

Getting Dressed Storytime

Nothing elicits giggles like our flannel board version of Shigeo Watanabe's How Do I Put It On?: Getting Dressed. Who would have thought putting pants on a bear's head and shoes on its paws could be so hilarious? Yet somehow, any 2 or 3 year old will prove to you, it is.

Ella Sarah Gets Dressed, by Margaret Chodos-Irvine. Children will understand exactly why Ella Sarah wants to wear the "fancy" outfit she picks out herself.

In My New Yellow Shirt, by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Hideko Takahashi. A boy pretends he can be all sorts of things in his yellow shirt. A nice look at imagination and creativity as well as getting dressed.

I'm All Dressed, by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Nicole Hollander. A boy (who would rather wear only his underpants) shows his parents that his own way of getting dressed is just as effective as theirs... if not what they're expecting! I wish this book was larger in format, but fortunately the illustrations are simple and bright. I also appreciate that the characters are incidentally African American. Ethnic diversity in books for this age group is not easy to find.

Posted by Lisa at 2:14 PM | TrackBack

Silly Chicken Storytime

None of the chickens in these books acts as a chicken should, but they're so much fun.

A Hat for Minerva Louise, by Janet Morgan Stoeke. I confess I can't get enough of this book. My favorite Minerva Louise book, it's perfect as winter drags on.

Cock-a-doodle Quack Quack, by Ivor Baddiel and Sophie Jubb, illustrated by Ailie Busby. Baby Rooster can't figure out quite what to say to wake everyone up in the morning. The book's strong pattern, animal noises, and humor draw in the toddler set.

Mrs. Hen's Big Surprise, by Christel Desmoinaux. Chickless Mrs. Hen is determined to hatch and raise the giant egg she finds in her garden. Her faith in the face of criticism and certain failure, and her unconditional love for the creature that hatches from the eggs, warm the cockles of my heart.

Posted by Lisa at 2:07 PM | TrackBack

Love Storytime

Valentine's Day doesn't need to be about romantic love... or even candy. It's a great time to talk about love for family and friends. Here are the books we read the week of Valentine's Day:

If You Love a Bear, by Piers Harper. A boy responds to his bear's various moods and desires much as a parent would to a toddler.

Katie Loves the Kittens, by John Himmelman. Katie, a dog, loves the new kittens but her excited howling scares them. This story tells how she finds a way to show her love in a more tender way.

Lost and Found, by Oliver Jeffers. A boy tries to return a lost penguin to the South Pole only to realize the penguin simply wanted a friend. Very sweet.

Posted by Lisa at 2:00 PM | TrackBack

December 8, 2009

Winter's Coming Storytime

Hello, Sun!, by Dayle Ann Dobbs, illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa. A great book for toddlers about the changing seasons and our changing apparel.

A Hat for Minerva Louise, by Janet Morgan Stoeke. This humorous picture book about a silly chicken seeking winter apparel remains one of my favorite winter picture books for this age group.

Too Tight, Benito!, by Janeen Brian and Judith Rossell. This is a newer picture book that would work well with fall/winter themed storytimes or storytimes about growing up. Benito Bear has outgrown his cubbyhole and goes searching for a new one. There's an actual (albeit simple) plot to this story, and the pictures are very sweet.

Posted by Lisa at 1:07 PM | TrackBack

November 13, 2009

Hugs, Kisses, and Wild Animals

This week we read several stories and sang several songs about wild animals. The books also included, coincidentally, a book about kisses and a book about hugs. Sometime I'd like to do a "hugs and kisses" theme -- maybe for Valentine's Day week?

Kiss Kiss, by Margaret Wild and Bridget Strevens-Marzo. This simple, patterned picture book follows a little hippo who has forgotten to kiss his mother goodbye. As he travels, he sees all the other baby animals kissing their parents, until he remembers what he's forgotten to do! There are many opportunities for children to join in on the refrain "kiss kiss."

Big Bear Hug, by Nicholas Oldland. This new picture book features a decidedly un-ferocious bear who goes around hugging every living thing: bunnies, beavers, but especially trees. He experiences a crisis when a man starts to chop down the most beautiful tree in the forest. The story is fun, with hilarious illustrations and a satisfying pay-off.

If You're Happy and You Know It: Jungle Edition, by James Warhola. This remains one of my favorite action song books. "If you're happy and you know it, give a ROAR..." etc.

Monkey and Me, by Emily Gravett. This deceptively simple book continues to astound me in its appeal to children. They can guess which animals "monkey and me" see next by the way the little girl is play-acting -- e.g., after waddling about, they go see penguins.

This was a great opportunity to drag out lots of animal songs: "Five Little Ducks," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Gray Squirrel", and "Two Little Blackbirds."

Posted by Lisa at 11:35 AM | TrackBack

October 19, 2009

Colorful Storytime

Some of my crew this fall is a little young and not totally confident with their colors. So we took a week and focused on books and flannel boards about colors.

Sylvie, by Jennifer Sattler. When Sylvie the flamingo learns that shrimp are the cause of her pink coloring, she goes on a not-entirely-tasty quest to explore other colors. This book worked okay with my group, but it would work even better with slightly older groups who really understand the joke.

Knock! Knock!, by AnnaClara Tidholm, adaptation by MaryChris Bradley. Behind each colored door is a different surprise. Very simple, but kids like guessing what is behind the door.

Dog's Colorful Day: A Messy Story About Colors and Countings, by Emma Dodd. A storytime favorite.

We did our "Little Red House" and "Kittens and Colors" flannel boards, and we messied our own Dogs with colored dot stickers.

Posted by Lisa at 3:31 PM | TrackBack

September 22, 2009

Transportation Storytime

I like to start the fall storytime season with simple books. Often I've got a younger group of kids, many of whom are unused to storytime or sitting still for 5 minutes at a time. I don't know yet whether they can count or know their colors. Transportation is a great topic to start with since there are so many wonderful books available.

The Bus for Us, by Suzanne Bloom. Many kids have older siblings starting school. This book lets children guess and identify different vehicles they're apt to see in their neighborhood.

Clip-Clop, by Nicola Smee. Somehow this incredibly simple book about farm animals taking a ride on Mister Horse always elicits giggles.

The Seals on the Bus, by Lenny Hort, illustrated by G. Brian Karas. A very fun sing-along twist on the old favorite song.

Who Is Driving? by Leo Timmers. Children are asked to guess which animal is driving a particular vehicle based on the illustrations. This book probably works best with older preschoolers and up through first grade because they can make connections between what the animals are wearing and the vehicle pictured. However, younger children still enjoy guessing, even though their logic is fuzzy to nonexistent.

Posted by Lisa at 1:35 PM | TrackBack

May 20, 2009

Growing Up Storytime

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 14, 2009

Eggs and Birds

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

April 22, 2009

Spring Storytime

Possum and the Peeper, by Anne Hunter. This was my first time using this book, and I really liked it! It's a bit wordy for my group but easy to pare down. Great for talking about little frogs with big voices, a/k/a spring peepers!

Mouse's First Spring, by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Buket Erdogan. Simple story in which kids can help identify springtime sights such as butterflies, flowers, and snails.

Fran's Flower, by Lisa Bruce, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw. Kids love to show they are smarter about growing flowers than poor Fran, who -- among other things -- tries to make her flower grow by feeding it pizza!

We sang "Five Green and Speckled Frogs" and did our garden action rhymes. In retrospect, I wish I'd had a recording and photographs of real spring peepers!

Posted by Lisa at 6:18 PM | TrackBack

Rescue Worker Storytime

Some things never change: firefighter, police officer, and doctor continue to be popular career choices even among the three-year-old set! Two weeks ago, we celebrated rescue workers in storytime with these choices.

Dot the Fire Dog, by Lisa DeSimini. Firefighting from a Dalmatian's eye view. I use this book a LOT. It's still one of the best firefighting books for two- and three-year-olds.

Police: Hurrying! Helping! Saving!, by Patricia Hubbell, illustrated by Viviana Garofoli. Rhyming story that covers many of police's common tasks, including the many vehicles they may use!

Doctor Meow's Big Emergency, by Sam Lloyd. Simple story about a 9-1-1 call from a cat who falls out of a tree. Doctor Meow to the rescue!

Posted by Lisa at 6:05 PM | TrackBack

March 5, 2009

Dogs and Cats (or, Cats and Dogs)

Bark, George, by Jules Feiffer - In this storytime standby, George the puppy says just about everything except "arf." Kids love the silliness and can help out with the animal noises.

Katie Loves the Kittens, by John Himmelman - New picture about a dog who just can't contain her excitement around the new kittens; unfortunately, she scares them. Children, especially those with younger siblings, will identify with Katie, who tries so hard to be gentle and quiet.

Dog's Colorful Day, by Emma Dodds - Another storytime standby, this book about a dog's messy day is great for working on colors and counting. It also lends itself well to a craft project! I photocopy a picture of a clean Dog, and the kids add colored dot stickers and their own coloring.

Posted by Lisa at 2:16 PM | TrackBack

February 24, 2009

Chicken Storytime

Cock-a-Doodle Quack! Quack!, by Ivor Baddiel and Sophie Jubb, pictures by Ailie Busby. Cute, patterned story about a baby rooster who doesn't know how to wake up the barnyard, with comical results.

Tippy-toe Chick, Go!, by George Shannon, pictures by Laura Dronzek. A cranky dog is blocking the chicken family's way to the garden, but fortunately the littlest chick has a solution! This book is just a tiny bit scary with a satisfying conclusion.

Mrs. Hen's Big Surprise, by Christel Desmoinaux. Mrs. Hen has no chick of her own, until she finds an enormous egg in her garden. But is there really a chick in there? Children enjoy guessing what's in the egg in this humorous book.

We did a variation on this "Hens of a Different Color" flannel board and sang "Old McDonald." One day when we had an older group, we even did "The Chicken Dance," using "The Mack Chicken Dance" track on Greg & Steve's Kids in Action CD.

Posted by Lisa at 9:45 AM | TrackBack

February 12, 2009

Random Storytime

The great thing about being in charge is that you get to call the shots! If you want to have a totally non-thematically united storytime, you can do that! No wonder kids can't wait to be older.

The Story of Growl, by Judy Horacek - Cute story about a little monster who needs to find the proper time and place for growling.

Punk Farm, by Jarrett Krosoczka - I love this rock band take on Old McDonald.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin, Jr.,and John Archambault; illustrated by Lois Ehlert. A favorite among many children, this is a great book for letter recognition and practicing the ABC song. For our craft, we made Chicka Chicka Boom Boom pictures, gluing die cut letters to pictures of coconut trees.

Posted by Lisa at 12:00 PM | TrackBack

February 9, 2009

Bedtime Storytime

Tiger Can't Sleep, by S. J. Fore, illustrated by R. W. Alley. One of my storytime stand-bys. Preschool kids love the humor and are captivated by the question of what that noisy tiger will do next!

Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late, by Mo Willems. Reading this one has become more successful as the pigeon grows in popularity. Older children (3 and 4) especially have no qualms about telling the pigeon, "No!"

Go to Bed, Monster!, by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Sylvie Kantorovitz. This story of typical bedtime procrastination is fun for its role reversal, as a little girl must put to bed the monster she's created with paper and crayons.

We sang "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed."

Posted by Lisa at 2:55 PM | TrackBack

January 15, 2009

Snowman Storytime

It seems like whenever I've got a snow-themed storytime planned, we don't actually have snow on the ground. Not so last week!

Snow Party, by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Mark Jones. There isn't much to this story (which is really just a newly illustrated edition of Ziefert's Snow Magic), but the illustrations are something really special. Quiet but nice.

Snow Dude, by Daniel Kirk. A take-off on the classic gingerbread boy story. I find some of the verse a bit awkward, but it's still a fun read.

Snowbaby Could Not Sleep, by Kara LaReau, illustrated by Jim Ishikawa. A pretty typical bedtime story, but terrific for winter bedtime and snowman storytimes. I absolutely love the illustrations in this one.

We did our "Five Little Snowmen" flannel board rhyme and this fingerplay:

I made a little snowman
He had a carrot nose
Along came a bunny
And what do you suppose?
That hungry little bunny
Looking for some lunch
Ate the snowman's nose--
Nibble nibble crunch!

Posted by Lisa at 3:18 PM | TrackBack

December 4, 2008

Winter Storytime

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 1, 2008

Owl Storytime

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

November 18, 2008

Zoo Storytime

I (and the kids, I think) had a lot of fun with last week's storytime theme: zoo animals!

- Monkey and Me, by Emily Gravett - In this deceptively simple book, kids can guess what animal the little girl will see next based on what she's acting out: waddling penguins, bounding kangaroos, etc. Way more fun than I expected!

- If You're Happy and You Know It: Jungle Edition, by James Warhola - I love this book, a very fun, animal-themed spin-off of the traditional song.

- Such a Silly Baby, by Steffanie and Richard Lorig, illustrated by Amanda Shepherd - A careless mom leaves baby behind at the zoo, circus, etc., where baby picks up all sorts of new habits. Very silly, as you can imagine.

- The Seals on the Bus, by Lenny Hort, illustrated by G. Brian Karas - Another of my favorites and another sing-along book about a bus overrun by seals, vipers, and skunks, among other things.

Posted by Lisa at 1:01 PM | TrackBack

November 9, 2008

Lost and Found

By the time they're 3, most kids have had the experience of losing something important to them, whether temporarily or permanently. Last week we read stories on that subject-- all with happy endings!

- Where's Spot?, by Eric Hill
- Corduroy, by Don Freeman
- Where's My Darling Daughter?, by Mij Kelly & Katherine McEwen ORWhere's My Teddy?, by Jez Alborough

We also did the "Here is the beehive but where are the bees?" finger play.

Posted by Lisa at 1:33 PM | TrackBack

October 24, 2008

Fall Stories

Fall has hit, without question. No more T-shirts and shorts, it's time for jackets and boots! Here's what we did to welcome fall this week in storytime.

We have a nice pegboard with a leafy, green tree painted on it. At the beginning of our session, each kid added a red, yellow, or orange leaf to the tree to decorate it for fall.

Clifford's First Autumn, by Norman Bridwell - A pleasant, general fall book that is great for getting kids' attention because, well, it's CLIFFORD!

We pretended scarves were fall leaves. We held them way up high in our branches (arms). The wind blew, first gently, then harder and harder, until the leaves swirled down. Then we kicked them, raked them up, and tossed them in the air!

Nuts to You, by Lois Ehlert - Short rhyming story about a squirrel that gets into the house.

We sang "Gray Squirrel" and swished our bushy tails.

Mrs. McNosh and the Great Big Squash, by Sarah Weeks, pictures by Nadine Bernard Westcott - Funny rhyming story about a squash grown out of control.

For craft time, we made fall collages with die cut leaves, squirrels, and acorns.

Posted by Lisa at 12:01 PM | TrackBack

October 15, 2008

Apple Picking Storytime

It's officially fall, and the farmer's market abounds with bushels of apples. Here's what we read in celebration of this versatile and popular fall fruit!

- Ten Red Apples, by Pat Hutchins - As in years past, I did a puppet adaptation of this counting story, with opportunities for kids to identify animals, make animal sounds, and count the apples remaining.

- The Apple Pie Tree, by Zoe Hall, illustrated by Shari Halpern - A year in the life of an apple tree, from bare branches to pie steaming on the table! A nice informational book.

- All for Pie, Pie for All, by David Martin, illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev - One apple pie, three families of critters to enjoy it down to the last crumb! I never get tired of Gorbachev's illustrations.

We sang "Ten Little Apples" (to the tune of "Ten Little Indians") and other favorite songs. For craft time, we glued die-cut people and trees to paper and put colored stickers on the trees for apples.

Two more apple stories we didn't have time for: Apple Farmer Annie, by Monica Wellington, and The Apple Pie That Papa Baked, by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Jonathan Bean.

Posted by Lisa at 1:10 PM | TrackBack

October 7, 2008

Going for a Ride!

I'm always impressed by two and three year olds who know their vehicles better than I do. Actually, that's probably most of them. "That's a sailboat! That's a cruiser!" Yep, uh huh, sure. Anyway, I always like a vehicular-themed storytime to break up the pastoral fall stuff.

The Bus for Us, by Suzanne Bloom - Kids guess and check whether the next vehicle moving onto the page is, indeed, the school bus or something different-- a garbage truck or backhoe, perchance?

Clip-Clop, by Nicola Smee - This book about several barnyard animals riding on Mr. Horse's back is so simple and silly, but it always gets the kids giggling.

Cosmo Zooms, by Arthur Howard - Cosmo's the only dog on Pumpkin Lane without a notable talent, until he takes a nap on a skateboard...

We did our "Five Little Garbage Trucks" flannel board and sang "Wheels on the Bus." For our project, we glued colored die-cut cars and trucks on black paper and colored with chalk.

Posted by Lisa at 1:06 PM | TrackBack

September 26, 2008

Garden Harvest Storytime

It may be officially fall, but gardens are still producing yummy vegetables! Here's what we did in storytime this week.

- The Surprise Garden, by Zoe Hall, pictures by Shari Halpern - See how many vegetables the kids can name in this concept book just right for the age group.

- Muncha Muncha Muncha, by Candace Fleming, pictures by G. Brian Karas - This story of 3 naughty bunnies sneaking into Mr. McGreely's garden hasn't gotten old yet!

- Stanley Mows the Lawn, by Craig Frazier - Stanley likes his lawn short. Hank the snake prefers it long. In this short picture book, Stanley hits on a solution to make them both happy.

We sang songs about many garden animals: "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Spider on the Floor," "Five Green and Speckled Frogs" (with flannel board), and "Two Little Blackbirds." For our project, we decorated simple paper snakes.

Posted by Lisa at 5:09 PM | TrackBack

September 21, 2008

Cats and Dogs and Cats

There is no shortage of fun dog and cat books for preschoolers. Last week we read the following sampling:

- Be Gentle!, by Virginia Miller - Ba the Bear learns that his new kitten loves him best when he is gentle. This book will ring true for any preschooler with a pet or younger sibling in the family.

- The Best Pet of All, by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Hanako Wakiyama - One of my all time favorites! A boy and his mother learn that, compared with a messy, noisy dragon, a dog really is the best pet of all.

- Ginger, by Charlotte Voake - A just-sweet-enough story that also works as a sibling rivalry story, about a cat who at first is not at all pleased to share his home with new kitten.

We did our "Six Little Kittens Found Some Cans of Paint" flannel board and the following action rhyme (make up actions that make sense):

This is puppy's doghouse, this is puppy's bed.
This is puppy's bowl of milk where he can be fed.
This is puppy's collar, and his name is on it, too.
Take a stick and throw it, and he'll bring it back to you!

We made cat paper bag puppets for craft time.

Posted by Lisa at 1:10 PM | TrackBack

September 12, 2008

Beach and Boats Storytime

This week was the first of our fall storytime session, and my new batch of 2.5 to 3.5 year-olds and I celebrated the end of summer with stories about the beach and boats!

To start, we talked about what we did for fun this summer. Lots of kids went to the beach and/or pool! We sang "Five Green and Speckled Frogs", counting along with our flannel board. My five frogs each have a different outfit, and at the end of each verse, the kids suggest which frog to take away next.

Beach Day!, by Patricia Lakin, pictures by Scott Nash. I like this simple, rhyming picture book about an enthusiastic foursome of alligators on their way to the beach. On the way, they experience many diversions (park! picnic!). Just right for 2.5 year-olds!

We sang "If You're Wearing Red Today", a song I learned from an online colleague. This is a great way for kids to practice their colors, and it's easy for everyone to sing along.

Tugga-Tugga Tugboat, by Kevin Lewis, pictures by Daniel Kirk. A simple, rhyming book about the strong and mighty tugboat. There's a repeated "toot-toot" refrain for everyone to join in.

After shaking our sillies out Raffi-style, we concluded with Captain Duck, by Jez Alborough, yet another rhyming adventure of a naughty duck who hijacks a boat. I don't think it's as strong a book as Alborough's Duck in a Truck, but we still enjoyed it.

For craft time, we made sailboat pictures by gluing triangles for sail and hull to blue paper, coloring, and adding fun fish stickers.

Posted by Lisa at 10:41 AM | TrackBack

May 2, 2008

Garden Storytime

This week, we continued to celebrate springtime and all the beautiful growing things in our neighborhood with several stories about gardens.

Fran's Flower, written by Lisa Bruce and illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw - Cute book about what plants need to grow (hint: it's NOT pizza!). Perfect for 2 year olds.

The Gigantic Turnip, by Aleksei Tolstoy and Niamh Sharkey - The classic cumulative story. In the future, I'd like to make a flannelboard adaptation of this one. And also bring a turnip to show the kids!

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!, written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by G. Brian Karas - Three wascally wabbits foil Mr. McGreely's every attempt to keep them out of his veggies.

We repeated our flower rhymes, sang "Two Little Blackbirds," and made springtime pictures of flowering trees.

Posted by Lisa at 1:36 PM | TrackBack

April 24, 2008

Caterpillars to Butterflies Storytime

Now that spring is here in full force, many of the children are spotting butterflies around the neighborhood. It's the perfect time for caterpillar and butterfly stories!

Butterfly, Butterfly, by Petr Horacek.While searching for a butterfly, a little girl encounters many other insects and small critters in her yard. What this book lacks in plot it makes up for in beautiful illustrations and a dazzling pop-up butterfly at the end that will have everyone "oohing" and "ahhing." It's good for practicing color and critter identification, too.

Bob and Otto, by Robert Bruel, illustrated by Nick Bruel. This is a very charming and cutely illustrated story about a caterpillar and an earthworm who remain best friends in spite of very different paths in life. It works for multiple age levels.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. Who ever gets tired of this old favorite? Good for counting and lots of opportunities for young listeners to "fill in the blank."

We had fun with our reversible caterpillar/butterfly puppet and talked about the life cycle of same. We did the "Here Is the Beehive" fingerplay and used our scarves with the caterpillar song written out on last year's Springtime Stories curriculum. The program as a whole went over very well!

Posted by Lisa at 2:59 PM | TrackBack

April 4, 2008

Rainy Day Redux

April has arrived with its very timely showers. I based this week's program on last year's April Showers program, with a few changes. We did the same rhymes and songs, and repeated The Red Umbrella flannelboard, but this time we read the following two new-to-me books:

- Rainy Day!, written by Patricia Lakin, illustrated by Scott Nash. Four alligators brave the rain to find some fun. Their adventures include finding a mini-golf park, playing baseball with a stray dog, and finally ending up at the public library for some reading. I like this duo's book Beach Day! a little more-- if only because most 2 and 3 year olds aren't familiar with mini-golf-- but the final library sequence is pretty irresistible.

- Move Over, Rover!, written by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by Jane Dyer. A rainstorm has all sorts of normally at-odds critters cuddling up in Rover's doghouse. This book has a lot of strong rhythm, rhyme, and repetition, as well as the opportunity for the children to identify each new animal that arrives on the scene. (I do have to share, though-- when we got to the page with the squirrel on it, Thursday's group had a terrible time guessing it. "An iguana?" "A polar bear?" Truly, I would love to know what was going on in those little heads...)

Posted by Lisa at 9:13 AM | TrackBack

February 26, 2008

Truck Driver Storytime

Trucks are a perennially popular topic with the preschool set, but lately I've been impressed by the number of high-quality picture books focusing specifically on big rigs and their drivers. To name just two more in addition to the books listed below, there's Jonathan London's My Big Rig and Nancy Coffelt's Pug in a Truck.

Truck Driver Tom, by Monica Wellington. Yet another terrific slice-of-life picture book from Wellington, focusing on the work of a truck driver. Included in the cheery illustrations are pictures of dozens of other trucks Tom encounters on the road, from work machines to farm machines to firetrucks.

Trucks Roll!, by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Craig Frazier. A rhyming look at trucker life, different enough from Truck Driver Tom to warrant reading it in the same storytime. The illustrations are big and bright, and the trucks carry items of interest to the little ones (e.g., giant chocolate chip cookies!).

Duck in a Truck, by Jez Alborough. I keep coming back to this simple story of a duck whose truck gets stuck in the muck and the other animals (and their vehicles) who help get him unstuck. As you might have guessed, it's full of rhyming words and is predictable enough that the kids can finish many of the lines.

We also sang "Wheels on the Bus", during which I learned a new verse (did you know the sharks on the bus go "glurp glurp glurp"?), and the "Green Light, Red Light" action song from Tempo for Tots.

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February 15, 2008

Valentine Storytime Redux

I'm always lamenting the relative lack of good Valentine's Day stories for this age group, so this year I changed my focus more generally to friendship. And it worked out pretty well!

Mouse's First Valentine, by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Buket Erdogan. I've done this one the past couple years, and it's been well-received. This series is very formulaic; Little Mouse encounters things new to him and wonders what they are, and his questions are answered on the next page. It's basic, but very concrete, in a reassuring way.

Hi Harry!, by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Barbara Firth. Harry Tortoise has trouble finding someone to play with until he meets Sam Snail. I feel weird about the possible message that "slow" individuals should play with other slow folks, but if you take it more as a common-interests thing, it's not bad.

Bear Snores On, by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman. This is a cute rhyming story about animals interrupting bear's hibernation with a party. Kids like the different animals, and the moment when the bear finally wakes up grabs everyone's attention!

We counted different-colored felt hearts and sang "Ten Little Valentines" (to the traditional tune). We also did this counting/colors rhyme with the hearts:

Five Big Valentines

Five big valentines from the corner store
I gave the [have kids fill in the color] one to my friend and then there were [count 'em out] four

Four big valentines, lovely ones to see
I gave the ______ one to Mommy and then there were three

Three big valentines, shiny and new
I gave the ______ one to Daddy and then there were two

Two big valentines, the best is yet to come
I gave the ______ one to Grandma and then there was one

One big valentine, the giving's almost done
I gave the ______ one to Grandpa and then there was none

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February 12, 2008

Making Music Storytime

Music is always a significant part of my storytimes with this age group, but last week we focused on stories about music-making, too. We started off the session by identifying various musical instruments by sight (I showed pictures). I was very impressed with the kids' knowledge!

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb, by Al Perkins, illustrated by Eric Gurney. This old easy reader was a childhood favorite of mine. It's a highly rhythmic book about percussive monkeys. You can encourage the audience to slap their thighs in rhythm with the text.

Punk Farm, by Jarret Krosoczka. Farm animals with guitars and keyboards -- need I say more? This is one of the more clever picture book plays on "Old McDonald." The sequel, Punk Farm on Tour, takes on "Wheels on the Bus."

Boom, Baby, Boom, Boom!, by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by Patricia MacCarthy. Another percussive book. Mommy drums while the baby feeds her lunch to various animals who scramble in the door.

We sang "If You're Happy and You Know It" (hand and foot percussion!) and also had a little marching band parade around the room with the musical instruments while "Frosty the Snowman" played on the boombox.

For craft time, we made simple shakers. To prepare, I stapled paper plates in half, with a small handful (about 10) dried beans inside. The kids colored the shakers and glued on colored streamers. It was (no pun intended) a hit!

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January 17, 2008

Bedtime Storytime Redux

Last year I lamented the (understandable) lack of rousing bedtime-themed stories. This year I fared a little better. In fact, there were so many I wanted to try that I varied the program over the course of the week. Of course, it makes sense that a rousing bedtime story would deal with *lack* of sleep, so that's a common theme in these books.

Snowbaby Could Not Sleep, by Kara LaReau, illustrated by Jim Ishikawa - Gorgeously illustrated story about a typical bedtime routine executed by snowmen, with a little twist, perfect for wintertime.

Little Bunny's Sleepless Night, by Carol Roth, illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev - A lonely little bunny sleeps over with a number of woodland friends, each with their own drawback (e.g., Squirrel loves a midnight snack, Porcupine's bed is full of quills...). Gently humorous with adorable illustrations (of course - it's Gorbachev!).

Go to Bed, Monster!, by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Sylvie Kantorovitz - A new book about a little girl who, a la Harold with his purple crayon, draws a comical monster who then refuses to go to bed. I received this one too late to use earlier this week, but I look forward to trying this one again in the future.

Tiger Can't Sleep, by S.J. Fore; illustrated by R.W. Alley - Full of onamatapoeia, this newish book about a noisy tiger in the closet is already a storytime favorite.

Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late, by Mo Willems - This one went over VERY well with Monday's boisterous, slightly older group. You really need a group of kids who aren't shy about telling the pigeon "No!" for this to go over well.

We sang "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and put felt stars on the black flannelboard. We also got out the animal puppets and did "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed." When we and our puppets were tired of jumping, we helped our puppets get ready for bed: put on their jammies, brushed their teeth, sang "Rock-a-bye, Baby," and so on. Even little boys at this age are not shy about being a tender parent to a mousie puppet.

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December 6, 2007

Here Comes Winter

December 1 brought us our first big snowfall; winter is here! This week we read some of my favorite books about the onset of winter.

Hello, Sun!, by Dayle Ann Dodds, pictures by Sachiko Yoshikawa - A simple rhyming story with cheery pictures about how changes in weather (culminating in snow) bring about changes in wardrobe. Perfect for our erratic midwestern weather.

A Hat for Minerva Louise, by Janet Morgan Stoeke - My favorite silly chicken looks for appropriate winter-wear. Kids will be quick to point out her ridiculous misconceptions.

Duck at the Door, by Jacki Urbanovic - A recent book about an unusual duck who stays the winter, much to the growing dismay of his hosts. Max the Duck appeals to adults as well as children, what with his fondness for Worldwide Wrestling and cooking up Shiskebab a la Max.

We did our "Five Little Snowmen" flannelboard and action rhyme, plus this flannelboard adaptation of "Ten Warm Mittens":

Ten Warm Mittens (flannel board / counting rhyme)
(have the kids choose which color of mitten to remove from the board each time)

10 warm mittens, hanging on the line
The ________ one blows away, and that leaves 9

9 warm mittens, each without a mate
A squirrel takes the ________ one, and that leaves 8

8 warm mittens, three less than eleven
The ________ one falls into the snow, and that leaves 7

7 warm mittens, which one should I pick?
I pick the ________ one, and that leaves 6

6 warm mittens, put one on to try
You take the ________ one, and that leaves 5

5 warm mittens, just outside the door
A bunny needs the ________ one, and that leaves 4

4 warm mittens, two for you and two for me
I lose the ________ one skiing, and that leaves 3

3 warm mittens, fluffy and new
The ________ one falls into the mud, and that leaves 2

2 warm mittens, drying in the sun
A bird snatches the ________ one, and that leaves 1

1 warm mitten, what good is only one?
A mouse wants the ________ one for a bed, and that leaves none!

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November 1, 2007

Halloween Storytime

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...

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October 25, 2007

Pumpkin Storytime Redux

My pumpkin-themed storytime this fall closely echoed last year's. I did, however, add a new book into the mix.

Mrs. McNosh and the Great Big Squash, written by Sarah Weeks and illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott, is a humorous rhyming tale about a squash grown out of control. Fortunately, Mrs. McNosh has a clever solution to the potential disaster. This is a quick read with flawless rhythm and rhyme, making it a worthwhile addition to pumpkin and/or vegetable (fruit?) themed storytimes.

Posted by Lisa at 11:44 AM | TrackBack

October 12, 2007

Apple Storytime

Fall is here, and so are the local apples! Some adults insist that "Apples are red." Kids know that's not true, but a little proof helps. We started storytime by admiring a real live red apple, yellow apple, green apple, and multi-colored apple.

Repeating last October's apple storytime, we read The Apple Pie Tree, by Zoe Hall, and did the story of Ten Red Apples, by Pat Hutchins, with the puppets and lots of counting. We did the same action rhymes you will find on the 2006 page, too, as well as singing "Ten Little Apples" (tune of "Ten Little Indians").

We also read Apple Farmer Annie, by Monica Wellington. You just can't beat Wellington for bright, simple (but never simplistic!) books about everyday careers. In this case, Annie harvests her apples, makes delicious food with them, and sells the rest at a farmer's market in the city.

A new apple-related book is All for Pie, Pie for All, written by David Martin and illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev (so you know it's adorable). Grandma Cat bakes an apple pie, which the cat family eats. The mouse family picks up the cats' leftovers, and the ant family picks up the mice's leftovers, until not a crumb is left! I'm getting hungry just writing about it.

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September 21, 2007

Bathtime Storytime

There isn't much consensus on whether bathtime is a regular party or a horrible chore, but bathtime storytime is fun for everyone...

Big Smelly Bear, by Britta Teckentrup. Big Smelly Bear's big smelly stink inhibits his comfort and relationships, until Big Fluffy Bear persuades him to bathe. VERY cute story and pictures -- one of my new favorites.

"The Hair-Raising Adventure of Sara Susan" flannelboard story. It takes a bee, a mouse, and several larger animals infesting Sara Susan's hair to convince her to wash it. A fun story with opportunities for audience participation. You can find it in Glad Rags: Stories and Activities Featuring Clothes for Children, by Jan Irving and Robin Currie.

Kid Tea, written by Elizabeth Ficocelli, illustrated by Glin Dibley. What if kids were like tea bags and stained their bath water the color of whatever they'd gotten into that day? This is a fun book for colors and days of the week. I demonstrated the magic of a tea bag before reading it aloud. (One caveat: there's a brief mention of church on Sunday. It didn't seem to be a stumbling block, but it does keep the book from being 100% secular.)

We got out the scarves, pretended they were washcloths, and gave ourselves a scrub. "This is the way we wash our chins, wash our chins, wash our chins. This is the way we wash our chins, so early Thursday morning." Yes, one child really did suggest chins. We also did tummies, feet, hair, and whatever else the kids came up with. Fun!

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September 13, 2007

Boat Storytime

Row, Row, Row Your Boat, by Pippa Goodhart, illustrated by Stephen Lambert. This extension of the old song has some gently scary moments (the children are briefly chased by a maligned lion) and lots of animals to identify.

Tugga Tugga Tugboat, by Kevin Lewis, illustrated by Daniel Kirk. This is a brightly illustrated, rhyming picture book that demonstrates the many jobs of the small but mighty tugboat. Lots of opportunities for tooting.

Benjy's Boat Trip, by Margaret Bloy Graham. This personal childhood favorite features a stowaway dog and the cat who intimidates him. It pushes the attention span for this age group (probably best for 4 and 5 year olds), but it's really a fun story, especially when so many children have just returned from vacation themselves.

We sang "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" in many different styles (fast over the rapids! slow down the lazy river! bouncy over the waves! loud past the waterfall! quiet past the sleeping babies!). We also got out our scarves and pretended we were sailboats while singing this song:

(To the tune of "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")
Did you ever see a sailboat, a sailboat, a sailboat,
Did you ever see a sailboat waving its sail?
Wave this way, and that way, and this way, and that way.
Did you every see a sailboat waving its sail?

Posted by Lisa at 12:04 PM | TrackBack

May 9, 2007

Springtime Stories

Spring, as they say, has sprung. Flowers are blooming, butterflies are fluttering by, the works. This week we read a medley of springtime stories.

Fran's Flower, written by Lisa Bruce, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw. Fran's flower won't grow when she gives it pizza; what does it take?!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. *Everybody* knows this story! Many children have a copy at home and can tell you what happens next.

Carrot Soup, by John Segal. Rabbit has looked forward to carrot soup since springtime, but where have his carrots gone? Kids can look in the background of the illustrations for clues.

We did the "Here Is the Beehive" fingerplay and "Two Little Blackbirds." We also did some pretending with the scarves, as I sang the following song:

(to the tune of "Wheels on the Bus")

1. (Your scarf is a leaf. Spread it on the ground, and climb onto it. Now wriggle!)
The caterpillars are wiggling around, wiggling around, wiggling around,
The caterpillars are wiggling around, all around the garden.

2. (Your scarf is your chrysalis. Pull it over your head and body.)
The caterpillars are going to sleep, going to sleep, going to sleep,
The caterpillars are going to sleep, all around the garden.

3. (Your scarf is your wings! Fly around.)
The butterflies are flying around, flying around, flying around,
The butterflies are flying around, all around the garden.

For craft time, we made butterfly "kites" -- tagboard butterflies on a string, which we decorated with crayons and scraps of tissue and construction paper. Kids enjoy making these butterflies fly!

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May 5, 2007

Firefighter Storytime

What is it about firefighters that is so appealing to young children? Fires are scary, but the brave men and women who put them out are endlessly fascinating! Here are the books we read this week:

Dot the Fire Dog, by Lisa Desimini - A day in the life of a firefighting team, starring their dalmatian! This overview is just the right length for this age group, and the kids love Dot's special role.

Hugo, the Flying Firefighter, by Lorette Broekstra - Hugo is flying in his airplane when he spots a fire in a neighborhood home. He then finds his own way to save the day!

Fire! Fire! Hurry! Hurry!, by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha, illustrated by Karen Barbour - A very repetitive book with lots of opportunities for the kids to join in with sound effects and responses.

Once again I undertook writing an action rhyme. Please feel free to use/change it to suit your purposes, and excuse the imperfect rhymes...

LET'S BE FIREFIGHTERS!

Listen to the firebell, clang clang clang! (Cup hand to ear)
Then slide down the pole as fast as you can. (Pretend to grip a pole and slide to the ground)

Put your boots on your feet (Pretend to put on boots -- stomp!)
and your helmet on your head. (Put hands on head)
Now jump into your fire engine red! (Jump!)

Drive, drive, drive to the scene of the fire. ("Driving" motion)
Make the lights flash 'round (Spin hand around above head)
and the sirens cry, "WEE-OOO WEE-OOO WEE-OOO!" (Cup hands to mouth)

Now climb up the ladder (Climbing motion)
And reel out the hose ("Roll" hands)
Turn on the water, and out the fire goes: (Pretend to spray a hose)
"WHOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSHHHH!"

Is the fire out yet? If so, great! If not, keep spraying...

Posted by Lisa at 10:49 AM | TrackBack

April 26, 2007

Duck Storytime

What is it about ducks that makes them so irresistible? Their little orange beaks? Their webby feet? Their waddle, or their curly tails? Whatever the reason, no one can claim there is a shortage of duck books for children.

This week we read stories about duck families and talked about other animals that hatch from eggs. After feeding a duck puppet various snacks (did you know there's such a thing as duck waffles?!) and receiving noisy kisses from it, the kids guessed what other egg-laying animal puppets were in my basket -- hen, blackbird, frog, alligator, and fish.

We started with a flannelboard story called "Three Eggs in a Basket," which can be found in Mother Goose's Playhouse: Toddler Tales and Nursery Rhymes, with Patterns for Puppets and Feltboards, by Judy Sierra. From the three eggs hatch three different critters, and then their mamas come for them. There's lots of opportunity for guessing.

Next we read It's Quacking Time, by Martin Waddell and illustrated by Jill Barton. It's Duckling's first time to see a hatching, and he has a lot of questions. The story is set up so that children can predict how the family members will answer. For example, "'Did I come in one of those eggs?' Duckling asked Daddy." And what do you think Daddy said? There's also several opportunities for mass quacking.

Our third book was Fluffy and Baron, by Laura Rankin, a darling based-on-the-true-story account of a duck and a German shepherd who are friends. Baron feels lonely when Fluffy joins a trio of wild ducks, but life is good once more after Fluffy hatches nine ducklings to be Baron's new friends!

We sang "Five Little Ducks" and "Two Little Blackbirds," and made duck family pictures, taking advantage of a our big and little duck die cuts.

Another darling duck book, new in the past year, is I'm a Duck! by Teri Sloat, which follows our exuberant duck hero from hatchling to dad. I didn't get my hands on it in time for this week's storytime, but I'll be keeping it in my mind for next year.

Posted by Lisa at 11:54 AM | TrackBack

April 20, 2007

Transportation Storytime

This week, all the books I selected were short but sweet, so we did four of 'em.

The Bus for Us, by Suzanne Bloom - On Tess's first day of school, she eagerly awaits the bus. But which of the vehicles coming down the street is the right one? A great story for audience participation.

Red Light, Green Light, by Anastasia Suen - A short rhyming ode to traffic. To me, the text is not scintillating, but the pictures are great fun to talk about. The boy in the story has turned his bedroom into roadways, and children like to point out the funny household objects that make their way into the scene -- e.g., pencils, teddy bears, flashlights. You can also pause to talk about stopping for train, what "choppers" are, etc.

Mr. Little's Noisy Car, by Richard Fowler - A lift-the-flap book, sadly out of print, about all the animals hiding out in Mr. Little's car.

Duck in the Truck, by Jez Alborough - Packed with rhymes, this book about a duck whose truck is stuck in the muck (I told you!) is a lot of fun. It's also an opportunity to remind kids of what the duck *should* have said after the other animals helped him get unstuck!

For songs, we did "Wheels on the Bus" (of course!) and "Green Light, Red Light" (described in this post).

Posted by Lisa at 1:53 PM | TrackBack

April 17, 2007

Spider Storytime

Spiders are one of my favorite storytime themes. I suppose that's why we sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and Raffi's "Spider on the Floor" year-round. And did you know that not only do spiders have eight legs, most spiders also have EIGHT EYES? Pretty remarkable!

I'm very happy with my draw-and-tell/puppet adaptation of Eric Carle's The Very Busy Spider. To start out, I draw the beginnings of a spiderweb and a spider on our whiteboard. As each farm animal comes along to pester the workaholic spider, I use the following routine:

"Then along came a..." I say and pull out a horse puppet.
"HORSE!" call the kids.
"And the horse said..."
"NEIGH! NEIGH!"
"'Want to go for a ride with me?' But did the spider answer?"
"NO!"
"Right. She was very busy spinning her web." And I draw a few more strands of spiderweb.

Trapani's version of The Itsy Bitsy Spider is a nicely illustrated extension of the song. This was my first week reading Monks' Aaaarrgghh! Spider!. It also went over well, though I think the punchline goes over the heads of most three year olds. :-)

For craft time, we assembled simple construction paper spiders (no such thing as too many or too few legs or eyes) and glued them to photocopied spiderwebs. Then we added a few choice insect stickers for our spider's next meal. Yum!

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April 7, 2007

Rainy Day Storytime

It's little known wisdom that it's actually good luck to open an umbrella inside the library -- if you want to evoke a rainy day, anyway. Most small children agree that they don't like the rain, but you know who does? Flowers and other plants! Fortunately we had some on hand for me to share.

- My Red Umbrella, by Robert Bright - I created and used a flannel (actually, magnet) board version of this classic story about a little girl whose umbrella comes in handy when the rain and a whole menagerie of animals arrive. Children can help tell the story by filling in the animal names.

- Rain, by Manya Stojic - A variety of savannah critters anticipate and enjoy the good things the rain brings. This would also be a good book for discussion of the five senses, as the animals first smell, then see, hear, feel, and even taste the rain.

- The Puddle, by David McPhail - A small child goes out to sail his boat in a puddle and encounters a number of other silly animals out to enjoy the puddle in their own ways.

We sang "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," and pretended we were in a rain storm. We blew and swayed like the wind, pattered on the ground like rain, stomped and boomed like thunder, and then grew from teeny, tiny seeds into plants stretching to the sky.

We also did a couple of action rhymes/fingerplays borrowed from elsewhere on the Internet (original sources unknown, I'm afraid):

Tulips
Ten little tulips, bright and gay (hold up 10 fingers)
Let us water them each day ("sprinkle" fingers)
Watch them open in the bright sunlight (cup hands, then open them)
And watch them close when it is night (close hands again)

A Little Sun
A little sun (raise arms in a circle over head)
A little rain ("sprinkle" fingers)
Now pull up all the weeds (pretend to pull weeds from floor)
Our flowers grow (straighten and stretch arms)
All in a row (keep "growing")
From teeny, tiny seeds (pinch thumbs and index fingers as if holding a seed)

Posted by Lisa at 11:35 AM | TrackBack

March 8, 2007

Pocket Storytime

Pockets are a source of fascination for young children. I remember when I was seven years old, I had a pair of red corduroy pants with seven pockets. I thought they were the best thing ever! And the interesting thing about pockets is, even if they're empty, the moment you put your hand in to check -- they're no longer empty!

After our survey of pockets in the room, we read the following books:

- Peter's Pockets, by Eve Rice ; illustrations by Nancy Winslow Parker. Peter has no pockets for his treasures, until mother intervenes. An older book, but still somehow hits the spot.

- Joey, by Jack Kent. Another oldie but goodie. Mother Kangaroo doesn't want Joey to get lost, so he invites over all his friends. How was Mother to know they'd also bring their stereos, TVs, and musical instruments? I think the humor of this one was lost on the younger children; I'd save it for the older preschool crowd.

- A Pocket for Corduroy, by Don Freeman. Everyone still loves Corduroy. Alone in the laundromat (another topic for discussion -- what is a laundromat?!), he searches for a pocket. This is a pretty long story for this age group, so an aerobic action rhyme or song beforehand is a good idea.

For our craft, I borrowed my coworkers' idea of punching holes in unneeded library book pockets (the kind glued in the front cover) and knotting a piece of yarn to each one to make a necklace. The kids decorated their new "pockets" and tucked a card with their name inside -- just like Corduroy!

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March 5, 2007

Bedtime Storytime

I admit that I was slow to recognize the irony in trying to do a rousing morning storytime about, um, bedtime. I'm still searching for the perfect combination of activities, but last week we did pretty well with the following books:

- Cowboy Baby, by Sue Heap - Cowboy Baby doesn't want to sleep, but Sheriff Pa's got a special surprise for him. Cute pictures, and though the story is quiet and simple, the kids were fascinated.

- Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late, by Mo Willems. I made a "NO" sign and asked the kids to yell "No!" when I held it up at appropriate times during the story. It was more successful with the older kids (3.5-4 years old) than the younger ones, but if you have a few of the older ones they can produce the volume to carry it through...

- Tiger Can't Sleep, by S.J. Fore; illustrated by R.W. Alley. What a funny story that seems to appeal to a wide preschool age range! There's a tiger in the closet, making all kinds of noises such that the little boy can't sleep. Sound effects galore that got everyone giggling!

We also sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", each holding up our felt stars which we then put up on our black flannel board and counted together. A great way to get a head count, and, of course, wonderful counting practice -- especially with those large groups!

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February 26, 2007

Garbage Storytime

P. U., what's that I smell? The most fun storytime we've had in weeks! Last week we celebrated the sanitation workers of the world (and their amazing trucks). Here's what we read:

Smash! Mash! Crash! There Goes the Trash!, by Barbara Odanaka ; illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. A delightfully noisy ode to garbage trucks and their well-muscled operators.

Trashy Town, by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. Mr. Gilly cleans up Trashy Town one building at a time, with just the right amount of repetition and refrain.

I Stink!, by Kate and Jim McMullan. A loudmouth garbage truck tosses around garbage truck jargon as easily as garbage, from apple cores to ziti with zucchini. Sure to elicit laughs.

Surprisingly (ha ha), there's a decided lack of garbage-themed action rhymes out there, so I composed a couple. Please feel free to use 'em!

GARBAGE! (act it out as you go)

Pick up garbage, and throw it in the bin!
Push it down, and stomp it in!
Carry the cans to the street
for the garbage trucks to eat.
When the truck comes roaring by,
workers lift the cans up high.
Garbage falls into the back.
Crush it, mash it, smash it flat!
Set the cans down with a thump.
Now drive that garbage to the dump!

FIVE LITTLE GARBAGE TRUCKS

Five little garbage trucks, painted green,
Picking up trash to keep the town clean.
They work and they work until they fill up --
Now one of the garbage truck drives to the dump!

(You can do it as an action rhyme, or make flannel board trucks as I did. I gave each truck a different colored symbol, so that at the end of each verse the kids could tell me which one to drive to the dump.)

As our craft, we crumpled squares of old magazine and glued it on a line drawing of a garbage truck, as fake garbage. Fun! (And completely recycleable, I might add...)

Posted by Lisa at 2:39 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

February 15, 2007

Valentine Storytime

For a holiday with as much commercial appeal as Valentine's Day has, you'd think the bookshelves would be overflowing with Valentine books perfect for storytime. And yet, every year I struggle to put together a good program for this age group. Picture book authors, if you're reading this -- we could use some more good Valentine books for two and three year olds that have a little plot! Likewise, if anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Here's what we read this week:

- Mouse's First Valentine, by Lauren Thompson ; illustrated by Buket Erdogan. Little Mouse tags along as his big sister gathers Valentine-making materials from a people house.

- I Love You, Too!, by Eve Bunting ; illustrated by Melissa Sweet. A series of animal finds and makes thoughtful gifts for their mothers, who love the gifts but love them even more.

- Love, Ruby Valentine, by Laurie Friedman ; illustrated by Lynne Avril Cravath. Every year, Ruby Valentine makes gifts for everyone in town, but this year she sleeps through Valentine's Day!

We also sang and did the actions for the popular kids' love song "Skinnamarink."

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February 9, 2007

Feeling Lonely, Finding a Friend

What helps you feel better when you're lonely? Maybe finding a friend, or getting a hug. Or maybe, as one child suggested this week, it just takes your mom telling you to snap out of it. :-)

The Very Lonely Firefly, by Eric Carle - A firefly encounters a lamp, a flashlight, fireworks, etc., before finally finding a group of fireflies. This would have been a cooler read if the little lightbulbs on the last page had still worked! But the kids enjoyed identifying the different light sources and talking about fireflies.

Corduroy, by Don Freeman - That old favorite about a bear who can't find his button but does find a friend in a little girl named Lisa. Point of discussion: escalators!

Lost and Found, by Oliver Jeffers - A very cute 2006 book, in which a boy returns a penguin to the South Pole only to realize that the penguin was not lost, but lonely. I love the illustrations, and it has a good plot for being as short as it is.

Posted by Lisa at 3:19 PM | TrackBack

January 30, 2007

Cookie Storytime

So I knew doing a cookie-themed storytime was opening up a can of worms... so to speak. But as it turned out, while the kids liked discussing their favorite cookies, no one demanded cookies! Which was a good thing, as I only brought the pretend kind, and the kind in books.

- Mr. Cookie Baker, by Monica Wellington. From the creator of Pizza at Sally's comes this very simple, bright story about a man who bakes cookies for a living. It's so short, but it really rounded out our collection of stories.

- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond. Kids enjoy hearing this favorite story, and can help tell it themselves.

- Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?, by Bonnie Lass and Philemon Sturges, illustrated by Ashley Wolff. A fun take-off of the familiar rhyme, using southwestern animals. If it feels too long, it's easy to skip an animal here and there.

- The Gingerbread Boy, by Richard Egielski. An urban rendition of the old story. I love the change of setting, the two-page spreads, and the relatively short text. Don't be sad, kids -- after all, he's just a cookie!

Here are some rhymes I found on the Internet and adapted for our use...

Making Cookies
I am making cookie dough. (hold out arms in a circle, like a bowl)
Round and round the beaters go. (roll hands)
Add some flour from a cup. (shake a pretend cup)
Stir and stir the batter up. (stirring motion)
Roll them, cut them nice and neat. (rolling pin motion)
Put them on a cookie sheet. (place pretend cookies)
Bake them, count them 1-2-3. (counting motion)
Serve them to my friends for tea. (take a bite!)

Five Little Cookies
(I made five pretend cookies of different colors. At each verse, I asked the kids to fill in the color, and then we counted the remaining cookies.)

Five little cookies with frosting galore.
Mother ate the _____ one, and then there were four.

Four little cookies, two and two you see.
Father ate the _____ one, and then there were three.

Three little cookies, but before I knew,
Sister ate the _____ one, and then there were two.

Two little cookies, oh, what fun.
Brother ate the _____ one, and then there was one.

One little cookie, watch me run.
I ate the _____ one, and then there was none.

For our project, we glued pretend cookies (gingerbread men, hearts, etc.) to a paper plate and decorated them with glitter crayons!

Posted by Lisa at 4:38 PM | TrackBack

January 29, 2007

Owl Storytime

Some storytime themes just seem to arrive out of nowhere. Baby owls, for instance. Owls are a fascinating bird for children. They go out at night, they live in the forest, they eat mice, and, like our wonderful owl puppet, can turn their heads almost all the way around!

- Owl Babies, by Martin Waddell; illustrated by Patrick Benson. Sarah, Percy, and Bill too small to fly, worry over their mother's absence. But of course she comes back.

- I'm Not Cute, by Jonathan Allen. This is one of my favorite read-alouds from 2006. Baby Owl is sick and tired of being called cute by the other animals. When Mom says it, though, it's another story. VERY cute book.

- One Duck, Another Duck, by Charlotte Pomerantz; illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. A counting book in which a young owl and his grandmother count ducks until nightfall.

We did the following action rhyme, which has a great opportunity for owl noises...

There's a wide-eyed owl (circle your eyes with your hands)
With a pointed nose (make a beak with your fingers)
Two pointed ears (make ears with your fingers)
And claws for toes (wiggle your "claws")
He lives way up (point way up)
In the tree (way, way up)
And when he looks at you (point to children)
He flaps his wings (flap your wings)
And says, "Whoo! Whoo!" (keep flappin' till the owls come home)

Posted by Lisa at 12:18 PM | TrackBack

January 23, 2007

Snow Storytime

At long last snow once more covered the ground... so last week we took advantage of some snowy stories.

- The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats. You can't go wrong with this one. It's such a quiet story, but it always manages to captivate the kids. Especially when that snowball melts in Peter's pocket...

- Snowbaby Could Not Sleep, by Kara LaReau; illustrated by Jim Ishikawa. It was my first time using this newish book, but it was a real storytime winner. It has just the right balance of repetition and surprise, and the pictures are both cute and gorgeous. It's also a good story about bedtime.

- Snow Magic, by Harriet Ziefert; illustrated by Claire Schumacher. This book is hard to find nowadays, but it's still fun if you can get your hands on it. It's about a bunch of snowpeople who gather to celebrate the first snow and the first day of winter.

We pretended that our silk scarves were snow. We made our snow drift slowly down, and then the wind blew it around. Especially fun was scooping up our snow, patting it into a ball, and then tossing it into the air. The scarves inflated and drifted slowly down again!

We also revived our "5 Little Snowmen" rhyme and made snowman pictures for craft time.

Posted by Lisa at 11:23 AM | TrackBack

January 13, 2007

Helping Storytime

Two and three year olds help out in surprising ways -- not just by cleaning up their toys or going to bed without fuss (though those things are very important, of course), but also by helping weed the garden... build a wagon... make dinner... wash the car...

These are the stories we read:

- The Little Red Hen, by Byron Barton. In this version of the old story, the cat, pig, and duck don't get to share the bread after they refuse to help make it.

- Chickens to the Rescue, by John Himmelman. This is a new picture book with wonderfully patterned text and priceless illustrations. Each day, when something goes wrong on the Greenstalks' farm? "Chickens to the rescue!" Kids enjoy joining in the refrain.

- Clifford's Good Deeds, by Norman Bridwell. It's Clifford; 'nuff said.

Another book that I didn't have time to use but would like to in the future is:

- No No, Jo!, by Kate and Jim McMullan. In this lift-the-flap book, a kitten's attempts to help out her boy and girl go unappreciated. The illustrations are very cute, and I think the sentiment could be well appreciated by little children whose efforts at helping out do not always go as planned.

Posted by Lisa at 9:52 AM | TrackBack

December 19, 2006

Seasons Storytime

Erratic weather marked the end of our storytime season, with an abrupt transition from heavy snow to warmth and rain. Our stories and activities celebrated the change of weather and seasons.

Hello, Sun!, by Dayle Ann Dodds, illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa - A little girl wants to go out and play, but the changing weather keeps her running inside to change her clothes. Cute pictures and a bright, repeating rhyming text.

Seasons, by Heidi Goennel - Seasons are marked not just by the weather but by what we do to have fun. Children can help tell the story by "reading the pictures."

A Hat for Minerva Louise, by Janet Morgan Stoeke - A snow-loving but naive chicken searches for appropriate winter attire around the barnyard. Expect lots of laughs and audience interjections!

In addition to some of our favorite songs, we did the following action rhyme about melting snowman -- how appropriate!

5 little snowmen all in a row (hold up 5 fingers)
Each with a hat (put hands on head)
And a big red bow (make a bow-tying motion at your neck)
Up came the sun and it stayed all day (raise arms in a circle)
And one little snowman melted away (hold up index finger and "melt" it away)
(Etc.)

We also use a flannelboard for this rhyme. Each of our five snowmen has a different hat. After each verse, I ask the children which snowman I should melt, and then we count the snowmen that remain. I look forward to repeating this rhyme many times in 2007, assuming it ever snows again!

Posted by Lisa at 11:13 AM

December 7, 2006

Hide and Seek Storytime

Our theme this week was Hide and Seek. It's amazing how many picture books there are about looking for something that's lost; it was hard to choose! These were the books I decided on:

Where's Spot?, by Eric Hill. A lift-the-flap book. The big book version is especially nice for large groups.

Where's My Darling Daughter?, by Mij Kelly, illustrated by Katharine McEwen. A new picture book about a silly daddy who searches his farm high and low for his daughter, who is riding piggyback the whole time.

Little White Dog, by Laura Godwin, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. The flat-color illustrations make this book. Little White Dog blends perfectly into the snow, Little Blue Bird into the sky, etc. Nonetheless, children can still make out the animals by using clues: eyes, feet, wings, and so on. A fun take on camouflage.

We sang "Where Is Thumbkin?", played with our magnet version of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, and did the following fingerplay which I learned from Kathleen:

Here is the beehive, but where are the bees? [make a fist, with your thumb tucked inside]
Hidden inside where no one can see.
Watch them now come out of the hive.
Five bees: one-two-three-four-five! [unfurl your fingers, one by one]
Fly away bees! BZZZZZ! [fly your fingers around]

Posted by Lisa at 4:02 PM

December 6, 2006

Work Machines Storytime

Little boys are known for their fascination with those grumbling, rumbling machines that dig up roads, crush concrete, and stretch way into the sky, but little girls like them, too! Last week's program on big work machines was especially fun for everyone.

I'm Dirty!, by Kate & Jim McMullan. A smart, funny book from the perspective of a very dirty backhoe loader, with bold, cartoonish illustrations and plenty of sound effects. It's basically perfect.

Dig!, by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha; illustrated by Marc Rosenthal. Mr. Rally and his dog Lightning have five digging jobs today -- count them!

Hush, Little Digger, by Ellen Olson-Brown; illustrations by Lee White. A new take on the familiar song, full of every work machine imaginable and very clever rhymes to accommodate names such as "bulldozer" and "auger drill."

We also did our "Little Red House" flannelboard. "Once upon a time, there was a little red house. And inside the little red house was a little green house..." Kids name each successive color and are amazed as the houses get smaller and smaller, until the tiny smiling face inside the white house is revealed.

After I closed Hush, Little Digger, a little girl informed me that it was a very nice story. There's your proof that girls like work machines, too! :-)

Posted by Lisa at 12:55 PM

November 21, 2006

Thanksgiving Storytime

We did a lot of talking this week. What are the occasions that we say "thank you"? What good things in life do we have that we are thankful for? What do we do to celebrate Thanksgiving? And what are our favorite Thanksgiving foods?

Our storybooks:

- Thank You, by Kelly Doudna. A concept book about the occasions we might say "thank you."

- Thanks for Thanksgiving, by Julia Markes, illustrated by Doris Barrette. A list poem of things children might be thankful for.

- 1, 2, 3 Thanksgiving, by W. Nikola-Lisa, illustrated by Robin Kramer. A counting book about a large family preparing and cleaning up after Thanksgiving dinner.

Songs and Fingerplays:

- "If You're Thankful and You Know It" - Sing it just like the old favorite, but in the third verse sing, "If you're thankful and you know it, say 'thank you!'"

- Rhyme #1
I am a turkey, big and fat (make a big stomach with your arms)
I spread my tail (spread arms), and I walk like that (waddle side to side)
Each day's corn I will not miss (rub stomach)
And when I talk (point to mouth), I sound like this: (point to ear)
Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!

- Rhyme #2
The turkey is a funny bird (hook thumbs and spread fingers like a turkey)
His head goes wobble wobble (wobble your head)
And all he knows is just one word (hold up one finger)
Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!

Posted by Lisa at 2:48 PM

November 9, 2006

Pizza Storytime

Who loves pizza? Everybody! Or just about. Our pizza theme was a hit with the kids the week. Our picture books:

- Pizza at Sally's, by Monica Wellington. Sally the pizza maker has a busy day. This book has bright, friendly illustrations with lots of details.

- Hi, Pizza Man!, by Virginia Walter, illustrated by Ponder Goembel. How do you greet the pizza man? Or a pizza kitty? Or a pizza dinosaur? Can you say audience participation?

- The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza), by Philemon Sturges, illustrated by Amy Walrod. A new take on the familiar tale. I paraphrased a lot for the sake of brevity.

We sang a pizza-making song to the tune of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush." Here are some verses. You can, of course, improvise as you like!

1. This is the way we mix the dough, mix the dough, mix the dough
This is the way we mix the dough to make a pizza pie.
2. This is the way we knead the dough...
3. This is the way we roll the dough...
4. This is the way we toss the dough...
5. This is the way we spread the sauce...
6. This is the way we sprinkle the cheese...
7. This is the way our pizza bakes, pizza bakes, pizza bakes
Take it out and eat a slice, our yummy pizza pie!

We also played with the scarves again, pretending to make a pizza. Mix, knead, stretch, toss and twirl the dough (scarf)! Then add sauce, cheese, and toppings. Put in the oven and count to 10. Then take it out, cut yourself a slice, and try it! How's that taste?

By the way, did you know that you can see pizza makers toss and twirl the dough at Homemade Pizza in Evanston? And they always catch it!

Posted by Lisa at 1:45 PM

November 2, 2006

Fall Storytime

What time of year is it? Is it fall? Is it autumn? After this week's storytime, all of the kids will tell you that they mean the same thing: leaves changing color and falling from the trees, cold weather, and Halloween! This week's books:

- Fall Leaves Fall, written by Zoe Hall and illustrated by Shari Halpern. Another winner from this dynamic duo.

- Nuts to You!, by Lois Ehlert. A curious squirrel gets in the house. Only nuts can get him out again.

- Clifford's First Autumn, by Norman Bridwell. Just about every kid knows Clifford and loves to hear about his adventures.

SCARVES are a simple yet versatile prop that can be worked into many storytimes. This week, we pretended that our scarves were beautiful fall leaves. We held them high in our branches. When the wind blew hard, the leaves fell to the ground. Then we could kick them, toss them in the air, rake them, and jump on them! You can improvise as kids get into the spirit.

We also used our scarves while singing "Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down" (to the tune of "London Bridge"), and of course after Nuts to You! we had to sing that preschool favorite "Gray Squirrel, Gray Squirrel, Swish Your Bushy Tail." For craft time, we made fall pictures.

Posted by Lisa at 1:21 PM

October 26, 2006

Halloween Storytime

Everyone has a jack o'lantern, and everyone has a costume. We're ready for Halloween! This week's picture books:

- Moonlight: The Halloween Cat, by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. A quiet book with beautiful, bright pictures about a cat taking a stroll on Halloween night.

- 10 Trick-or-Treaters: A Halloween Counting Book, by Janet Schulman, illustrated by Linda Davick. Count down as the trick-or-treaters run off, one by one. This book is good for practicing numeral recognition.

- Jungle Halloween, by Maryann Cocca-Leffler. The "funnest" of the bunch! A rollicking, rhyming account of some jungle animals' Halloween party. There are lots of fun details to pick out in the illustrations.

We repeated our pumpkin counting and action rhymes from last week, along with "Two Little Blackbirds", "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", and "Spider on the Floor." Repetition is good! The kids like the familiarity and the sense of accomplishment they have when they, too, can do a song or rhyme perfectly!

Next week: fall!

Posted by Lisa at 3:25 PM

October 19, 2006

Pumpkin Storytime

Almost every child has a pumpkin at home in preparation for Halloween! In fact, some have TEN (or so they tell me). I guess you need a lot when the squirrels keep eating them (as I was also informed).

- It's Pumpkin Time, by Zoe Hall, illustrated by Shari Halpern. Another vivid horticultural tale from this author-illustrator team. This time the kids are growing pumpkins!

- Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins, by Dianne Ochiltree, illustrated by Anne-Sophie Lanquetin. Sam's wagonload of pumpkins takes a spill. What to do with the smashed up pumpkins?

- Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin, by Mary Serfozo, illustrated by Valeria Petrone. Peter carefully selects a pumpkin to carve into the perfect jack o'lantern.

We sang "Ten Little Pumpkins" (to the traditional tune), "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Spider on the Floor", and "Two Little Blackbirds." Spiders and blackbirds are good seasonal critters! We also did some pumpkin action rhymes. This one, taught to me by fellow librarian Kathleen, went over especially well:

Pumpkin, pumpkin, sitting on a wall
(use one arm as a wall, and make your other fist a pumpkin)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, tip and fall!
(rock the "pumpkin" until it falls off)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, rolling down the street
(rolling motion with hands)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, trick or treat!
(make a "surprise" motion with your arms)

For our craft, we made jack o'lanterns, the likes of which would have made Picasso and Miró proud.

Next week: Halloween!

Posted by Lisa at 4:25 PM

October 12, 2006

Pets Storytime

Some kids have pets, and some don't, but either way it's fun to imagine having one! How about an elephant? As any 3-year-old will tell you, having an elephant is not practical. But maybe a boa constrictor instead...

Stories we read:

- I Have a Pet, by Shari Halpern - a series of children describes their pets, how they take care of them, and what they love of them.

- Emma's Pet, by David McPhail - Emma searches everywhere for a big, soft, cuddly pet, until she finds one very close to home.

- My Dog Toby, by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha ; illustrated by True Kelley - A little girl's dog is wonderful in every way, except that he won't do any tricks.

Songs we sang:
- "Two Little Blackbirds" (Carole Peterson version)
- "The Itsy Bitsy Spider"
- "Spider on the Floor" (Raffi)
- "Pig on Her Head" (Laurie Berkner)
- "Shake Your Sillies Out" (Raffi)

Next week: pumpkins!

Posted by Lisa at 3:10 PM

October 5, 2006

Apple Storytime

Almost every child loves apples. This is the perfect time of year to talk about them, as the farmer's markets become dominated by the cheery red, yellow, or green fruit...

The Apple Pie Tree, by Zoe Hall - traces the growth of an apple tree throughout the year, from bare branches, to leaves and blossoms, to fruit. Not only humans enjoy the apple tree; it provides shelter and food to a number of other creatures.

Ten Red Apples, by Pat Hutchins - a counting story that works well as a flannel board story, or with puppets (my choice). Children can help tell the story by identifying each animal that visits the tree and counting how many apples are left.

Apples and Pumpkins, by Anne Rockwell - a simple story about a family visiting a farm to pick, you guessed it, apples and pumpkins.

If you search the Internet, you will find that there are numerous apple-themed action rhymes out there! We did these two:

1. Way up high in the apple tree (stretch way up)
Two red apples smiled at me. (hold up two fists)
I shook that tree as hard as I could. (shaking motion)
Down came the apples -- (downward motion)
Mm, they were good! (rub stomach)

2. This is the tree with leaves so green. (hold arms out, wiggle fingers)
These are the apples that grow in between. (hold up fists)
When the wind blows, the apples will fall. (blowing and falling motions)
Here is a basket to gather them all! (hold arms in a circle)

At craft time, we glued die-cut trees and people onto blue paper, then put round red, green, and yellow stickers on the trees as apples!

Next week: pets...

Posted by Lisa at 12:17 PM

September 28, 2006

Transportation Storytime

Everybody's gone for a ride in a car... but how about a plane? bus? train? boat? horse? helicopter? elephant?!

We began our transportation-themed storytimes this week with a discussion of different vehicles and where you ride them (a puzzle portraying many different modes of transportation came in handy, providing small props!). Then onto the stories and songs...

Some picture book adaptations/extensions/parodies of traditional songs are, in my opinion, rather underwhelming. They lack imagination, get the rhyme and meter all wrong, or otherwise fail to justify their existence beyond the original song. Not so with these books.

- Row, Row, Row Your Boat, by Pippa Goodhart, illustrated by Stephen Lambert. This book tickles the imagination, as two children row their boat down the stream and across the sea to an island, where they encounter monkeys and parrots and a very cross lion. They even ride an elephant! (Iza Trapani also has a picture book version of this song, but I thought Goodhart's would have a little more "oomph" with my group.) Before reading this book, we sang the song while pretending to row. I chose to read the book in a normal speaking voice, but one could sing it, if desired.

- The Seals on the Bus, by Lenny Hort, illustrated by G. Brian Karas. This is a great follow-up to singing "The Wheels on the Bus" -- just make sure you take a break in between. Instead of the usual sights, this bus is full of seals, sheep, skunks, and vipers, as well as some very intimidated people. No shortage of humor here, and audience participation couldn't be more natural.

- Clip-Clop, by Nicola Smee. This new picture book is not based on a song! Several barnyard animals request a ride from Mr. Horse, who goes faster and faster, until all the animals fly through the air and land in a haystack. It's that simple, but the children hung on every word, and on Tuesday I got quite a lot of laughs. Because the story is so simple, I did more with my voice (volume, pitch) to build the excitement. It was also a good story for getting kids to "fill in the blank." For example, the animals ask Mr. Horse to go faster, and he tells them to "hold... on... TIGHT!"

Between books, we also did an action song called "Green Light, Red Light," which can be found on the album Tempo for Tots : Activities for Two, Three and Four Year Olds, by Sharron Lucky. But even if you don't have access to the recording, it's easy to play! I have two signs -- my red light, and my green light. When I hold up my green light, we walk, tiptoe, hop, march, fly, and crawl through the green light. But when I hold up my red light, we stop! Talking about traffic signals is, obviously, a great introduction to this activity.

So, that's my novel for the week. Tune in next week for apple season!

Posted by Lisa at 2:46 PM

September 21, 2006

Garden Storytime

This week, with the 2 1/2-3 1/2 year olds, I used a garden theme. I introduced the theme by bringing in something grown in a garden. Once it was a large zucchini, the other times carnations. The day I brought the zucchini, I asked the kids what I'd brought, and was met with the enthusiastic response, "A pickle!" It would have been the largest pickle I've ever seen!

Books we read:
- The Surprise Garden, written by Zoe Hall and illustrated by Shari Halpern
- Planting a Rainbow, by Lois Ehlert
- Fran痴 Flower, written by Lisa Bruce and illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

To introduce Planting a Rainbow, we used our "Kitten Rainbow" flannelboard, which the kids always love. To summarize, six gray felt kittens each jump into a different colored can of paint -- at which point I turn the kittens around to reveal their new color.

We also did a fun action rhyme from Storytime for Two-Year-Olds, by Judy Nichols. It's very simple and goes like this:

I dig, dig, dig (digging motion)
And I plant some seeds. (planting motion)
I rake, rake, rake (raking motion)
And I pull some weeds. (pulling motion)
I wait and watch (hands on hips)
And soon I know, (point to self)
My garden sprouts (hands low, palms down)
And starts to grow. (raise hands toward ceiling)

Our project was to make flowers. I had pre-assembled small paper plates stapled to drinking straws, and the kids had fun coloring the plates and gluing on paper flower petals I'd cut out.

Next week, I think our theme will be pets...

Posted by Lisa at 11:32 AM