Monkey see, monkey…Do this storytime!

Monkeys. Mischievous but sweet. Exotic yet familiar. Typically they have long tails and live in trees but I have been known to throw gorillas and other apes into the theme, too.

One Banana

One banana,two banana,
three banana, four…
Even though I ate them all
I still want more!!

Books:

Count the Monkeys (Barnett)

This counting book is really funny, of course, because Barnett and Cornell were in charge! There is lots of counting but none of it is actually monkeys. They have been scared off by … well, you’ll have to read it to appreciate it. It is supremely interactive from the first call of, “Hey kids! Time to count the monkeys!” to the various commands instructing the audience to raise their arms or hum a tune to the final end papers when guess who finally shows up? I read this to preschoolers who are active and in the zone. You need the energy of an engaged crowd to really make this sing. Be ready to laugh!

Banana! (Vere)

I always yell out the title of this book because it has an exclamation point. I tell the kids that is the law and then I make them all yell it with me.

This is the pictoral story of 2 monkeys. One of whom has a banana and one of whom wants that banana. You, as the reader, have to do a little work to get the story across in this one as there are only 2 words in the entire book: “banana” and “please.” But with facial expressions and drawing attention to various body language changes of the monkeys, you can translate the interaction.

I read/experience this one with Preschoolers for the advanced concepts of personal interations.  At the end, I tell the kids that they could read this one all by themselves since they already know both words. Then we practice reading the title again – exclamation point and all.

One Gorilla (Browne)

This counting book has some of the most beautiful primate pictures ever. I especially like the 4 mandrills that reminds me of the Beatles For Sale album cover but they are all lovely and detailed and captivating.

For the toddlers, we read through it, count the faces, and practice holding up our fingers. For the preschoolers, we spend a little more time noticing the eyes, the various haircuts (see if you can find the mohawk!), and the resemblances to humans which works out well for everyone since the book wraps up with humans who resemble the monkeys and apes we have just counted!

Five Little Monkeys… (Christelow)

Oh, these little monkeys – what scamps they are! There are several in the series including Sitting in a Tree and Go Shopping that the kids enjoy but I generally go with the original Jumping on the Bed. If I have a smaller crowd, I use the book but if the room is full, I show the book and then we do the finger play all together. I’ve also told this story with 5 monkey finger puppets (ha! they match the books!) that go flying when they fall off. That gets the kids laughing pretty hard.

Caps for Sale (Slobodkina)

I talked about this title a bit in my post Get Dressed! Clothes Storytime and I use the same style and delivery during Monkey storytime. Slobodkina wrote it in 1938 and has sold more than 2 million copies. I think the big book version really sells this story and I find all ages love it. I do tend to read it at the beginning of the program since it is long.

Be Quiet, Mike! (Patricelli)

I have a drummer in the house so this book is dear to me. Mike just can’t seem to stop tapping, clanking, and crashing through life. Of course, that also means he never stops hearing, “Be quiet, Mike!” from the folks around him. When he discovers an actual drum kit and then makes the dream come true for himself, his drumming is put to good use.

The illustrations are bright and charming.and the refrain is catchy. Kids will love listening to this one – and will probably want to do a little drumming afterwards.

I am a Gorilla (Macleod)

Again with the Av2 Media Enhanced books. I just love reading these in storytime to both toddlers and preschoolers. The photos are terrific, the information is interesting, and parents love finding a series for their little ones and beginning readers. A great introduction to non-fiction for the storytime set. Bonus: I’ve learned a lot about the animals we discussed in storytime. Did you know gorillas make 2 different nests each day? You do now.

No Fits, Nilson! (OHora)

Oh, Nilson, you try so hard to keep it together – good job!

This is the story of a little girl, Amelia, and her giant teal companion, Nilson. As they go about their day with Mom, Amelia helps Nilson keep his cool by describing what they are doing, distracting him with her froggy coin purse, and promising him banana treats for later. But when Nilson gets the last banana ice cream – what does Amelia do? Nuclear meltdown. Nilson knows what to do, though, and helps his friend out.

I read this to preschoolers because of length. The colors are great, the details of the pictures are fun, and the subject matter is very familiar to both our small ones and their grown-ups.

Ten Naughty Little Monkeys (Williams)

A nice variation on the classic “5 little monkeys” with lots more situations, pratfalls, and silly facial expressions. There is always one monkey who is contributing to the mayhem but whether she is obvious in a large groups or not, the cadence of the book and the bright illustrations make for a good read aloud to the preschool crowd.

Two Little Monkeys (Fox)

A simple story with rhymes, suspense, and cheeky monkeys. Mem Fox keeps it catchy with repetition and Jill Barton adds facial expressions to these sweet monkeys that resemble some of our audience members. The monkeys are playing on the ground but a leopard slowly approaches. As the audience encourages them to find safety, they climb a big, old tree. They huddle together and hide behind leaves. But wait, leopards can climb trees…..

Never fear, they escape to a smaller – less leopard-climbable tree – and enjoy a snack.

The interstitials (the space fillers):

Standing

Go Banana!

Banana’s of the world: UNITE
(clasp hands overhead)

Peel banana (peel arms down to sides)
Peel peel banana
Peel banana (repeat actions)
Peel peel banana

Cut banana (karate chops to the front)
Cut cut banana
Cut banana (repeat actions)
Cut cut banana

Eat banana (stuff banana pieces into face)
Eat eat banana
Eat banana (repeat actions)
Eat eat banana

Go bananas! (flail arms, turn in circle, shake head, etc.)
Go Go bananas!
Go bananas! (keep going)
Go Go bananas!

Flannel Play

Teasing Mr. Alligator

5 little monkeys swinging from a tree (5 fingers up)
Teasing Mr. Alligator, “You can’t catch me!” (fingers in ears, waggle fingers)
Along comes Mr. Alligator, quiet as can be and (hands together, moving in a slow swerving motion)
SNAPS that monkey out of that tree (clap hands together)
Oh, no! (hands on sides of face, eyes big)

Continue with 4,3,2,1

In Toddler time, Mr. Alligator sometimes has allergies and sneezes those monkeys back out at the end and we collectively hope that the monkeys will be smarter next time.
In Preschool time, it’s more of a morality tale and we end up with one fat alligator and no monkeys left in the tree.

Songs

10 Little Monkeys

1 little, 2 little, 3 little monkeys
4 little, 5 little, 6 little monkeys
7 little, 8 little, 9 little monkeys
10 little monkey go (imitate monkeys with sounds and movements)

Craft

Make a monkey!

Each child gets a monkey body that I’ve copied on to cardstock – just for the sturdiness. They work their fine motor skills by coloring the body in any fashion they like and then tape chenille sticks on to the back of the body. We usually go with 2.5 or 3 sticks but of course your monkey can have as many arms, legs, and/or tails as you want. They may need help getting the proper amount of tape – it can get away from them pretty easily. Then just curl the ends of the sticks and voila! a monkey to hang from your shirt, bag, ear, mom, etc.

Monkey around with these ideas and host your own barrel of fun!

These are the bits of fabulous that I picked for the theme this time

Toddler lineup:

Poem
Caps for Sale (Slobokina)
stretch
ABCs song
Teasing Mr. Alligator
Five Little Monkeys (Christelow)
Five Little Monkeys
One Gorilla (Browne)
Bananas Unite
I am a Gorilla (Macleod)
Zoom Zoom Zoom song
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Preschool lineup:

Poem
Count the Monkeys (Barnett)
stretch
ABCs
Teasing Mr. Alligator
One Gorilla (Browne)
Five Little Monkeys
Banana!(Vere)
Bananas Unite
I am a Gorilla(Macleod)
Zoom Zoom Zoom song
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Advertisement

How Ya Gonna Keep ’em Down on the Farm Storytime

Oh, the farm. You and your animals have been so good to me over the years – and you have provided endless entertainment for the kids in my storytimes. Let’s never break up.

To the Farm

Horses, donkeys, cows that moo,
Chickens, kittens, piglets too,
Fish that swim down in the pond,
Ducklings quacking all day long.
All these animals you can see
If you go to the farm with me.

Books:

I Spy on the Farm (Gibbs)

Who doesn’t love a good game of I Spy?! This book has everything I love – great illustrations, clever word play, a guessing game, and an alternate purpose — all of the animal noises are included so the kids can practice. We get glimpses of the animals through a hole in the center of the book. The clues are straightforward enough to engage the Toddler crowd and easy enough for the Preschoolers to feel like the big kids they are when they guess it correctly.

Read about Gibb’s title I Spy Under the Sea in a previous post.

Horseplay (Wilson)

Why are the horses so tired during the day? Farmer decides to find out just what they are up to at night and boy is he surprised! I read this rhyming book to Preschoolers because of the length – and School Agers enjoy the silly pictures of horses playing cards and engaging in Leap Frog.

For a long time, picture books featuring horses were few and far between. This is a fun addition for our little horse aficionados out there.

Big Fat Hen (Baker)

One, two, buckle my shoe! What a fun way to read the traditional rhyme with little chicks and bugs helping out along the way. My favorite part are the illustrations – never have I seen such beautiful chickens. I love reading this book for Toddlers and Preschoolers alike and they all enjoy the big reveal from eggs to chicks at the very end. Confession: I usually show them the pages back and forth a couple of times and we revel in it with each replay.

Good for Counting, Birds, Eggs, and Chickens.

Duck on a Bike (Shannon)

Do you know me at all? Have we ever met? If yes, you probably know that this is my favorite picture book of all time because I can’t seem to stop telling people.

When presented with the opportunity, the cutest, bravest, cleverest duck ever decides that he can ride a bike. And guess what? He can!! He rides around the barnyard saying hello to all the animals and they each have their own thoughts on the subject. When more opportunities present themselves…the animals surprise even themselves.

The key to this read aloud is to leave all inhibition behind and voice each animal with their own animal-noise voice. It’s hard to spell out how a goat would speak but I say it something like this: “Iiiii’d like to eeeeeeeat that biiiiiiike” with a nasal “maaaaa”-twang.

I read this to Toddlers, Preschoolers, School Agers, parents, coworkers, strangers – anyone within earshot. I read it for Farms, Ducks, Transportation, and Favorites … basically I will use any excuse. Please read it and love it. And don’t forget to share the very last picture of the duck and “the end.” The kids will laugh!

Big Red Barn (Brown)

A lovely, quiet, classic about the animals’ day on the farm. I usually read the big book version to Toddlers and we talk about all of the activity. It’s a good chance to practice animals sounds, too.

This is the Farmer (Tafuri)

A simple cause and effect story about the actions of the farm animals. The pictures are beautifully detailed and the text is easy. I read this to Toddlers for the length and the  simplicity. Tafuri usually pays off well for Toddlers and this is a great example

Life-Size Farm (Komiya)

I find this book hilarious – not just because of the size…which is…life size (duh. 🙂 ) but also because it is full of strange little facts about the animals mixed in with the regular everyday stuff. And, as a bonus, there are unique farm animals included: alpaca, ferret, turkey – fun stuff. Everyone gets a kick out of seeing these animals in their real size (some of whom don’t even fit on the page!) and part of the beauty is that you can pick and choose what you show and what you share.

Komiya gives us Life-Size Zoo and Aquarium, too. Check them out!

Plus so many more titles on my storytime list on bibliocommons.

The interstitials (the space fillers):

Folder Story

Old MacDonald’s Truck

Thanks to a Folder Story post by 1234morestorytimes, I discovered this wonderful trick to mix it up during storytime. You need a manila folder with a truck shape cut out of one side, wheels drawn on the front, and an assortment of colored construction paper. As you “show” each truck, pull the paper out of the folder and put it behind you.

The story goes something like this (written by 1234morestorytimes with a few additional colors of my own):

Farmer McDonald goes to buy a new truck and takes Mrs. McDonald with him.  Each time the truck sales person offers a different color truck, it is never right. First he shows them a red truck and Farmer McDonald says:
“Oh no, that won’t do, please bring me a truck that is blue,” show blue truck
“No no, you are being mean, please bring me a truck that is green,” show green truck
“No no said Old McDonald with a gurgle, please bring me a truck that is purple,” show purple truck
“No, no, I think….- I’d like to see a truck that is pink.” show pink truck
“I can’t drive that bright truck around town! Please show me a truck that is brown.” show brown truck
“No, that’s just not the truck I have pictured in my head. Let’s try a truck that is red.” show red truck
“Yes, yes! That one wins the race! Why didn’t you show me that in the first place?!” and The McDonalds drive back to the farm in their new truck.

Be sure to have 2 sheets of red paper to pull off the little joke, one at the front and one at the end  – trying to fit the paper back into the folder during the story is a pain. I glued the entire story to the back of the folder so I know what comes next.

  

Flannel Play

Good Morning Mrs Hen

Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck,
“Good morning Mrs Hen.”
How many chickens have you got?
“Madam I’ve got ten”
“Four of them are yellow, and four of them are brown.
And two of them are speckled red,
The nicest in the town!”

I do this flannel with my hen puppet on my lap and often pull out an egg (plastic!) before putting her away.

Five Pigs So Squeaky Clean

Sing it to “Five Green and Speckled Frogs”

Five pigs so squeaky clean
Cleanest you’ve ever seen
Wanted to go outside and play
Oink! Oink!
One jumped into the mud
Landed with a big thud
Then there were four clean squeaky pigs.

I first saw this flannel on Storytime Katie’s Flannel Friday post and then followed the breadcrumbs to MissMaryLiberry version! So easy to make and so fun to use. You can Google pig clipart and get a clean pig for one side and make it dirty for the other side. Don’t forget to put velcro on both sides so you can flip it over.  The counting gets interesting with a little subtraction action going on, “Now we have only 2 clean pigs! How many dirty pigs do we have?”

Songs

Old MacDonald Had a Farm

Old MacDonald had a farm,
E-I-E-I-O.

And on his farm he had a pig,
E-I-E-I-O.

With an oink, oink here,
And an oink, oink there,
Here an oink, there an oink,
Everywhere an oink, oink,

Old MacDonald had a farm,
E-I-E-I-O.

horse – neigh
sheep – baaa
rooster – cock-a-doodle-doo

Of course you can add any animals to this rotation. I often do this song with a bag full of puppets and pull them out as a reveal to the kids. Sometimes we just sing it without props or pictures of any kind and I have the kids call out animals. However I do it, I try to keep the rooster until the end because it is the hardest to repeat and we all end up laughing. It’s always good to end on laughter.

Craft

A Woolly Sheep

I freehanded a sheep profile on some white paper and actually had a teen volunteer cut these out one day. I could have left the cutting to the kids but that had the potential to take awhile. 🙂 As it was, they had a great time gluing the sheep to the construction paper, picking out cotton balls to put on their sheep, and figuring out that it is MUCH easier to put the glue on the paper and then put the cotton on the glue rather then trying to put glue directly on cotton. Sticky fingers all around!

I did tear the cotton balls/craft puffs in half since they were quite puffy. It made them easier to handle and doubled my supply. Winning!

This craft works the fine motor skills with the glue sticks and cotton balls plus it introduces a new texture. You can encourage coloring the sheep to get even more practice in.

These are the bits of fabulous that I picked for the theme this time

Toddler lineup:

Poem
Duck on a Bike (Shannon)
stretch
ABCs song
Five Pigs So Squeaky Clean flannel
This is the Farmer (Tafuri)
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Hello Mrs. Hen flannel
Big Red Hen (Baker)
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Preschool lineup:
Poem
Duck on a Bike (Shannon)
stretch
Old MacDonald’s Truck folder story
Horseplay (Wilson)
Five Pigs So Squeaky Clean flannel
Old MacDonald Had a Farm song
Big Red Hen (Baker)
Life-Size Farm (Komiya)
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Eeeek! A Mouse Storytime

I like mice in storytime. I love mice in storytime. I have a mouse (Folkmanis) in storytime. I don’t want them in my cupboards.

I think mice
Are rather nice.
Their tails are long,
Their faces small,
They haven’t any
Chins at all.
Their ears are pink,
Their teeth are white.
They run about the house at night
They nibble things they shouldn’t touch,
And no one seems to like them much
But I think mice are nice.
— Rose Fyleman

Books:

Mice (Fyleman)

This book is a combination of Fyleman’s poem (see above) and Lois Ehlert’s brilliant collage illustrations. I mean, take a look at those precious teeth and their little yarn appendages! The black page backgrounds really allow the mice to pop right off the page. This short book is suitable for Toddlers and Preschoolers and I usually present it right after reciting the poem so the kids get the repetition and the visual cues.

 

Mouse Count (Walsh)

Another short text book good for both Toddlers and Preschoolers. The mice are out playing when a snake spies them. He captures them one by one and puts them in a jar. But the snake’s greed is his undoing and when he goes back for just one more mouse, the mice band together and make their escape. Although the snake has the potential to be scary, the fact that the mice outwit him saves the day. Walsh’s illustrations are charming, as always. The kids can practice counting as the mice go in and out of the jar.

 

Lunch (Fleming)

I love this book. The pictures are great and the test is simple enough that you can make it fit any audience. You can read it straight through just noticing the illustrations or you can stretch it with lots dialogic interaction.

I have a beautiful flannel recreation of this book that I love to use. I mentioned it in more detail in Food Storytime. Giving the kids another avenue to enjoy the book makes new connections in the brain.

Denise Fleming’s Lunch!

 

Mouse Mess (Riley)

This rhyming text takes you through a mouse’s nighttime adventure in one family’s kitchen. Once the family goes up the stairs, Mouse gets the run of the kitchen opening pickles and crackers and spilling milk and jam. The kids get the biggest laugh when the mouse soaks in a bubbly bath in a tea cup. Well, you would too if you had peanut butter and jam between your toes!

The illustrations are big and bright. I especially like the jar of olives. This title is good for Toddlers and Preschoolers and fits themes about mice, food, and making messes!

 

Whose Mouse are You? (Kraus)

This sweet little mouse is facing some hard truths – his mother is inside the cat, his father is caught in a trap, his sister is far from home, and he doesn’t even have a brother! But when the narrator asks, “What will you do?” the little mouse takes matters into his own hands. As he rescues his parents and brings his family back together, he wishes for a baby brother. Preschoolers will especially relate to the message of empowerment. That little mouse saved everyone!

Read this book for mice and family.

 

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear (Wood)

Although you never actually see the bear in this story – most kids think you do. I go into more detail in my Can you bear it?  Bear Storytime post but basically this story is charming and funny and gives you the opportunity to say, “THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR” loudly because it is in caps.

 

The interstitials (the space fillers):

Standing

Boing! Boing! Squeak!
by Jack Prelutsky- New Kid on the Block

Boing! Boing! Squeak! Boing! Boing! Squeak!
A bouncing mouse is in my house,
It’s been there for a week.
It bounced from out of nowhere,
Then quickly settled in.
I’m grateful that it came alone,
I’ve heard it has a twin.
It bounces in the kitchen,
It bounces in the den,
It bounces through the living room —
Look! There it goes again.

Boing! Boing! Squeak! Boing! Boing! Squeak!
A bouncing mouse is in my house,
It’s been there for a week.
It bounces on the sofa,
On the table and the bed,
Up the stairs and on the chairs
And even on my head.
That mouse continues bouncing,
Every minute of the day,
It bounces, bounces, bounces,
But it doesn’t bounce away.

Boing! Boing! Squeak! Boing! Boing! Squeak!
A bouncing mouse is in my house,
it’s been there for a week.

Have the kids bounce with you on boing! boing! or recite the poem with a mouse puppet. If you are using this one at Baby Time, bounce the baby and give a little squeeze on “Squeak!”

Songs

10 Little Mice

1 little, 2 little, 3 little mice
4 little, 5 little, 6 little mice
7 little, 8 little, 9 little mice, 10 little mice go squeak squeak squeak!

Fingerplays

Pussycat Pussycat

Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?
I’ve been to London to visit the Queen.
Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under a chair.

Recite this one with a cat puppet and be sure to look under your chair like you are worried about that mouse!

Craft

Hickory Dickory Dock

This craft is a little more ambitious. You start with  paper plates, minute hands, hour hands, fasteners, triangles, circles, and yarn cut to size. If you are working with littles, someone will probably need to help write the numbers on the clock. The kids will be able to glue the ears and the tiny nose on the mouse triangle themselves. They will also enjoy putting the thread through the holes in the plate and gluing the mouse’s tail. But the real fun comes after it is all pieced together. Place the clock around the neck and have it hang down on the chest (much like Flavor Flav) then use the mouse to climb up and run down the clock as each hour strikes.

If you are feeling it is too much, just make the little triangle mice with long yarn tails. The kids can keep them in their pockets and have a friend along for the ride all day.

These are the bits of fabulous that I picked for the theme this time

 

Toddler lineup:

Poem
Mice (Fyleman)
stretch
ABCs song
Mouse Mess (Riley)
10 Little Mice
The Little Mouse, the Red, Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear (Wood)
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Preschool lineup:
Poem
The Little Mouse, the Red, Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear (Wood)
stretch
ABCs
Lunch (Fleming)
Lunch flannel
Whose Mouse are You? (Kraus)
10 Little Mice
Mouse Mess (Riley)
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

 

The mascot visit is a part of every storytime I do.

This is Chick and he has been with me since 1998. He makes every storytime special. Kids love him – and so do I.

Can you bear it? Bear Storytime

The idea of bears is everywhere: Smokey the Bear, Yogi Bear, the Chicago Bears, and most people have a Teddy Bear connection from their youth (whether a beloved toy or the bitterness of being deprived of having one) but how many of us have seen a bear in the wild? Bears in zoos, yes. Bear in your backyard – much less frequent. I did cross paths (a very very wide path) with a bear at Old Faithful Lodge when I worked in Yellowstone in the late 80s and I was quick enough to get my camera out but he ended up being a speck in the landscape in my photo.

I certainly don’t want to come face to face with a real bear but I have a special place in my storytime heart for Bear Storytime. It was the first formal topic I presented and performed. It is a wonderful time to have kids bring their bears (or other special friends) to visit storytime and as long as they are the stuffed kind – we can all play together.

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t very fuzzy, was he?

Books:

It’s the Bear (Alborough)
Where’s My Teddy? (Alborough)
My Friend Bear (Alborough)

   

This is such a great set of stories. All three feature Eddie, his teddy, an enormous bear, and his enormous teddy. The stories progress through Eddie and the Bear meeting by accident and scaring the bejeebers out of each other, Eddie and the Bear having a near miss of each other at a picnic, and Eddie and the Bear finally really connecting. My favorite is It’s the Bear (the second in the series) because the humor and slapstick are unbeatable but they are all charming. I read this to Preschoolers for the funny stuff and use the title for programs on Bears, Friends, Rhyming, and Favorites. The text is rhyming and the pictures are cute but your delivery will really sell these stories. Go for it!

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR (Wood)

Whenever I introduce this book, my voice always gets louder when I say, “THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR” because it is in caps on the cover. I tell the kids that I have to say it that way BECAUSE it is in all capitals. It’s the rule. I think they might believe me. I might just believe me.

This story is slight on text but it is all important as you warn the precious mouse about THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR (ok, I’ll stop), and dissuade him from attempting to hide the strawberry.  That bear will find it no matter where it is hidden, who is guarding it, or – my favorite – how it is disguised. The pictures are rich and entertaining – very Don Wood – and this book comes across really well in big book form, if you have it. I use this title for Mice, Bears, and Food.

As a fun addition, although you never actually see the bear in this story – the kids will probably tell you otherwise.

Old Bear (Henkes)

While he is hibernating, Old Bear dreams of being a cub again and exploring the world during Spring, Summer, and Fall. He dreams of giant flowers, a daisy sun, blueberry rainstorms, and butterfly leaves. When he wakes up, he discovers that Spring has come for real. Less of a story and more of a piece of art – this is a lovely esoteric offering for an attentive audience. This title is good for Bears, Seasons, and Colors.

Bear Has a Story to Tell (Stead)

Before settling down to hibernate, Bear wants to tell a story to his friends. Sadly, they are all busy with their winter prep to be able to listen. After the seasons turn and his hibernation ends, Bear tries to start his story again, but has forgotten it. His friends try to jog his memory and the story ends with Bear sitting on the log, beginning his story once more. A gentle circular story good for the Preschool crowd who can appreciate the changing season and Bear’s acts of kindness toward his smaller friends. This title is good for Bears, Friends, Animals, and Stories.

Bear Snores On (Wilson)

A modern classic! While the wind blusters about outside and smaller animals creep into the cave, Bear Snores On. The story builds quickly as each animal adds more snacks to an impromptu picnic with Bear sleeping nearby but crescendos as a pepper seed gets caught in his snore and the bear. wakes. up! At first he seems angry, he stomps and snarls but then his grousing turns into blubbering and he complains that he wasn’t in on the fun. His friends are quick to remedy that by making more snacks and brewing more tea. It is a party to beat all. But as the storm dies down and the sun comes up, Bear finds himself, once again, in a surprising situation.

The cadence of this book is spot on and the pictures are warm and cozy despite the howling winds just outside the cave. I read this to Toddlers and Preschoolers for Bears, Animals, Winter, and Food. There are several more in the series: Bear’s New Friend, Bear Feels Scared, Bear Says Thanks…they go on. 🙂

The Bear Who Shared (Rayner)

Norris, Tulip and Violet are all waiting for the last plorringe to fall from the tree. The raccoon and the mouse impatiently inspect that fruit by sniffing, listening to, and hugging it but when at last it falls, Norris the bear catches it. Because he is a wise bear, he shares it with Violet and Tulip and they all become friends.

A lovely story with beautiful watercolor illustrations that bring a sweetness to the characters. The kids will ask if plorringes really exist – and I almost believe that they do. Use this with Preschoolers for Bears, Food, Friends, and the Senses.

The interstitials (the space fillers):

Fingerplays

Teddies in the Bed

There were 5 in the bed and the little one said, “I’m crowded, roll over.” (show 5 fingers, nudge elbows to each side)
So they all rolled over and 1 fell out.  (roll hands, show 1 finger)

There were 4 in the bed…
3,2
There was 1 in the bed and the little one said, “I’m lonely.” (make sad face) So they all climbed back into bed! 

(update: 2/8/15) You can also do this as a flannel. Knocking the bears onto the floor always elicits giggles.

   

Flannel Play

Hide and Seek: Bear and the chair

Little Bear, Little Bear
Are you behind the _____ chair?

I have the kids cover their eyes and count to 7 with me. Some of them will cheat and you can gently remind them to cover up. While they are counting, move the bear around the flannel board, in and out of behind chairs. I always have my hand at the end of touching one of the chairs (not the correct one) as they are finishing counting and opening their eyes. Invariably, they all think the bear is behind that one.

We go through the motions of guessing the chairs – I never start with the right one. Sometimes I have them raise their hands to vote on which chair it is – gently chiding them if they vote more than once.

We go through all of this at least 3 times. The second time, I usually hide him in the same place as the first. They definitely don’t think I would pick the same place twice – to which I usually respond, “Have you NOT met me? Don’t you know I’m sneaky?”

This game can be a laugh riot with Preschoolers. To use it with Toddlers, I would have much less banter and also let part of the bear be seen from behind the chair.

Other variations include Duck/Truck, Snake/Rake, Mouse/House, Snail/Pail, and Frog/Log.

Songs

The Bear Went Over the Mountain

The bear went over the mountain(x3)
to see what he could see (x3)
The bear went over the mountain (x3)
to see what he could see

and what did he see?
The other side of the mountain (x3)
was all that he could see!

I slap my thighs alternately while singing this song. Then I stop and ask the kids, “and what did he see?” I start slapping again to finish up the song.

Put Your Teddy Bear….
(tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It)

Put your teddy bear on your head, on your head (x2)
Swing your bear around and jump up and down
Put your teddy bear on your head, on your head

Put your teddy bear on your tummy, on your tummy (x2)
Swing your bear around and jump up and down
Put your teddy bear on your tummy, on your tummy

on your knee…
on your toe…
on your bum…

We stand up to do this song and dance and the kids usually think the tummy is the funniest…UNTIL we do the bum. Then it turns into a giggle-fest. And of course, have everyone dance with the teddies (or other friends) they brought along.

Craft

Teddy Bear Ears

I cut headbands for the kids – usually out of old book covers. But eventually, we will run out of those, so you can use long strips of construction paper. Prepare circles in brown, black, and white. Cut them in half (to look like bear ears!) and then each kid gets a headband and two ears. I let them color them and glue them on to the headbands – which can be colored, too!

Have the caregivers fit the headbands to the kids’ heads and staple or tape them. Be sure to staple them so the prongs are facing out. Save those precious skulls from scrapes.

Making any sort of costume or mask really promotes creative play with the kiddos. Have them growl and lumber around the room. Have them pretend to reach into a tree for honey or strip some bamboo to eat.

Jennwa had a nice picture of how these usually turn out.

These are the bits of fabulous that I picked for the theme this time

Toddler lineup:

Poem
Bear Snores On (Wilson)
stretch
ABCs song
The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR (Wood)
The Bear Went Over the Mountain
Teddies in the Bed
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Preschool lineup:

Poem
The Bear Who Shared (Rayner)
stretch
ABCs
Teddies in the Bed
It’s the Bear (Alborough)
Hide and Seek: Bear and the chair
Bear Snores On (Wilson)
Put Your Teddy Bear….
The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR (Wood)
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

2015 Resolutions

For 2015, Storytime Underground is encouraging folks to set professional goals for development and growth.  I find that between seasons is a great time for reevaluating.  So, in the spirit of sharing the goals so we can all band together for support…here are some things I’m thinking about and this awesome picture to look at.

• I want to continue adding to my blog with storytime outlines and explanations. The few folks that have looked at it have been positive in their feedback and it does keep me organized. I enjoy putting my ideas out there, so MORE!
• I have a ukulele. I have a tuner on my tablet. My coworker, Walter, has offered to help (really, he is very, very good!). I need to learn how to play it for fun and in programs. I can DO THIS!!
• Speaking of programs, I have this entire Internet at my disposal and you guys are geniuses! I’m going to aim for more innovation and creativity. Then I’ll organize and help my coworkers duplicate the programs.
• 2014 was a year of change and I didn’t read as much as I wanted (or needed) to. That’s going to change. I will have at least one book in my bag and one audio book going in the car at all times. My book journal needs to get fat again.

On a personal note,

• I’m going to save my $ and finally buy a new camera. I love taking pictures. I have a little talent and a pretty good eye. I just need to step up my equipment.

What are you thinking of for the new year?

Things that go…and go…and go!

Oh, the things that go. There are many and they go far. One of the best parts of this theme is asking the kids to talk about the things that they know that go! How did they get to storytime? Yes, strollers and feet count as going things. Did anyone come by boat? by helicopter? by train? You may think you know the answers – but there is always room for a surprise, right?

My little tricycle has wheels so fine
One in front and two behind
I steer it left, I steer it right
Then I go so fast I’m outta sight!

Books:

Toot Toot Beep Beep (Garcia)

I really like this book for both Toddler and Preschool. It is simple and quick but has some intriguing aspects. Firstly, all of the vehicles are different. From the red jeep to the pink limousine, there are many colors to practice. Then, each vehicle has a different sound. Once they all start making their sounds at the same time – fun! Lastly, there is a tiny one page mystery  at the end when it is suddenly quiet. Where did they all go?

The pictures are charming and the interaction is fun.

Digger Dog (Bee)

I like this book because the machines keep getting bigger! Unfortunately, this means that you have to keep a vigilant eye on the fold out pages and have book tape at the ready. My Preschoolers were intrigued by the ground being so hard and Dog needing more power. Everyone got a good gasp and laugh at the end reveal.

Truck Jam (Stickland)

Despite the brevity of this pop up book, it always elicit gasps from the audience. Stickland’s trucks are big and bold and are doing interesting things. My library doesn’t buy pop-ups (although my former did and they lasted surprisingly well) so this is my personal copy. Technically it is my son’s – but yeah, no, it’s mine.

I share this with Toddlers and Preschoolers and always have parents who want to take it home. (They end up taking pictures of it when they find out it is my personal copy.)

Diggers Go (Light)

One of the best experiences I’ve had with join-in read alouds! Each page of this oversize board book has a picture of a construction machine and then spells out the crazy-town sound it makes. I mean, who knew that the excavator goes, “chumma chumma hufft hufft FALUMP?!”

The letters are big enough that parents can see and read along. Once they got the hang of it, all of the adults in the room were making the noises the first time with me and then we would do it again so all the kids could join in. It was a hilarious/wonderful cycle of weird noises and laughter. Magical.

That’s How! (Niemann)

I read this funny picture book to Preschoolers because they see the absurdity in it. Each time the girl asks the boy how something works he gives an imaginative explanation of the inner workings (my favorite is probably the hungry monkeys running toward the soup pot on a conveyor belt). She takes his word and is sufficiently awed but when he doesn’t have a quick answer to offer – she comes up with her own impressive explanation.

This title opens up lots of discussion about mechanics and silliness.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (Willems)

Most everyone I meet has heard of this book but there are still a few folks out there that have not seen a youth librarian read it. This is your chance to bring a modern classic to life! Encourage your audience to continuously say, “no!” to the pigeon and you will be off to a good start.

Show these parents and kids how to get the most out of this book – and let the hilarity ensue!

The Construction Crew (Meltzer)

I read this to Toddlers and Preschoolers (with a slight abridgment for the younger crowd). This is a good middle of the program book that encourages the kids to chime in if they know the machine. The rhyme is ok – not to much of a stretch but the pictures are bright and colorful and keep the kids’ attention. I really like that the construction crew is diverse and that it all ends with a family getting a new home.

The interstitials (the space fillers):

Standing

Green means Go!

Green means go!
Go go go! (move feet quickly, pump arms like running in place)
Yellow means Slow!
Slow slow slow (speak slower and move in slow motion)
and Red… means… Stop! (freeze)

Go go go!
Slow slow slow….
Stop!

I repeat this several times. It is an easy rhyme to remember and the motions are easy enough for everyone (including parents) to catch on quickly. Going fast and then slow and then freezing helps with gross motor skills. This is also a good reminder to parents to drive safely! 😉
Flannel Play

Four Little Rockets

Four little rockets winking at me.
One shot off and then there were three!
Three little rockets with nothing to do.
One shot off, and then there were two!
Two little rockets afraid of the sun.
One shot off, and then there was one!
One little rocket alone is no fun.
It shot off, and then there was none!

I make a big deal of the ships rumbling and shaking and blasting off from the flannel board. By the last two, the kids are making the noises with me. I originally saw this on Storytime Katie’s post. I found the ship by searching google “rocket ship clipart” and then printed them on cardstock and laminated them for sturdiness.  A square or two of velcro on the back and voila!

(update 2/5/15)

Another fun flannel is a variation of Brown Bear, Brown Bear. I call it

Red Car, Red Car

Red Car, Red Car what do you see?
I see a blue car driving with me.
Red Car, Red Car what do you see?
I see a red train chugging with me.

white plane … flying
blue boat … floating
yellow bus … riding
stoplight … blinking at me

I put the lens cap in the picture for scale – you do not need to create one for the flannel 🙂 . The red car is regular die cut size but everything else is much bigger. Little eyes need big things to see across the room. Upscale!

Songs

Little Red Caboose

Little red caboose chug, chug, chug
Little red caboose chug, chug, chug
Little red caboose behind the train, train, train, train.
Smokestack on his back, back, back, back
Comin’ down the track, track, track, track
Little red caboose behind the train
woooo! woooo!

I’ve known this song since I was a little girl. I actually had the 45. You can hear the melody here – I usually only sing the first verse. If you are feeling energetic, sing this one while you march around the room!

Bumpin’ Downtown (original tune with Raffi)

Bumpin’ downtown in my little red wagon (x3)
bump bump bump bump bump

Flyin’ along in my little blue airplane (x3)
down down down down down – bump.

Spend the first half of the song bumping and the second half with your arms out – flying. If you sing this with your baby time, enjoy the magic of all those flying babies in the audience. It really is a happy happy sight.

Zoom, Zoom Zoom!

Zoom zoom zoom
We’re going to the moon! (x2) (clap hands in an upward motion – see Jbrary video below)
If you want to take a trip, climb aboard my rocket ship! (climb hands up ladder)
Zoom zoom zoom
We’re going to the moon! (clap hands again)
in 5,4,3,2,1 Blast Off!! (show finger countdown, arms in the air for blast off)

I first heard this on Jbrary and I use it almost every week – the kids love it so much.

You can also change up the lyrics to
Far far far we’re going to the stars!
Fun fun fun we’re going to the sun!
Cool cool cool we’re going off to school!
More more more we’re going to the store!
etc.
Props

I love this train whistle that I got at the NC Transportation Museum (obviously). You can find them in just about any toy store and I recommend getting one. The whistle sound is lovely and the kids will have a blast following you around the room making a train.

Craft

Spaceships and Aliens

I used the spaceship die cut in lots of different colors and had the kids glue them on to half sheets of black construction paper. I set out all of my colored and white chalk and told the kids to draw aliens, astronauts, stars, planets, whatever they wanted! Of course theirs were much better than mine. I like the open-ended possibilities of the craft and I really like what the kids end up doing with the chalk. They enjoy using it because the texture is different than crayons or markers and it is the best kind of messy – it washes right off.

The glue stick and the chalk help work the fine motor skills.

These are the bits of fabulous that I picked for the theme this time

Toddler lineup:

Poem
Toot Toot Beep Beep (Garcia)
stretch
Wheels on the Bus
The Construction Crew (Meltzer)
Green Means Go!
Four Rocket Ships flannel
Truck Jam (Stickland)
Zoom Zoom Zoom
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Preschool lineup:
Poem
Digger Dog (Bee)
stretch
Wheels on the Bus
That’s How (Niemann)
Train whistle
Green Means Go!
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (Willems)
Four Rocket Ships flannel
Toot Toot Beep Beep (Garcia)
Bumpin Downtown song
Truck Jam (Stickland)
Zoom Zoom Zoom (extended version!)
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Hop To! Frog Storytime

Frogs actually use their eyeballs to help swallow their food. While they appear to be blinking at you while they eat, they are actually sinking their eyeballs into their skull to push food down their throat. That’s pretty gross. And cool. Just don’t make me pick one up…*shudder*

I saw a little frog
He was cuter than can be.
He was sitting on a log
and I’m sure he croaked at me!

Books:

Ribbit! (Folgueira)

One day all of the frogs in the pond are confused and distressed to discover a pig sitting in the middle of the pond saying, “Ribbit!” over and over. What the what? This is a really cute book about frogs, pigs, animals in general, friendship and even language! I read this to Preschoolers for the length and also the level of humor.

 

Too Many Frogs (Asher)

This is a funny story about company, sharing, visiting, manners and storytime! So very meta, right? Rabbit is just about to sit down to read a story when Frog makes himself right at home. And this happens a few nights in a row with Frog making himself more and more comfortable as the evenings pass. Finally, Rabbit can’t take it anymore and he declines the visitor (who has brought his entire family this time). Rabbit sits down to enjoy his alone time but then no one is more surprised by his discovery that evening than Rabbit himself.

The story is awesome and the illustrations (by Austin local, Keith Graves) are excellent. I read this to Preschoolers for the length and humor.

 

Hop Jump (Walsh)

When Betsy notices the leaves and how they float and twist and turn – she tries out those moves herself. When other frogs make a stink, she moves on without confrontation. As other frogs begin to copy her movements and then want to banish non-twisters, Betsy makes room for everyone. Betsy is a tolerant rational frog. Yay! We love that about her. I’ve been reading this book to Toddler and Preschoolers since I started this gig and it works every time. The illustrations are wonderful, the text is not over-taxing, and the message is great.

 

The Croaky Pokey (Long)

You better be well rested and ready to move when you put this one into the rotation! It is everything the Hokey Pokey can be but with frogs, birds, gators, and a surprise at the end. I read/dance this one with Preschoolers since they understand the humor and the mishaps along the way.

 

Can You Make a Scary Face? (Thomas)

Oh, Jan Thomas – how I do love your books. This little bug makes you stand up, sit down, stand up and then pantomime having a bug on you. The kids will follow along and even make the scary face that is requested – but be careful! Don’t be TOO scary!

This title is great for Preschoolers that are in the groove and will play along with you. Oh, and there is a frog.

 

Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Cowley)

It’s always great to throw a little non-fiction into the mix of storytime and it’s even better if you can use one full of Nic Bishop’s photos. A-mazing. The kids will learn a little about the sleeping, eating, and climbing habits of the little tree frog and see some other wildlife as well. Both Toddlers and Preschoolers love this one.

 

The interstitials (the space fillers):

Flannel Play

The Big Wide-Mouthed Frog (Martin Larranaga)

This is one of the best books but it is so tiny! So I made it into a flannel story and am inordinately proud of the animals (especially the emu, may I just say?). It is the basic big mouthed frog story where he meets other animals and interviews them about who they are and what they eat. He then informs them that he is a wide-mouthed frog and he eats flies. It all goes well until he meets a crocodile….

I wrote about this flannel in the Going Crazy! Wild Animal Storytime and apparently I was just as enamored of the emu at that point. 🙂

Five Green and Speckled Frogs

Five Green and speckled frogs
Sittin’ on a hollow log
Eating the most delicious bugs (yum yum)
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Now there are four green speckled frogs. (galumph galumph)

Have everyone rub their tummies on the “yum yum” and join in with frog sounds at the end (ribbit, barump, galumph, peep, etc.) and you all count down until there are none left.

I made this flannel long ago with the die cut machine and googly eyes. It is one of my very favorites.

Songs

Barump Went the Little Green Frog One Day

Barump went the little green frog one day
Barump went the little green frog
Barump went the little green frog one day
and his eyes went gak gak goo!

But we know frogs go
(clap) ladeedadeeda (jazz hands)(X3)
We know frogs go
(clap) ladeedadeeda (jazz hands)
They don’t go gak gak goo!

This song is sort of mash up of a few different versions. I saw Miss Nina sing this and liked her action on the “barump” and the second half of the song especially. Although I do prefer jazz hands instead of the rolling. I’d also heard the “gak gak goo” from a colleague years ago. So clearly, you can use any nonsense words you like and change up the motions – but whatever you choose, just sing this song with the kids – they will love it.

Craft

Frog in a pond

The idea for this craft came out of desperation, an excess of blue paper, and some bug die cuts. I was so tired of other frog crafts I’d done and this just presented itself. Basically, it is the die cut of the frog glued on to blue paper, bug die cuts (or stamps) placed around the frog, and a red curly ribbon for a tongue. Once the glue dries, you can stretch the tongue to catch all of the bugs on the paper.

This activity allows for glue stick practice and pinching practice with the ribbon. Both of those actions work the fine motor skills.

 

These are the bits of fabulous that I picked for the theme this time

Toddler lineup:
Poem
Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Cowley)
stretch
ABCs song
5 Green and Speckled Frogs
Hop Jump (Walsh)
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Preschool lineup:
Poem
Too Many Frogs (Asher)
stretch
ABCs
5 Green and Speckled Frogs
Ribbit! (Folgueira)
Barump Went the Little Green Frog One Day
Hop Jump (Walsh)
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Little Monsters: Their very own storytime

Stomping, growling, gnashing, and twitching! And that is just from the adult patrons in the public library!! Ha! just kidding. But seriously, is there anything better than monsters? Little guys love monsters. Maybe it is the idea of being a little bit scared, or of overcoming/controlling something much bigger than they are. Or maybe they just like pretending to be the bigger stompier thing that gets to be (relatively) loud in the library. Whatever the reason – your little monsters are sure to love a monster theme. So, let’s get stompin’!

We’re off to meet some monsters
But don’t be scared away!
They’re made of springs and fluff and things
And they just want to play!
– Snappy Little Monsters Pop Up (Steer)

Books:

There’s Something in My Attic (Mayer)

I have a version of this in a collection of Mayer called There’s Something There! Three Bedtime Classics.  This first tale is very empowering for Preschoolers since the heroine goes on an adventure to capture the monster herself. She succeeds but he slips away before her parents can get out of bed. She is not deterred and makes a plan to try again tomorrow. The monster is completely cute (if not gigantic) and is a lover of toys. Her toys specifically. I get the impression that he is a large toddler.

I read this to both Toddler and Preschool crowds. Everyone seems to get a kick out of her red cowboy books. Ah, Texas.

 

Little Monsters (Pienkowski)

This is a very short pop-up book with only 5 monsters. The pop-ups are both clever and a little gross so the kids and parents enjoy them. A terrific space-filler-program-move-along-er.

 

Leonardo the Terrible Monster (Willems)

Our pal Mo Willems has given us this not terrible book for storytime that is all things. It is funny, sweet, unexpected, and (huzzah!) large enough to be seen across the room. The line that gets the biggest laugh – “scare the tuna salad out of someone!”

I read this to Preschoolers for the play on words, the age of Sam, and the laughs on the bird poop reference. Awesome.

 

If You’re a Monster and You Know It (Emberley)

While the bright bold illustrations pop off the dark background up close, I find them harder to read across a crowd in storytime. Of course this title lends itself perfectly to standing up and singing it loud! The kids will have so much fun – it’s as if they are illustrating the book with themselves.

For Toddlers, I generally abridge the song slightly due to attention span. Claws, feet, roar and tail are usually the biggest crowd pleasers. Be prepared for lots of noise from your little monsters.

 

Go Away Big Green Monster (Emberley)

Emberley proves his genius once again with colorful cutouts on black pages with simple descriptive text. Together we build a monster and then declare our bravery and dismantle that same monster piece by piece making him “Go away!” (until we want to do it all over again!) One of my favorite books to read at bedtime – it is completely clever and empowering at the same time.

I use this for monsters, bedtime, and colors. See the Props section below to get a glimpse of a great puppet that tells this same story.

 

Jumpy Jack and Googily (Rosoff)

Jumpy Jack is a sweet snail that lets his imagination get away from him while he asks his friend, Googily, to check places for a monster with thin feet, two fingers on each hand, and a bowler hat. Googily is supportive and reassuring while checking behind trees and through mail slots. I read this to the Preschool crowd due to length and also because they are just beginning to catch on to clever plot lines like this one. They will laugh at the twist ending, too.

 

Frank Was a Monster Who  Wanted to Dance (Graves)

This one is a hit every time. The story is just silly/gross enough and the pictures are fantastic. I read this to Preschool and up for the creep potential and the loss of limbs. The book itself is slightly small but my colleagues in Austin Public’s Literature LIVE! will show you how to make a Frank of your own in The Making of a Monster. That’s pretty complicated, really, so just ask the kids to scoot closer to get a good look!

 

The interstitials (the space fillers):

Standing

Pretend to be a monster!

This theme is a great excuse just to get the kids up and start them moving. Have them show their claws, their terrible teeth, their long twitchy tails – and have them stomp around the room in a monster parade around their parents. Then break into If You’re a Monster and You Know It (see song below).

Flannel Play

5 Little Monsters

Five little monsters running across the floor
One fell down and that left four.
Four little monsteres climbing up a tree
One slid down and that left three.
Three little monsters wondering what to do
One got bored and that left two.
Two little monsters laying in the sun
One fell asleep and that left one.
One little monster sitting all alone
He got lonely so he went home

Yes, there are six monsters in this picture but that is just so I can have an extra or mix up the colors once in a while. The monsters all have different expressions so we can talk about emotions and different shapes on their chests so we can talk about shapes. I don’t mention all of that stuff at once but it is nice to have some crossover for other themes.

Props

Go Away, Big Green Monster! puppet

This is a great Storytelling Puppet from Lakeshore Learning. It comes with the sequence of the story on a small card you can keep on your lap – if you are afraid you might forget. The kids love it. I read the book right after using this puppet. Double the fun!

Songs

If You’re a Monster and You Know It (abridged from Emberley’s book above)

If you’re a monster and you know it clap your claws! (x2)
If you’re a monster and you know it and you really want to show it
If you’re a monster and you know it clap your claws!

…stomp your feet!
…give a roar!
…twitch your tail!

 

Craft

Shape Monsters!

Found these cute little shape monsters at Fun Family Crafts. Each Preschooler chose a colorful piece of paper and some shapes. We had plenty of triangles, circles, and squares to choose from. I also had my summer teen volunteer (thanks, Evelyn!) cut lots and lots of smaller white circles and white triangles for eyes and teeth. The kids loved counting how many teeth their monster had.

This craft is great for color and shape recognition, glue stick skills (fine motor!), and counting.

 

Lots of fun and compliments from parents and monsters alike on this theme. It’s not just for Halloween season, either!

 

These are the bits of fabulous that I picked for the theme this time

Toddler lineup:

Poem
There’s Something in My Attic (Mayer)
stretch
Go Away Big Green Monster puppet
Go Away Big Green Monster (Emberley)
5 Little Monsters flannel
If You’re a Monster and You Know It song
Little Monsters (Pienkowski)
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Preschool lineup:
Poem
Jumpy Jack and Googily (author)
stretch
There’s Something in My Attic (Mayer)
Go Away Big Green Monster puppet
Go Away Big Green Monster (Emberley)
5 Little Monsters
Leonardo the Terrible Monster (Willems)
If You’re a Monster and You Know It song
Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance(Graves)
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Take an umbrella….Weather Storytime

We did a play in high school a million years ago called The Curious Savage by John Patrick. There was one particular line that stuck with me: “People say I love you all the time – when they say, ‘take an umbrella, it’s raining,’ or ‘hurry back,’ or even ‘watch out, you’ll break your neck.’ There are hundreds of ways of wording it – you just have to listen for it, my dear.”  Friends and I started signing our notes to each other, “Take an umbrella, it’s raining….”

Just a sweet memory that makes me think of old friends.

ANYWAY – some of my other favorite memories center around weather! Playing in the rain, sledding on a snowy hillside, swimming on a bright sunny day, going to the annual Kite Festival – so let’s read some stories about it!

My Umbrella
Rain on the rooftops,
Rain on the trees,
Rain on the green grass
But not on me!

Books:

The Big Storm: A Very Soggy Counting Book (Tafuri)

I read this one for Toddlers and Preschoolers. It does a nice job of counting up to and down from 10 while telling about a storm building. The animals are recognizable and everyone laughs when the skunk shows up. I read it with some drama during the storm and speed after the surprise and it really works.

The Snowy Day (Keats)

A classic. I’ve loved this book since I was small – and I always set it in Chicago in my head (even though I’ve read that it was based on NYC). My Texas Preschoolers aren’t too familiar with snow so everything in the book is fascinating. I once had a little girl come up to touch the end papers to see if they were cold. The Caldecott winning collage art is beyond charming. Keats received lots of criticism for not addressing Peter’s race in the story but it is such a sweet depiction of a curious little boy – the humanness of the character trumps all description.

In the Rain with Baby Duck (Hest)

This title is a little longer so I read it to the Preschool crowd. It is fun to grouch and grumble like Baby Duck as she and her parents walk through the rain. I pair this with the umbrella craft so kids can relate back to the story.

Red Rubber Boot Day (Ray)

So many inside activities are listed in this story – but when the child really wants to enjoy the rainy day — outside is the place to be! The illustrations are vibrant and charming.  I read this to Toddlers and Preschoolers.

Rain Rain Go Away (Archambault)

The original Mother Goose rhyme of Rain, rain, go away, Come again another day; Little Johnny wants to play. Has been adapted to include a frog in this offering from John Archambault. I read this in big book form and the Toddlers and Preschoolers really liked the frog. I do have a bit of an issue with a frog that wants it to stop raining so he can play…..um, they live in water. Whatever, it was pretty cute.

No Two Alike (Baker)

I mostly love this book for all of the snow that makes an appearance! It covers everything in the forest. The rhyming text is simple and so it is easy to modulate the speed and force. I read this to the Preschool crowd and they, too, were in love with the snow covered forest. The two birds are also adorable as you can see from the cover.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider (Siomades)

This is the traditional song with vibrant illustrations. A very quick read for Toddlers and Preschoolers. I sing the song immediately after reading this.

The interstitials (the space fillers):

Standing

Rain Is Falling Down (Tune: Farmer in the Dell)

The rain is falling down, (flutter fingers down)
SPLASH (clap once loudly)
The rain is falling down, (flutter fingers down)
SPLASH (clap once loudly)
Pitter patter pitter patter (tap legs softly)
The rain is falling down, (flutter fingers down)
SPLASH (clap once loudly)

The snow is falling down, (flutter fingers down)
Whoosh (swoosh hands side to side)
The snow is falling down, (flutter fingers down)
Whoosh (swoosh hands side to side)
softly softly very softly (fingers to lips)
The snow is falling down, (flutter fingers down)
Whoosh (swoosh hands side to side)

I borrowed this first verse from King County Library System and adapted the second on my own.

Songs

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring

It’s raining, it’s pouring
the old man is snoring.
He went to bed
and bumped his head
and couldn’t get up in the morning.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

The itsy bitsy spider
went up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out!
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
and the itsy bitsy spider
went up the spout again!

This one is great for fine motor skills and then we mix it up and do The Great Big Spider (use entire hands for spider), The Very Quiet Spider (whisper or just mouth the song), and The Very Fast Spider (move super fast) with the Preschoolers. Giggles all around.

Fingerplays

Making it rain

Today we are going to work together to make it rain!
First we rub our fingers together. I think I hear the rain starting!
Then we lightly clap our hands. It’s falling harder now.
Lets rub our hands on our thighs. That’s a steady rainstorm.
Now pat your thighs. It’s raining really hard now!
Now stomp your feet, too! Oh, it’s so loud!
(then go backwards through the motions to make the storm stop)

Craft

Umbrella with raindrops

We made this super cute umbrella surrounded by raindrops that I found on Brooks Childcare by searching “umbrella craft” on Google . It took a bit of prep work from my summer teen volunteer but the kids had fun with the glue sticks and crayons. Having pieces of yarn for the kids to glue, really works the fine motor skills by making little fingers pinch something thin.

 

Rainbow collage

Another craft option is the old tissue paper squares glued on paper. This one is more about celebrating the colors themselves, recognizing the shape of a rainbow, and using the fine motor skills to pinch and place the squares than it is about getting the colors in any order. Let the creativity flow!

Making memories in storytime – every week.

 

These are the bits of fabulous that I picked for the theme this time

Toddler lineup:

Poem
The Big Storm (Tafuri)
stretch
ABCs song
Rain is Falling Down song
Rain Rain Go Away (Archambault)
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
No Two Alike (Baker)
Zoom Zoom Zoom
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Preschool lineup:
Poem
In the Rain with Baby Duck (Hest)
stretch
ABCs
Rain is Falling Down Song
The Snowy Day (Keats)
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
The Big Storm (Tafuri)
Making rain
magic bag trick
Zoom Zoom Zoom
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Tweet! Storytime for the Birds

Storytime is for the birds – because there are almost as many books, rhymes, and flannels to choose from as there are types of birds. I’ve even done a successful program on Owls only – but that is for another post.

If I were a bird, I’d sing a song
and fly about the whole day long
and when the night comes, I’d go to rest
way up high in my cozy nest. 

A Wise Old Owl

A wise old owl sat in an oak.
The more he heard,
The less he spoke.
The less he spoke,
The more he heard.
Why aren’t we all like that
Wise old bird?

Books:

Wow! Said the Owl (Hopgood)

This book is great for storytime. A curious owl decides to stay up all day to see what day is like. She is super excited to be experiencing something new and it comes through the text. She revels in all of the colors that daylight brings. The pictures are bright and easy to see from far away, and kids will love helping identify the colors. We play the “Who is wearing (color) today?” game. They also enjoy that she gets to stay up past her bedtime! I read this title to Toddler and Preschoolers when I want a little participation from the audience. I use this book for Birds, Owls, Colors, and Bedtime.

Big Fat Hen (Baker)

I love, love, love this book. The traditional rhyme makes it easy for the audience to chant along but then it extends! More and more hens! And these hens are some of the loveliest you have ever seen! I especially enjoy going from the page “all their eggs…” to the page “all their chicks!” and the kids giggle, too. I read this to Toddler and Preschoolers for Birds, Farms, Counting, and Nursery Rhymes.

I’m Not Cute! (Allen)

But he so is! This little owl does not like all of the attention he is getting from the other animals mostly because they keep telling him how cute he is. He demands that he is actually a strong, brave, “sleek hunting machine!” but no one seems to listen. Of course, Mamma Owl makes it all better by hearing what he is saying, allowing him to change his mind, and putting him down for a nap. What he really needed after all.  This book resonates with both kids and parents and I read it for Birds, Owls, and Forest Animals. There are more in the series: I’m not Santa! I’m not Ready! I’m not Scared! I’m not Sleepy! and I’m not Reading!

Birds (Henkes)

Almost an introduction, almost a poem – this book is a sweet ode to birds.  I especially like the pages with the birds on the telephone wire and when the birds suddenly leave the big tree. I read this to Preschoolers because they will appreciate the subtleties of the pages. I’ve tried it with Toddlers but it is a little long and esoteric for that crowd.

 Froodle (Portis)

NEW for 2014! This is a really funny book for the Preschool crowd but you have to practice it out-loud so you can differentiate between the bird voices and get the dialog just right. The idea is a great one and the kids and parents love the idea of breaking out of expected norms and being silly.

 Peck, Peck, Peck (Cousins)

This clever book combines the funny of a woodpecker in the house, real holes in the book and Cousins signature illustration style to give you some laugh along moments. Oh, and the word “toilet.” Pure gold. Some of the Preschoolers were worried that the jellybeans had holes in them. They thought the family would be upset when they got home – more than the hole in the door? the shampoo? the underwear? – yep, the jellybeans.

It is also a very sweet Daddy and me type story with the baby woodpecker being of unmentioned gender.

 Owl Babies (Waddell)

Classic. Wonderful. Sweet as all get out when the oldest owl baby, Sarah, suggests they all sit together on her branch. I read this to Toddlers and Preschoolers and get the same sense of awe when Mama Owl returns on silent wing and the same sense of “aww!” when Bill says his last line. Read this precious book.

The Baby BeeBee Bird (Redfield Massie)

He’s cute but SO LOUD!!! The baby beebee bird is so excited to be new to the zoo that he just won’t stop singing ALL NIGHT LONG! He keeps all of the animals up so they hatch a plan. Be sure to practice reading this one aloud so you can get the animals thoughts and dialogue scattered in among the non-stop “beebeebobbibobbi”ing of the baby bird. This one is a workout but it is worth it for all the Preschool giggles!

I am a Penguin (Durrie)

Another in the awesome I am a… series. Love the photographs and the early reader style sentences. I am also a fan of the extended facts included in the back of the book. I read this to Toddlers and Preschoolers and throw in as much extra info as they have time for.

The interstitials (the space fillers):

Prop

We found this little bird whistle at some earthy craft fair. It is made of clay and came from Peru. You can blow on the tail to make a weak whistle but the magic comes when you put a little water into the hole on its head. Then when you blow gently on the tail, the whistle starts to warble and tweet. It really does sound like a bird. Amazing. You can find your own by searching “clay bird water whistle” or even “ocarina bird whistle.”

Made in Peru

Flannel Play

Five Hoot Owls

Five hoot owls sitting in a tree
One flew away! How many do you see?
One, two, three, four.

Four hoot owls sitting in a tree
One flew away! How many do you see?
One, two, three.

Three hoot owls…etc.

This one showed up in Flannel Friday from Sunflower Storytime and it is a big hit every time.

Good Morning Mrs Hen

Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck,
“Good morning Mrs Hen.”
How many chickens have you got?
“Madam I’ve got ten”
“Four of them are yellow, and four of them are brown.
And two of them are speckled red,
The nicest in the town!”

I do this flannel with my hen puppet on my lap.

 

Songs

Little Bird, Little Bird (by Elizabeth Mitchell)

Little bird, little bird,
Fly through my window,
Little bird, little bird,
Fly through my window,
Little bird, little bird
Fly through my window,
And find molasses candy.

Through my window,
My sugar lump,
Fly through my window,
My sugar lump,
And find molasses candy.

-Who knows a bird?
-Me! Chickadee!
-What’s a chickadee say?
-chchchchchch

Chickadee, chickadee,
Fly through my window,
Chickadee, chickadee,
Fly through my window,
Chickadee, chickadee,
Fly through my window,
And find molasses candy.

Through my window,
My sugar lump,
Fly through my window,
My sugar lump,
And find molasses candy.

-Who knows another bird?
(and repeat with other bird suggestions)

Go here for the tune on youtube. I printed the lyrics of the verse and refrain on larger paper and laminated it so I could put it on the flannel board while I sing this with the group. I also laminated 8 1/2 x 11 pictures of birds so I wouldn’t be dependent on my kids thinking up bird-types. Just my luck they would pick flamingo or ostrich. It is a long-ish song with a unique tune so singing it with a cd or simply more often in programs would make it more familiar.

Fingerplays

Two Little Blackbirds

Two little blackbirds
sitting on a hill (hold hands, thumbs up, fist)
One named Jack (wiggle right thumb)
One named Jill (wiggle left thumb)
Fly away, Jack (right hand behind back)
Fly away, Jill (left hand behind back)
Come back, Jack (right hand to front)
Come back, Jill (left hand to front)

Once again we are working those fine motor skills – making a fist, wiggling the thumbs – and the gross motor skills – putting hands behind the back. Go motors!

The Bird

Here are the legs that walk along (index and middle finger “walk”)
Here is the beak that sings a song (open and shut fingers and thumb)
Here are the wings that flag and spread (spread palms)
And here is the bird above my head (hands linked at thumbs, above head)

Ten fluffy Chickens

5 eggs and 5 eggs (hold hands up)
That makes 10.
Sitting on top is Mother Hen (fold one hand over the other)
crackle crackle crackle (clap clap clap)
what do I see?
10 fluffy chicks! (hold hands up)
Yellow (or cute) as can be! (wiggle fingers)

Two more fingerplays that earn the name and work those fine motor skills.

Craft

Birds in a Nest

I found this craft this summer on Very Little Bear and had my teen volunteer cut the paper plates in half, cut some yellow and blue ovals, cut small orange triangles for beaks, and cut some brown strips of construction paper. Each Preschooler got a half plate, 2 ovals, 1 beak and 1-2 strips. To work the fine motor skills, they tore the strips of paper into smaller pieces and used glue sticks to put everything together. They also got to pinch some sticky eyes off the sticker paper and place them on the birds.

 

It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds, it is fine plans that make fine bird storytimes.  -Aesop/thelibraryann mash-up

 

These are the bits of fabulous that I picked for the theme this time

Toddler lineup:

Poem
Birds (Henkes)
stretch
ABCs song
5 Hoot Owls
Wow! Said the Owl (Hopgood)
bird puppets visit
bird whistle
Zoom Zoom Zoom song
Ran Sam Sam song
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Preschool lineup:
Poem
Froodle (Portis)
stretch
ABCs
5 Hoot Owls
Peck Peck Peck (Cousins)
bird puppets visit
bird whistle
Wow! Said the Owl (Hopgood)
Jenny Works with One Hammer song
I am a Penguin (Durrie)
Ran Sam Sam
Mascot visit
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear