Abracadabra! Stories about Magic

I was nervous about this week’s storytime, because I had advertised it on our Summer Learning Program fliers as a chance to learn a simple magic trick. I’m really no good at magic tricks. I’m not good with puppets either, or those great big picture books that make me feel like an exceptionally clumsy Lilliputian. I even struggle with flannel boards, because the pieces fall off, or a toddler wanders off with them just as I’m getting to the good part. But I’m really no good at magic tricks, and I struggled to find one that was easy enough to teach to kids of a wide range of ages, and not too hard or expensive to make.

But I ended up having the best time at this storytime, mostly because it was a wonderful group of families, both old and new, and they were all so interactive and engaged. Plus the trick went off okay too. Here’s what we read:

Georgie and the Magician by Robert Bright (Amazon.com link)

Georgie was one of my favorite books as a kid, and I was surprised to find out many years later that there are actually several books about the friendly little ghost, his friends Miss Oliver (the owl) and Herman (the cat), and Mr. and Mrs. Whittaker. In this story, the Whittaker’s barn burns down, leaving the harmless old cow homeless, and the town decides to hold a benefit to help pay for a new one. Mr. Whittaker offers to do magic tricks, but he doesn’t really know how (kind of like me). So Georgie and his friends secretly help out, surprising Mr. Whittaker, and making the benefit a huge success. This is an older book, and our copy wasn’t in great shape, but it held the kids’ interest, and they laughed when it got to the magic show.

The Magic Rabbit by Annette LeBlanc Cate (Amazon.com link)

When I first brought this book home from the library, my daughter would demand to hear it over and over. I love it too. Ray the Magician and his rabbit assistant Bunny are best friends who do a magic act together. But one day, just as Ray is pulling Bunny out of his hat, another performer crashes into him, and his dog chases Bunny into a busy street. Luckily, Bunny makes it to safety, but finds himself lost and alone in the park, until he finds a trail of gold stars that lead right to his hat in the subway station. The kids loved the part where Ray unsuspectingly puts the hat (with Bunny inside) on top of his head. This is a sweet story, with lovely, mostly black-and-white illustrations.

Milo’s Hat Trick by Jon Agee (Amazon.com link)

This one is always fun to read. Milo the Magician, hoping to catch a rabbit for his hat trick, catches a bear instead. To his surprise, the bear knows how to jump in and out of hats. He agrees to help Milo with his act, but, when Milo grabs the wrong hat by mistake, the bear winds up popping out of the hat in the middle of a restaurant. A wacky, funny story that got lots of laughs from both kids and parents.

Poof! by John O’Brien (Amazon.com link)

This was a nice, short book to end with. A wizard and his wife are arguing about whose turn it is to take care of their crying baby, until the wizard waves his wand and, “Poof!” turns the baby into a cat. His wife waves her wand and, “Poof!” turns the cat into a dog. The magical battle continues until both wizards and baby all end up as ducks living “quackily ever after.” The kids enjoyed joining in on the repeated, “Poof!’s”

SONGS:

Abracadabra!

I actually wrote this song for the storytime because I was having such a hard time finding a song about magic. I was really nervous about performing it, because, even though I didn’t tell anyone I had written it, I was still vaguely worried that people might start throwing juice boxes or Cheerios, and yelling, “That’s not a real song!” Luckily, that didn’t happen (or maybe they were short on ammo). Anyway, here’s the song (click on the triangle to hear how it sounds). If I ever work up the nerve to sing it again, I’d like to ask the kids for suggestions for magic words and things they would like to do if they had a magic wand, and adapt the song accordingly. (I did ask my storytime group that question, and many of them said they’d like to make themselves invisible).

Once I found a magic wand (C G)
Out floating in a stream. (F C)
I waved it at my dinner plate, (C G)
And my beets became ice cream! (F G C)

I said, “Abracadabra! (C G)
Alakazaam! (F G)
Abracadabra!” (C G)
And my peas turned into jam. (F G C)

So then I brought my magic wand
To school with me one day.
When Teacher said, “It’s time to work.”
I said, “I’d rather play.”

I said, “Abracadabra!
Hocus pocus!” too.
“Abracadabra!”
And my class was at the zoo!
Being taught by a kangaroo.

So if you find a magic wand
Out floating in a stream.
I hope that it will bring to you
Whatever you may dream.

You’ll say, “Abracadabra!
Presto chango!” too.
“Abracadabra!”
Many things will come to you.
Like a treehouse with a view,
And a unicorn or two,
And a chocolate mansion too.
May your every dream come true.

Little Bunny Foo Foo

Little Bunny Foo-Foo is an old standard of mine, to the point that my boss at my previous library job once gave me a Bunny Foo-Foo shirt. The kids always love it, and it’s what I call an “uppy-downy,” meaning that it gives them a chance to move around and work off some energy. The version I do is like the one in this YouTube video by Hannah Heller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6xKM-H2awE . (I have the kids hop on the “hopping through the forest line”).

CRAFT: “Magic” Magic Wands

The floating wand

The secret (a straightened paperclip handle stuck in the back of the wand)

I got this idea from DebbieGonzales.com: http://www.debbiegonzales.com/blog/?currentPage=38. I was worried that it might be too obvious a trick, but when I waved the wand over the audience at the end, the kids seemed genuinely impressed. It’s basically a wand made of black and white construction paper. You stick a straight pin or paper clip (I used a paper clip to be safer), into the middle of the wand and hold the end of it between your fingers. If you hold your hand so the audience can’t see the pin, it looks like the wand is floating in mid-air. Then you can quickly pull the pin out to let your audience inspect the wand.

I had the kids make their own wands by rolling up a sheet of black construction paper (I put out chopsticks to roll the paper around, although not everyone used them). They taped or glued the rolls together, then glued small rectangles of white paper on each end for the tips. Once the wands were made, I used a thumbtack to poke a hole in the back of each one, and showed the kids how to insert the straightened paper clip into the hole and hold it to create the illusion that the wand was floating.

I had a second magic trick, involving a dollar bill and two paper clips (if you set it up right, the clips hook together when you open the bill), but this one ended up being a bit too difficult. This was the trick, in case you’re curious: http://www.wikihow.com/Connect-Two-Paper-Clips-without-Touching-Them I had the kids make their own bills out of green paper and help them put the paper clips on, but it usually took a few tries to get the trick to work.

OTHER BOOKS ABOUT MAGIC:

The Wizard, the Fairy and the Magic Chicken by Helen Lester; illustrated by Lynn Munsinger (Amazon.com link)

A delightfully silly book about three magical rivals. Each one brags that he or she is the best, and in the process they create a gang of monsters that they have to work together in order to fight. I love Lester and Munsinger’s collaborations, which include Hooray for Wodney Wat and A Porcupine Named Fluffy.

Simple Magic Tricks: Easy to Learn Magic Tricks with Everyday Objects by Jon Allen (Amazon.com link)

This is one of the most user-friendly magic books I’ve come across. It includes 70 fairly easy tricks you can do with rubber bands, rope, cards, and other common household objects.

What are your favorite books about magic?

23Jun2014

A Day at the Beach

Posted in Rhymes and songs, Storytime themes, Ukulele by worldsloudestlibrarian

Beach scene by Indy

In honor of the last day of school in our coastal town, I did stories about the beach. At first it seemed like it was going to be a challenging storytime: there were toddlers who were vastly more interested in the wooden food in our play kitchen in the kids area than listening to stories, and an older girl who was upset from something that had happened earlier in the day. But once I started reading Rattletrap Car, they all settled in, bringing their wooden snacks to the carpet, and it ended up being such a fun evening. Here’s what we read:

Rattletrap Car by Phyllis Root; illustrated by Jill Barton (Amazon.com link)

The sounds and rhymes in this book make it a lot of fun to read aloud. Plus I get to revisit my Georgia roots by laying on the Southern accent. On a hot day, Junie, Jakie, Papa and the baby set off for the lake in their Rattletrap Car, “it doesn’t go fast, and it doesn’t go far.” Then “Boomssssssss!” They get a flat. Not to worry: Junie replaces the wheel with her beach ball, and sticks it on tight “with chocolate marshmallow fudge delight,” and off they go…until the floor falls out. As their troubles (and solutions) mount, the car makes sounds like, “flippita fluppita/ fizzelly sizzelly/ wappity bappity/ lumpety bumpety/ clinkety clankety/ bing bang pop!” The kids were mesmerized, and this one was quickly snatched up at the end.

Bebé Goes to the Beach by Susan Middleton Elya; illustrated by Stephen Salerno (Amazon.com link)

Cute rhyming story about a toddler and his mother at the beach. The text is interspersed with Spanish words, with clues to help kids decipher their meaning. The curious, busy little boy keeps his mother on the run as he darts from one activity to another. This one was a hit too.

Sally Goes to the Beach by Stephen Huneck (Amazon.com link)

Sally the dog is excited to go on a ferry with lots of other dogs to visit an island. A simple story told from Sally’s perspective, with humorous touches in both the text and the woodcut illustrations. Sally imagines the ferry captain must look like a dog, and in one picture, it looks as if Sally is driving the car. The kids especially liked the picture of Sally with a starfish stuck to her nose. Two girls both wanted this one at the end.

Dude: Fun with Dude and Betty by Lisa Pliscou; illustrated by Tom Dunne (Amazon.com link)

This one got a lot of laughs, especially from the parents. The style parodies the old Dick-and-Jane-style books, but with surfer lingo. Dude and Betty have an excellent day cranking waves, until Bud (the dog) eats Dude’s nachos: “Bud is harshing on Dude’s mellow.” I wish I could read this as well as my boss, Thom Ball, does, but I still had a lot of fun.

SONGS:

Bumpin’ Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon

I sang this song to go along with Rattletrap Car. The toddlers were making a beeline back to the play kitchen, so I decided to sing it the way I heard it once on a Raffi recording, with lots of silly “tools” to fix the wagon. I used the kids’ names and whatever wooden food they were holding at the time. It worked beautifully for pulling them back in. Yay, Raffi! I played it on the ukulele, which is easy because you just alternate between C and G7. Click on the triangle for the tune:

Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon. (C)
Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon. (G7)
Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon. (C)
Won’t you be my darlin’? (G7 C)

One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken!
One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken!
One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken!
Won’t you be my darlin’?

Ella’s going to fix it with a banana…

Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon.

One wheel’s off and the axle’s broken!…

Sarah’s going to fix it with a sandwich…

B-I-N-G-O

I sang this one after Sally Goes to the Beach. We have a lot of stuffed animals in our storytime area, and somehow, in the course of singing this song, I ended up changing Bingo into a killer whale, which one of the girls was holding. Then other kids started holding up animals, so Bingo became a polar bear, a lion, and Tigger (instead of a farmer, we would sing, “There was a zookeeper had a lion,” etc. It made it much more interactive and fun. I will definitely try it that way again.

Two simple songs that I meant to do were Sandcastle and Sand in My Sandals. I learned both of them years ago when I taught Kindermusik, and they appear to be original Kindermusik songs (here’s a link to the album they came from). Sandcastle is especially fun, because you can give the kids three or more paper or plastic cups to make a small tower, and then let them knock it down. Here are the tunes:

Sandcastle:

Sand in My Sandals:

CRAFT:

Beach Scene

Beach scene by Ella

I got this idea from Family Spot-Blog: http://familyspotblog.co.uk/easy-summer-crafts-for-kids/ It was perfect because I had some blue paper plates left over from my son’s birthday party last year, and some white Model Magic for the sand. I also had some multi-colored foam sheets (although cloth or construction paper would have worked just as well), so I cut those into rectangles for the towel. I did buy some cocktail umbrellas, (which made my daughter very happy because she is obsessed with umbrellas). For the trees, I cut rectangles out of brown construction paper, which I rolled and taped together ahead of time, and I cut thin strips of green construction paper for the palm fronds. As usual, each child made their scene a little differently, by adding extra umbrellas or towels, or making extra things out of clay, like Ella’s seagull above.

OTHER BOOKS ABOUT THE BEACH:

Three Bears in a Boat by David Soman (Amazon.com link)

A new book that I read about in my friend Kerri’s blog, What is ML Reading?, and had to get for myself. It’s about three bears who accidentally break their mother’s precious blue seashell, and set off in a boat to find a replacement. The illustrations are gorgeous, and while the text is a bit lengthy, it’s a fun story with a great last line.

Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies (Amazon.com link)

One of the series of Bats at books by Brian Lies, in this one the bats head off to the beach with their moon tan lotion and “bug-mallows.” The illustrations are adorable.

Ladybug at the Beach by David Soman and Jacky Davis (Amazon.com link)

My daughter loves the Ladybug Girl books, about a little girl named Lulu, who wears ladybug wings to become a superhero. In this one, Lulu visits the ocean for the first time, and is frightened by the power of the waves, until she has to rescue a lost pail.

What are your favorite books about the beach?

9Jun2014

The Great Outdoors! Stories about Adventure

Posted in Rhymes and songs, Storytime themes, Ukulele by worldsloudestlibrarian

Foam Shape Boat by Shelby

Last week, Ella, one of my regular storytime patrons, asked if she could read a Bob book about Outdoor Adventures at storytime. So I based last week’s Family Storytime on that theme. Unfortunately, Ella wasn’t able to come, but I still had fun sharing outdoor adventure books.

The Day Louis Got Eaten by John Fardell (Amazon.com link)

When Louis gets unexpectedly eaten by a Gulper, his sister, Sarah, sets out to rescue him. Unfortunately, just as she gets close, the Gulper is eaten by a Grabular, who is eaten by an Undersnatch. Sarah is undaunted. Pursuing the creatures on a bike that magically transforms to suit the terrain, she saves the day with the help of a hiccup frog. The whimsical illustrations in this book are always a hit.

Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham (Amazon.com link)

Fun, simple story about a man whose boating outing is complicated by all the animals who want to come along. The kids enjoyed joining in on the animal noises. This one is also fun for kids to act out.

Frog by Susan Cooper; illustrated by Jane Browne (Amazon.com link)

Sweet story with beautiful illustrations. When a frog gets trapped in their swimming pool, Little Joe, who can’t swim, watches as his family tries frantically to get it out. But it is Little Joe who quietly comes to the rescue, and, inspired by Frog, finally learns to swim.

That’s Good! That’s Bad! by Margery Cuyler; illustrated by David Catrow (Amazon.com link)

While visiting the zoo with his parents, a little boy is carried off by a red balloon to a perilous adventure in the jungle. Each page reveals a new part of the story followed by a refrain of “That’s good! No, that’s bad!” Or, “That’s bad! No, that’s good!” which the kids quickly learned to repeat.

SONGS:

I wish I had thought to do “Going on a Bear Hunt,” since that’s a kind of interactive adventure all its own. Instead we sang:

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

I added in these two verses. This song is super easy on the ukulele, since you can play the whole thing with just a C chord:

Row, row, row your boat
Gently to the shore.
And if you see a lion,
Don’t forget to roar! ROAR!

Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream,
And if you see an alligator,
Don’t forget to scream! AAAAAHHHH!

Five Green and Speckled Frogs

I have a rude toy frog that burps when you put your hand in its mouth. I passed that around when I sang this song, but it’s just as fun to pretend your hand is the frog’s tongue, and pretend to catch flies on the kids’ heads. Click on the triangle for the first verse:

Five green and speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled 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!

Four green and speckled frogs…etc.

Going to the Zoo

I do this one on the ukulele too. Click on the triangle to hear the tune:

Daddy’s taking us to the zoo tomorrow (C)
Zoo tomorrow, Zoo tomorrow. (G7)
Daddy’s taking us to the zoo tomorrow, (C)
And we can stay all day. (C G7)

CHORUS:
We’re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo! (F)
How about you, you, you? (C)
You can come too, too, too! (G7)
We’re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo! (C G7 C)

See the elephants with the long trunk swinging,
Great big ears and a long trunk swinging.
Snuffing up peanuts with the long trunk swinging,
And we can stay all day!

CHORUS

See all the monkeys, they’re scritch, scritch, scratchin’.
Jumping all around and scritch, scritch, scratchin’.
Hanging by the long tails scritch, scritch, scratchin’,
And we can stay all day!

CHORUS

Well, we stayed all day, and I’m getting sleepy,
Sitting in the car getting sleep, sleep, sleepy.
Home already and I’m sleep, sleep, sleepy,
‘Cause we have stayed all day!

We’ve been to the zoo, zoo, zoo!
So have you, you, you!
You came too, too, too!
We’ve been to the zoo, zoo, zoo!

But Mommy’s taking us to the zoo tomorrow
Zoo tomorrow, Zoo tomorrow.
Mommy’s taking us to the zoo tomorrow,
And we can stay all day!

CHORUS

CRAFT: Foam Shape Boats

Foam Shape Boat by Kiley

I got this simple craft idea from DLTK-kids.com: http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/transportation/mhalvesboat.html I had some colored foam sheets that I used to cut the shapes out, but you could do it just as easily with construction paper or card stock. I made a mix of colors for the kids to choose from, and gave them markers to decorate if they wanted. They each made their boats a little differently.

OTHER BOOKS:

So many other books fit this theme. Here are just a few:

Journey by Aaron Becker (Amazon.com link)

I don’t often “read” wordless books at storytime, but I have shared this one several times and the kids always love it. A beautifully illustrated story about a lonely girl with a magic red crayon who draws her way into another world to find adventure and a new friend. Reminiscent of Harold and the Purple Crayon, which would also fit the theme.

Fortunately by Remy Charlip (Amazon.com link)

An older book I love that reminds me of That’s Good! That’s Bad! This one is about a boy who is trying to get to a surprise party. Unfortunately, the party is in Florida and he is in New York. Fortunately, he borrows a plane from a friend. Unfortunately, the engine explodes. Fortunately, he has a parachute. You get the picture.

My Friend Bear by Jez Alborough (Amazon.com link)

The third book in the picture book series about Eddie, his teddy Freddy, and the big bear who lives in the woods. They are all funny rhyming stories with large colorful illustrations, but this is the sweetest one, where the bear thinks his teddy bear can talk (because Eddie is hiding behind it), and Eddie and the bear end up becoming friends.

What are your favorite picture book adventure stories?

24May2014

Under the Sea: Books About the Ocean

Posted in Rhymes and songs, Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

Paper Shark by Stephanie

Such a fun storytime this week, with a big fun crowd of multiple ages. We read books about the ocean and sea creatures. Often when I’m working with a theme, I end up reading at least one or two books that I haven’t shared with a group before, and I don’t know how they’re going to go over with the kids. But these books were all old favorites of mine that I was eager to share. Here they are:

I’m a Shark by Bob Shea (Amazon.com link)

I had actually read this book to two second grade classes in the morning before storytime, and I still wasn’t tired of reading it aloud, because it is so much fun. You get to take on the persona of a shark who claims to not be scared of anything. Squid, dinosaurs, the dark, bears, they all just make him laugh. But clearly he gets nervous about the very idea of spiders. “That’s not scared,” he says. “That’s smart!” Hilarious book that would work well for a theme about fear or emotions (the message is that everyone is afraid of something). It could also lead into a fun writing assignment, where kids could write from the point of view of a different type of animal and describe the kinds of fears they might have. The book was a big hit with both the second grade and the family storytime crowd, and two kids desperately wanted to check it out at the end.

I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry (Amazon.com link)

Like I’m a Shark, this book also features a large, boastful sea creature, this time a giant squid. “I’m the biggest thing in the ocean!” he brags, and then points out all of the creatures that are smaller than him. “I’m bigger than these shrimp. I’m bigger than these clams.” But then a giant whale comes along and puts him quite literally in his place. Not to fear. He finds a way to look on the bright side: “I’m the biggest thing in this whale!” There were a lot of kids who wanted this one too, and I wish I had thought to order over more than one copy.

Fidgety Fish by Ruth Galloway (Amazon.com link)

I remember my friend Barbara Bruxvoort telling me about this one years ago, when her son was still a toddler. He loved the line, “Out shot Tiddler!” This one goes well with I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean because it’s about a tiny, very active fish, who accidentally swims into a big fish’s mouth, and then escapes. The illustrations are colorful and appealing. I don’t even know which of my storytime kids checked this book out, because it was snatched up the instant I finished reading it.

Swimmy by Leo Lionni (Amazon.com link)

Classic Leo Lionni book that several of the Kindergartners recognized. Swimmy is a tiny black fish who manages to escape when all of the other little fish he knows get eaten. He roams the ocean, seeings lots of wonderful sea creatures, until he finds another school of small red fish. Swimmy wants to play, but the other fish are too frightened of being eaten to come out of hiding. Swimmy devises a plan so they can all swim together like one giant fish, and scare all the big fish away.

SONGS:

There’s a Spider on the Floor

I did this song to go along with I’m a Shark, in honor of the shark’s arachnophobia. I usually do it with a large spider puppet, but I forgot to bring it out. Instead I had the kids make spiders with their hands, and act out the song. I’ve changed the lyrics a bit from the original Raffi version, so these are the words I sing. The tune is the same as If You’re Happy and You Know It:

There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor.
There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor.
Who can ask for any more
Than a spider on the floor.
There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor.

There’s a spider on my leg, on my leg.
There’s a spider on my leg, on my leg.
Oh, he’s really, really big, this old spider on my leg,
There’s a spider on my leg, on my leg.

There’s a spider on my tummy, on my tummy…
Oh, I look so very funny, with a spider on my tummy…

Now the spider’s on my neck, on my neck…
Oh, I’m gonna’ be a wreck, I’ve got a spider on my neck!…

Now the spider’s on my face, on my face…
Oh, I’m such a big disgrace, I’ve got a spider on my face…

Now the spider’s on my head, on my head…
Oh, it fills my heart with dread to have this spider on my head…

But it jumps off!

Now, there’s a spider on the floor, on the floor…

Slippery Fish

The perfect song to accompany I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean. Most of the kids knew it from swimming classes or preschool. Here’s a YouTube video by Silvia Sanchez with the song. I do hand motions: swishing my hands for the fish and putting my hands on my cheeks for the “Oh no!”

1,2,3,4,5

An easy counting fingerplay. Click on the triangle for the tune:

1,2,3,4,5,
Once I caught a fish alive.
6,7,8,9,10,
Then I let it go again.

Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so!
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on the right.

CRAFT: Paper Shark

I found this craft online at Almost Unschoolers: http://almostunschoolers.blogspot.com/2011/03/paper-plate-shark-craft.html. I didn’t have paper plates, so I used a CD to trace and cut out white circles for the mouths. I drew the shark shapes on blue paper and cut them out ahead of time, then gave the kids googly eyes, gluesticks, crayons, and kids scissors. I had made my example like the Almost Unschoolers ones, with triangular shaped teeth, but I let the kids cut their teeth however they wanted, and they each did something different. Some kids cut straight lines all the way around the circle, while others cut the circle in half. It was fun to see the variety.

Paper Shark by Lena

OTHER BOOKS:

Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark by Deborah Diesen; illustrated by Daniel X. Hanna (Amazon.com link)

The sequel to The Pout-Pout Fish, an adorable story about a “pout-pout fish with a pout-pout face” who spreads “the dreary-wearies all over the place.” In this book Mr. Fish braves the scary dark of the deep sea to search for Ms. Clam’s lost pearl (I thought only oysters made pearls, but I looked it up, and apparently clams occasionally make them too). Again there is a refrain that recurs throughout the story: “I’m fast as a sailfish, I’m strong as a shark, I’m smart as a dolphin, but I’m scared of the dark!” I’m partial to this book because when my son was 2 and 3, he was obsessed with deep sea creatures, and my husband and I searched everywhere for books about angler fish, gulper eels, dumbo octopus, and all the other bizarre, toothy, glowing things that live down there. I would have been thrilled to find this one. A similar story is Rainbow Fish Discovers the Deep Sea by Marcus Pfister.

If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano and Erin Stead (Amazon.com link)

We’ve been seeing a lot of whales off the coast lately, and it’s always a thrill. This book captures the patience required to look for them, and the joy and wonder you feel when they suddenly appear.

A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle (Amazon.com link)

I love this story about a little hermit crab who outgrows his shell. His new shell is very plain, so as he explores the ocean, he invites other creatures (anemones, coral, a sea star) to attach themselves to his shell and join him on his adventures. A lovely story featuring Eric Carle’s colorful illustrations, and including information about different sea creatures.

Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem by Mac Barnett and Adam Rex (Amazon.com link)

Whenever Billy Twitters doesn’t do what he’s told, his parents threaten to buy him a blue whale. He doesn’t believe they’ll follow through, but one day, much to his shock, a blue whale is delivered to his house, and it’s up to Billy to take care of it. Wacky story packed with whale facts, by one of my favorite author/illustrator combos.

Baby Beluga by Raffi; illustrated by Ashley Wolff (Amazon.com link)

This song has become one of our standards for Musical Storytime, and one that kids often request. This board book version, featuring illustrations by Ashley Wolff, is perfect for babies on up.

What are your favorite picture books about the ocean?

16May2014

We Are in a Book: Storytime with Elephant and Piggie

Posted in Book reviews, Rhymes and songs, Storytime themes, Ukulele by worldsloudestlibrarian

Paper Bag Gerald and Piggie Puppets by Nina

A few weeks ago, one of my storytime Dads asked if his son could come with his Boy Scout troop for a tour of the library and to read books at storytime (it happened to be the night that one of the Kindergarten girls read a book to the group at the beginning of storytime, and inspired several other kids to want to do the same). We arranged for the troop to come to Family Storytime this week, and I pulled a bunch of Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie books for them to read.

Elephant and Piggie books are perfect for kids (or adults) to read in pairs, because the text is simple, and usually involves a conversation between the two main characters, Gerald (the elephant) and Piggie (sometimes other characters have a few lines too). The parts are color-coded, making it easy to figure out who is speaking. The stories and illustrations are hilarious, and entertain everyone from toddlers to adults. Plus the kids love looking for the pigeon from Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, who always shows up somewhere on the end pages at the back of the book.

We ended up with six Scouts, who read three books. I made simple pig and elephant noses out of paper and taped them onto the boys’ noses to indicate which part they were reading. In order to keep the rest of the kids engaged, I also made a few cue cards for some of the words or phrases that were repeated a lot in each book, so they could join in on those. The boys did a wonderful job reading, and didn’t seem to have any qualms about having an audience. Some of them even took on different voices for Elephant and Piggie. The hardest part was getting them to remember to hold up each page slowly for the audience to see, but then I’ve seen adults who struggle with that too. Here is what they read:

I Am Going! by Mo Willems (Amazon.com link) Gerald is horrified when Piggie says she is going, and begs her to stay, until he finds out she is only going to lunch. This book has a page where Gerald chants, “Why?” and I wrote that word on a cue card that I held up on that page so the other kids could join in.

I am Invited to a Party! by Mo Willems (Amazon.com link)

Piggie is excited to receive an invitation to her very first party. Gerald wonders what kind of party it is: a fancy party? A fancy pool party? A fancy costume pool party? They must come prepared! The cue card I made for this one was the word, “PARTY!” which both characters chant together throughout the book. The kids really liked that.

I’m a Frog by Mo Willems (Amazon.com link)

Gerald is shocked when Piggie says that she is a frog, until she explains she is only pretending. I wrote the word “Ribbit!” on a cue card because Piggie says that throughout the book. There’s also a page where Gerald and Piggie get into an argument consisting solely of: “No I can’t!” and “Yes you can!” I made cue cards for those two phrases too, and the kids enjoyed chanting them back and forth. The adults liked the part where Gerald asks if even grown-ups pretend to be something they’re not, and Piggie says, “All the time,” with a knowing look.

My Friend is Sad by Mo Willems (Amazon.com link)

I got to read this one myself, which I was happy about because it was the first Gerald and Piggie book I ever read, and it will always be one of my favorites. When Piggie sees that Gerald is sad, she tries to cheer him up by disguising herself as a cowboy, a clown, and a robot. But Gerald seems sadder than ever. For this one, I made a cue card for Gerald’s repeated, “Ohhh…’s”

SONGS:

Elephants Have Wrinkles

After each verse of this song, I ask the kids where else elephants have wrinkles and we add in a new body part, while singing the song faster and faster. This time the kids suggested teeth (we clicked our teeth together), feet (we stomped our feet), and faces (we patted our cheeks). Click on the triangle for the tune:

Elephants have (pat legs on each syllable)
Wrinkles, Wrinkles, Wrinkles (clap hands on each syllable)
Elephants have (pat legs on each syllable)
Wrinkles (clap hands on each syllable)
Everywhere! (stomp feet on each syllable)
On their nose! Oh-oh! (touch your nose, and mime a trunk)

Repeat

Elephants have wrinkles…

On their legs! On their nose! Oh-oh!

I Bought Me a Rooster

We have a variety of stuffed animals in the children’s area, so I passed those out, and we sang a verse of the song about each one. I play it on the ukulele in C.

C
I bought me a rooster and the rooster pleased me
C G7
I fed my rooster on the bayberry tree
C F
My little rooster goes, “Cock-a-doodle doo!
C F G7 C
Dee Doodle, Dee Doodle, Dee Doodle, Dee Doo!”

No No No No No! I think this song is also called The Argument. It’s basically the tune to Reverie, but you sing, “No, no, no, no, no” all the way through the first half, while shaking your head, then “yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,” for the second half while nodding. If you have an older group, you can divide them up and have them sing both parts at the same time.

INSTRUMENT PLAYALONG WITH A CD: Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Rufus Thomas, from Sing Along with Putumayo.

CRAFT: Gerald and Piggie Paper Bag Puppets

Gerald Paper Bag Puppet by Chloe

Piggie Paper Bag Puppet by Chloe

I got this idea and the templates from Three Little Birds: http://threelittlebirdsnorth.blogspot.com/2012/04/elephant-and-piggie-party.html. I copied and pasted the picture of their template into a blank Word file, then printed it out, and made copies. The Gerald one worked out well just on white paper, because it ended up looking gray in the copies. For Piggie, I copied it onto pink paper. I did all the cutting ahead of time, so the kids just had to glue the pieces onto paper bags.

OTHER BOOKS BY MO WILLEMS: Okay, so I have a huge librarian crush on Mo Willems. He’s definitely one of my favorite children’s authors, and although he has an astounding number of books, they are all perfect for storytime. Here are some of my other favorites:

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems (Amazon.com link)

Before Trixie has learned to talk, she goes with her Dad to the laundromat along with her beloved stuffed animal, Knuffle Bunny. But on the way home, she realizes that Knuffle Bunny is missing. She tries everything she can to tell her Dad, but he just doesn’t understand. Of course, as soon as Trixie’s mom opens the door, she says, “Where’s Knuffle Bunny?” The whole family races back to the laundromat to look. A book that resonates with both kids and parents. I love Trixie’s attempts to communicate, including going boneless (a phenomenon familiar to anyone with a toddler). The illustrations are equally hilarious. Followed by two sequels: Knuffle Bunny Too and Knuffle Bunny Free (this one makes me cry).

City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems; illustrated by Jon J. Muth (Amazon.com link)

A departure from Willems’ usual funny, cartoonish style, featuring paintings by Jon J. Muth. When a city dog visits the country, he meets a frog who teaches him to play frog games. The two have a wonderful time throughout City Dog’s visits in Spring and Summer. By Autumn Country Frog has grown tired, and in Winter, when City Dog comes, he can’t find his friend, but ends up making a new one. A lovely and bittersweet story about the seasons and friendship.

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs as Retold by Mo Willems (Amazon.com link)

Hilariously dark take on Goldilocks and the Three Bears. In this one, three dinosaurs prepare bowls of chocolate pudding at varying temperatures and go…uh…someplace else, where they are definitely not lying in wait for brazen little girls. The kids love to spot the Pigeon hidden in the cookie jar, and the rejected title ideas on the back, including Goldilocks and the Three Major Networks, Goldilocks and the Three-Foot-Long Hoagies and more.

Cat the Cat, Who is That? by Mo Willems (Amazon.com link)

Very simple easy reader that introduces Cat the Cat and her friends Fish the Fish, Duck the Duck, Mouse the Mouse. But then she meets someone entirely new: a strange creature who says, “Blargie! Blargie!” This is a fun read-aloud for toddlers, and a great book for beginning readers. Followed by several sequels.

The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog by Mo Willems (Amazon.com link)

I like the Pigeon, but I love the clever, manipulative Duckling even more. Pigeon is excited to find a hot dog, until a wistful Duckling who claims to have never tried a hot dog asks him to share. There are lots of great Pigeon books, and a fun iPhone/iPad app as well, which allows kids to create their own Pigeon story and learn how to draw the Pigeon (both my kids love it).

What are your favorite Mo Willems books?

10May2014

All About My Mother: Books for Mother’s Day

Posted in Rhymes and songs, Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

Big, fun crowd this week, with a wide range of ages. In honor of Mother’s Day, we read books about Moms.

Baby Brains and Robomom by Simon James (Amazon.com link)

Mr. and Mrs. Brains hoped to have a smart baby, but they never expected one as smart as Baby Brains, who not only talks, but builds amazing inventions. One day, hoping to save his parents from their daily chores, he invents a robot who can iron, cook, and wash the car. The problem is that the new Robomom also wants to do the things Baby Brains prefers his parents to do: changing his diaper, putting him to bed. The other problem is that Robomom is working so hard that she eventually explodes. The kids loved the explosion part. Delightfully far-fetched and silly, this book demonstrates that there are some things technology still can’t do.

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey (Amazon.com link)

This was one of my mother-in-law’s favorite books as a child, and I think of her whenever I read it. It made for a nice old-fashioned contrast to Baby Brains and Robomom. Sal and her mother are picking blueberries on the same hill as a mother bear and her cub. When the two young ones swap places, both their moms are in for a big surprise. This one was a bit long for the younger kids, but the older ones enjoyed it, and it was snatched up at the end. A gentle and timeless story.

Llama Llama, Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney (Amazon.com link)

Given how popular this book and its sequels are, I was surprised that a number of the kids had never read it. A rhyming story about a llama lying alone in bed and calling for his mother, then panicking when she doesn’t come right away. The illustrations are big and adorable, and the story is something both kids and parents can relate to. I love the mother’s frustrated, but soothing reminder at the end, “Mama Llama’s always near, even when she’s not right here.” There was a bit of llama drama at storytime over who was going to get to check out this book, and I’m ashamed to say that my daughter was the instigator (my husband couldn’t get off work in time tonight to watch our kids, so she tagged along with me). Anyway, the book is clearly a hit.

Love You When You Whine by Emily Jenkins; illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier (Amazon.com link)

This book got lots of laughs, especially from the moms. It’s a list of things a little kitten does that upsets his mom, and how his mom still loves him always: “Love you when you whine. Love you when you interrupt…Love you when you scream ‘Lollipop Lollipop Lollipop’ for forty-five minutes on line at the bank.” I usually add a disclaimer not to try these things at home, especially hiding mom’s keys and painting the dog. It was a hit though, and another mild dispute arose over who was going to get to take it home (thankfully not involving my daughter this time).

SONGS:

Five Days Old

Great Laurie Berkner song that the kids enjoyed. I played it on the ukulele, which is tricky with the jumping up and down. Click here for Laurie Berkner’s video.

Peanut, Peanut Butter

A song I learned at Girl Scout camp a thousand years ago. The version I sing goes like this (click on the triangle to hear the first verse):

First you take the peanuts and you pick ’em, you pick ’em,
You pick ’em, pick ’em, pick ’em! (Mime picking peanuts)
Then you smash ’em, you smash ’em, you smash ’em, smash ’em, smash ’em! (clap hands together each time you “smash”)
Then you spread ’em, you spread ’em, you spread ’em, spread ’em, spread ’em! (mime spreading peanut butter)
Singing “Peanut, peanut butter…jelly!
Peanut, peanut butter…jelly!”

Then you take the berries and you pick ’em… (repeat the first verse)

Then you take the sandwich and you bite it, you bite it, you bite it,
Bite it, bite it!
Then you chew it, you chew it, you chew it, chew it, chew it!
Then you swallow it, you swallow it, you swallow it, swallow it, swallow it.
Singing, “Peanut, peanut butter…jelly!
Peanut, peanut butter…jelly!” (I usually sing this part in a slightly garbled voice, as if I have peanut butter on the roof of my mouth. Then we all mime drinking a glass of milk).

No More Monkeys

I gave out instruments for this one, and played it on the ukulele. It’s the wonderfully catchy Asheba version of Five Little Monkeys Jumping On the Bed from Putumayo’s Animal Playground album.

CRAFT: All About My Mother

My Mommy by Olivia, Sarah, and Lily

I stole this idea from my daughter’s preschool last year, and adapted it for Father’s Day as well. I love it because the kids’ answers are so adorable. (Last year my daughter told her teacher that I was 4-years old. This year, of course, she said I was 5). Here’s the .doc I created: My Mommy is Most of the kids needed help filling out the form, so I interviewed each of them and wrote in their answers, but they enjoyed drawing pictures of their moms.

OTHER BOOKS:

My Mom by Anthony Browne (Amazon.com link)

Lovely tribute to a Mom who is a fantastic cook, a brilliant juggler (of daily tasks), a magic gardener, and much more. The illustrations are fun and full of humor. It would also be a good example to use in a lesson on similes, which are used throughout the text (she “sings like an angel,” and “roars like a lion,” etc.)

Mom Pie by Lynne Jonell; illustrated by Petra Mathers (Amazon.com link)

When two brothers are frustrated that their mom is too busy preparing for company to pay attention to them, they decide to make a “Mom Pie,” made of all the things that remind them of her. Sweet story with childlike stick-figure drawings. This book, along with Mommy, Go Away by the same author and illustrator, do a nice job of capturing the wistfulness and frustration that kids often feel, in the context of a warm and playful story.

Please Baby, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee; illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Amazon.com link)

One of the few celebrity picture books I actually like. A simple, repetitive rhyme that follows an adorable toddler throughout her day with her mom: “Go back to bed, baby, please, baby please / Not on your head, baby, baby, baby, please!” The illustrations by Kadir Nelson are full of life and mischief, and it has a sweet ending, with the little girl begging for a kiss from her tired Mama. This also makes a good book for beginning readers. because of the rhymes and repeated words and phrases.

What! Cried Granny: an Almost Bedtime Story by Kate Lum; illustrated by Adrian Reynolds (Amazon.com link)

Because Mother’s Day is for grandmothers too. This is one of my storytime standbys. A little boy named Patrick is ready to go to bed at his Grandma’s house. “But Granny!” he says, “I don’t have a bed here!” “What?!” cried Granny. She rushes out to chop down some trees, and quickly builds him a bed. But he still needs a blanket, a pillow, and a teddy bear. This is a terrific read-aloud. The kids love joining in whenever the Granny says, “WHAAAATTT?!” and guessing what Patrick is missing this time.

The Grandma Cure by Pamela Mayer; illustrated by John Nez (Amazon.com link)

I love this story about two grandmas who come to take care of a little girl named Sophie when she stays home sick from school. But each grandma has a different idea of how to do things: one thinks Sophie needs hot tea, the other wants to give her orange juice. Sophie has to step in and explain how to sort out their differences the way her Kindergarten teacher has taught her. Funny story that kids and grown-ups both enjoy.

Happy Mother’s Day! If you have any favorite books about moms or grandmas, please share them in the comments.

3May2014

¡Viva! Books in English and Spanish

Posted in Uncategorized by worldsloudestlibrarian

Tissue Paper Flowers

I had a whole family storytime planned for Cinco de Mayo, with tissue paper flowers as the craft. But Wednesday night was unexpectedly and unusually hot. Most of my usual group was at a special event, and everyone else was probably at the beach or hiding out indoors. It ended up being just me and Olivia, one of the kindergarten girls who’s been coming for several years. So instead of the storytime I had planned, we read Elephant and Piggie books together for half and hour. She would read Gerald and I would read Piggie, and then we would switch. Her dad read all of the additional characters. She read amazingly well, with lots of expression and even different voices! Afterwards, we made tissue paper flowers. It was a fun and peaceful evening, the perfect antidote to a long, hot day where everyone (including my own kids) seemed cranky and unhappy.

So here is the storytime I planned to do (to be honest, I was a little relieved because, although I took Spanish in college, and have studied it on my own a bit, I’m still nervous about my pronunciation, especially those tricky rr‘s). There are some wonderful bilingual books though. Here are a few:

Oh No, Gotta Go! by Susan Middleton Elya; illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Amazon.com link)

My daughter loves this book, and I read it to her preschool class the other day. Rhymed verse tells the story of a little girl who is out for a drive with her family when she realizes she desperately needs “un bano!” Unfortunately, it is Sunday, and all the shops are closed. A construction worker gives her parents directions to a restaurant. The family rushes in, only to find an enormous line leading out of the women’s bathroom. This book seamlessly blends Spanish words into the text in a way that makes it easy for kids to decipher the meaning. The story is funny and definitely something kids (and parents!) can relate to. There is also a sequel called Oh No, Gotta Go #2, which is about exactly what you might think.

Perros! Perros! Dogs! Dogs! by Ginger Foglesong Guy; illustrated by Sharon Glick (Amazon.com link)

This is a fun, simple book in English and Spanish, with lots of repetition. I read it to my daughter’s class as well, and had the kids yell out “Espera!” (“Wait!”), whenever we got to those parts. They liked the illustrations of dogs getting muddy, having a bath, and going down the slide. Lots of rr‘s for me to butcher in this one, but I love it anyway.

Rubia and the Three Osos by Susan Middleton Elya; illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Amazon.com link)

Another book by the author of Oh No, Gotta Go! This is a retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, again in rhymed verse with Spanish words scattered throughout the text. My daughter (who has always had a kind of disturbing fondness for the Goldilocks story) loves this one as well. In this version, Goldilocks runs away, but feeling badly for all of her naughtiness, comes back to the bears’ house with some homemade sopa (soup) and tries to set things right. Another book I like by this author is Bebé Goes to the Beach (illustrated by Steven Salerno). I’ve been impressed by her ability to blend Spanish words and phrases into the text of funny stories that kids enjoy.

Faster! Faster! Más Rápido! Más Rápido! by Leslie Patricelli (Amazon.com link)

I read this one for Toddler Time this week. It’s a bilingual version of a board book about a girl playing “horsey” with her father. As she begs him to go “Faster! Faster!” she imagines him transforming into a dog, a rabbit, a horse, a dolphin, and finally…a turtle. The text consists almost entirely of the phrase “Faster! Faster!” so it’s easy to get the kids and families to learn and repeat it in Spanish: “Más Rápido!” Patricelli has a similar book that I also love for baby and toddler storytimes called Higher! Higher! (there’s a bilingual version of that one too).

SONGS:

Uno, Dos, Tres Deditos (One Little, Two Little, Three Little Fingers)

I did this song both with my daughter’s class, and at Toddler Time. I sing it first in English and then in Spanish:

One little, two little, three little fingers,
Four little, five little, six little fingers,
Seven little, eight little, nine little fingers,
Ten little fingers on your hands.

Uno, dos, tres deditos,
Quatro, cinco, seis deditos,
Siete, ocho, nueve deditos,
Diez deditos son.

El Chocolate

I did this one for my daughter’s class and for Toddler Time too. It’s about making hot chocolate. It’s fun to repeat it, going faster and faster each time. At the end, I have the kids mime blowing on their hot chocolate and sipping it loudly. Click here to see a short Youtube video with the tune.

Uno, dos, tres, CHO (hold up three fingers, one at a time)
Uno, dos, tres, CO
Uno, dos, tres, LA
Uno, dos, tres, TE
Chocolate, Chocolate,
Bate, Bate, el chocolate! (Mime stirring with your hands).

What are your favorite books and songs in English and Spanish?

27Apr2014

Earthly Delights: Books to Celebrate Earth Day

Posted in Books for Second Graders, Rhymes and songs, Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

Model Magic Earthworms by Colette and Ben

This week, in honor of Earth Day on Tuesday (April 22), I did books about nature, gardening, and recycling. An exciting thing happened though: one of my regular participants, who is now in Kindergarten, asked if she could read Biscuit Goes to School by Alyssa Capucilli aloud to the group. There were a few minutes before storytime started, so I said yes. She did an amazing job, even holding up each page so the other kids could see the pictures. Afterwards, one of my other regulars asked if she could read I Broke My Trunk by Mo Willems, so I told her she could read at the end of storytime, just before the craft. She did a wonderful job too! I was so proud of them both, for their developing reading skills, and especially for their bravery. I told them I know a lot of adults who would be too scared to read to a group like that, and it’s true.

Go to Sleep, Gecko: A Balinese Folktale by Margaret Read MacDonald; illustrated by Geraldo Valério (Amazon.com link)

One of my favorite folktales to read-aloud and perfect for Earth Day. Gecko complains to Elephant that he can’t sleep because the fireflies keep shining their lights on and off all night long. When Elephant confronts the fireflies they say they have to shine their light because Buffalo leaves poop in the road that someone might step in. But Buffalo says he is filling the holes that Rain washes out, and Rain says she is making puddles so there will be mosquitoes for Gecko to eat. The part about poop in the road always gets appreciative giggles, and the kids like joining in on the Gecko’s repeated cry of, “Geck-o! Geck-o! Geck-o!” Great story about the interconnectedness of things in nature. I love the last line, “Some things you just have to put up with.”

Bob and Otto by Robert O. Bruel; illustrated by Nick Bruel (Amazon.com link)

Another favorite of mine, and one my daughter has asked to hear over and over. Bob, a caterpillar, and Otto, a worm, are best friends who like to play together at the base of big tree. But one day Bob decides to climb high up into the tree. Otto doesn’t want to follow. Instead he digs deep down under the tree and crawls all around the roots. When the two friends meet again, Bob has transformed into a butterfly. Otto wishes he had followed Bob, so he might have grown wings too instead of just being a “big fat worm.” But Bob tells him that all his digging is what made the tree grow leaves, so he could eat and grow wings. Sweet story about friendship, as well as the importance of earthworms. This one got snatched up at the end.

Flora’s Surprise by Debi Gliori (Amazon.com link)

When Flora’s family plants a garden, Flora plants a brick in a pot and says she is growing a house. As the seasons pass, everyone else’s plants grow and blossom, but Flora’s house never grows. But at the end of winter, they are all surprised to find that someone (a bird) has discovered Flora’s brick, and that it has become a perfect house after all. Large, colorful illustrations and simple text make this a great book for gardening themes for toddlers on up. It was quickly snatched up too.

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback (Amazon.com link)

I hadn’t thought of this as an Earth Day book until I saw it in a list somewhere, but it fits well with the “ReUse” part of the “Reduce, ReUse, Recycle” motto. When Joseph’s coat gets old and worn, he turns it into a jacket, and then a vest, a scarf, a necktie, a handkerchief, a button, and finally…a story. The charm of this book is in the cutouts that give hints to each new thing Joseph makes. The kids loved trying to guess what was coming next. This book won the Caldecott Medal in 2000.

SONGS:

Elephants Have Wrinkles

I did this one to go along with Go to Sleep, Gecko. I ask the kids where else elephants have wrinkles and we add in a new body part each time, while singing the song faster and faster. Click on the triangle for the tune:

Elephants have (pat legs on each syllable)
Wrinkles, Wrinkles, Wrinkles (clap hands on each syllable)
Elephants have (pat legs on each syllable)
Wrinkles (clap hands on each syllable)
Everywhere! (stomp feet on each syllable)

On their nose! Oh-oh! (touch your nose, and mime a trunk)

Repeat Elephants have wrinkles…

On their legs!
On their nose!
Oh-oh!

Two Little Blackbirds

I did this one after Flora’s Surprise:
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill (hold up two thumbs)
One named Jack and the other named Jill.
Fly away Jack (put one thumb behind back), fly away Jill (put other thumb behind back).
Come back, Jack (bring thumb out in front), come back, Jill (bring other thumb out in front).

Two little blackbirds sitting on a cloud, One was quiet (whisper), and the other was loud (yell)…

Two little blackbirds sitting in the snow, One was fast and the other w…a…s…s…l…o…w…

Two little blackbirds sitting on a gate, One was early, and the other was… (pause)…late…. (I drag out the pause until the kids are all yelling “late!”)

INSTRUMENT PLAYALONG WITH A CD: I meant to play You Are My Sunshine by Elizabeth Mitchell from Sing Along with Putumayo, but that track wouldn’t play (I know from many past experiences that you should always check to make sure the song plays ahead of time, but I didn’t get a chance). Instead we did a totally random song from the same disc, although it’s a goofy one that I love: Bellybutton Song by Music for Aardvarks & Other Mammals.

CRAFT: Model Magic Earthworms

Model Magic Earthworm by Colette

To fit with Bob and Otto, we made earthworms out of Model Magic, a nontoxic Crayola air dry clay. I mixed white and red Model Magic ahead of time to make a rosy-pink color. I gave each child a hunk of the clay and a plastic knife to add the little ridges in the earthworm’s body. I also put out other colors so they could add eyes. They ended up adding all kinds of things, and each worm was completely unique.

OTHER BOOKS:

Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin; illustrated by Harry Bliss (Amazon.com link)

Another great worm book, and one I shared with two second grade classes this week. A funny look at the joys and perils of being a worm. The kids especially loved the part where the worm gets so hungry, he eats his homework, then has to write, “I will not eat my homework” ten times, and then eats that too. The other Diary of books are great fun too.

Sparrow Girl by Sara Pennypacker (Amazon.com link)

I read this one to second grade too. It’s a heavy and fairly lengthy story, and I wasn’t sure how they would take it: they were uncharacteristically quiet at the end. But several kids, mostly girls, said it was their favorite. It’s based on the Sparrow War, a true event that took place in China in the 1950’s, when Mao Zedong decreed that all the sparrows should be killed to prevent them from eating the grain. The death of the sparrows and other birds left the insects free to ravage the crops, and a terrible famine ensued. Sara Pennypacker makes this the backdrop of a story about a little girl who bravely saves seven of the sparrows, and hides them away until the farmers in her village realize the terrible mistake they have made. The second graders seem fascinating by true stories, although I was sad to have to tell them that in this case it was the more hopeful part of the story that was fiction. It is a vivid portrayal of the importance of understanding the complex interactions between every living thing, and how even small environmental changes can be devastating. (This is the same message conveyed by Go to Sleep, Gecko in a much lighter, sillier way).

The EARTH Book by Todd Parr (Amazon.com link)

Simple book about easy environmental things kids can do, and how they help the Earth: “I use both sides of the paper and bring my own bags to market because…I love the trees and I want the owls to have a place to live.” Some of the connections may not be immediately clear to kids, for example, turning off the lights and shutting the refrigerator door to help the polar bears. But it’s nice to have a concrete list of ways kids can have an impact, and the colorful, multicultural, artwork is eye-catching and fun.

What are your favorite books for Earth Day?

19Apr2014

Shell-ebrate! Books about Eggs

Posted in Rhymes and songs, Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

Pom-Pom Chick by Olivia

In honor of Easter, Spring, and my daughter’s newfound obsession with eggs, I did an egg theme this week. And boy, are there a lot of fun books about eggs. It’s Spring Break this week, so I was expecting a small turn-out, but after the first few minutes a big crowd arrived, and it ended up being a wonderful large group with a wide variety of ages. Here’s what we read:

Owen’s Marshmallow Chick by Kevin Henkes (Amazon.com link)

I hadn’t originally planned to read this, but at the beginning of storytime I only had two families, both with very young kids. This board book worked perfectly for them. Owen eagerly gobbles down all of the candy in his Easter basket, until he gets to the yellow marshmallow chick, which is the same color as his fuzzy yellow blanket. Will he eat it too?

Except If by Jim Averbeck (Amazon.com link)

A fun book to read aloud, especially because the kids get to join in on the repeated line “Except If,” which is usually set apart on its own page. The older kids caught on quickly, and eagerly shouted it out each time they spotted it. “An egg is not a baby bird, but it will become one, except if…it becomes a baby snake.” Each page shows a different possible outcome: the egg might actually hold a lizard, or a dinosaur. Except if…it actually becomes a baby bird.

There is a Bird on Your Head! by Mo Willems (Amazon.com link)

Another great Gerald and Piggie book. In this one, Gerald is disturbed to discover that he has a bird on his head, and even more disturbed when another bird arrives, followed by a nest, and three eggs. This book got lots of laughs, even from kids who had clearly heard it before.

Flap Your Wings by P. D. Eastman (Amazon.com link)

The first time I checked this book out, my daughter demanded to hear it three times in a row. And when I had it in my stack at storytime, one of the Kindergartners pulled it out and said, “Oh! Read this one!” It is a fun story, with hilarious illustrations. When a boy finds an egg lying in the middle of a path near a pond, he puts it in an empty nest in a nearby tree. Mr. and Mrs. Bird are surprised to find it there, but kindly decide to care for it, even though the baby that eventually hatches from it is like no bird they’ve ever seen (he’s an alligator). Thankfully he doesn’t eat his adoptive parents, who keep him well fed until it’s time for him to fly from the nest… This one was quickly snatched up at the end.

SONGS:

Three Baby Birds

I had a puppet with three baby birds in a nest that I held out for the kids to “feed.” I made this song up using the tune to Shortnin’ Bread (click on the triangle to hear the first verse):

Three baby birds were sitting in a tree,
Crying to the Mama Bird, “Feed me! Feed me!”
One little bird got a wormy from his mum.
Gulp it up! Slurp it down!
Yum! Yum! Yum! (Repeat with two little birds, and then one).

Two Little Blackbirds

Two Little Blackbirds (The kids love this song, especially the quiet/loud and early/late verses. Click on the triangle to hear the tune.)

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill (hold up two thumbs)
One named Jack and the other named Jill.
Fly away Jack (put one thumb behind back), fly away Jill (put other thumb behind back).
Come back, Jack (bring thumb out in front), come back, Jill (bring other thumb out in front).

Two little blackbirds sitting on a cloud, One was quiet (whisper), and the other was loud (yell)…

Two little blackbirds sitting in the snow, One was fast and the other w…a…s…s…l…o…w…

Two little blackbirds sitting on a gate, One was early, and the other was… (pause)…late…. (I really exaggerate the pause, until all the kids are shouting out “LATE!”)

INSTRUMENT PLAY-ALONG WITH A CD: Red Red Robin by Rosie Flores from Sing Along With Putumayo (Amazon.com link)

CRAFT: Pom-Pom Chicks

Pom-Pom Chick by Jonas

My son did this craft in preschool many years ago, and it’s always been one of my favorites. I cut diamond shaped beaks out of orange paper, and little feet (these were triangles with the point cut off, and tiny triangles cut in the wide end to make a W shape). Then I gave them to the kids along with pom-poms, wiggly eyes, glue and glue sticks, feathers, and plastic Easter eggs. (The feathers make it harder to fit the finished chick inside the egg, but they are very cute). One girl asked for stickers to decorate her egg, so I brought some of those out as well. The glue sticks worked pretty well for holding things on, but you have to rub them hard against the pom-pom.

Pom-Pom Chick by Liat

OTHER EGG BOOKS:

An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Aston; illustrated by Sylvia Long (Amazon.com link)

I meant to read this nonfiction book, because it is beautiful. Every page shows different types of eggs, all in brilliant colors, while describing various characteristics of eggs: eggs are quiet, eggs are colorful, eggs are shapely. It also includes a brief description of the parts of an egg, and how the protect and feed the embryo inside. The last page shows all of the different creatures who hatched out of the eggs. The illustrations in this book are so striking that when I read it to my daughter, she wouldn’t let me turn the page until we had talked about every single egg.

The Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown and Leonard Weisgard (Amazon.com link)

A fun, simple story by Margaret Wise Brown (Goodnight Moon), that is perfect for Easter because it includes an egg and a bunny. When a bunny finds an egg, he tries everything he can think of to make it hatch: kicking it, jumping on it, and rolling it down the hill. He is so worn out from his efforts that he falls asleep…and the egg hatches.

Chickens Aren’t the Only Ones by Ruth Heller (Amazon.com link)

Another great nonfiction title that is simple enough for preschoolers. This book describes, in rhymed verse, all of the different creatures that hatch from eggs.

Daniel’s Mystery Egg by Alma Flor Ada; illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Amazon.com link)

A cute easy reader that also works well for storytime. When Daniel finds an egg, all of his friends take turns guessing what kind of animal will come out of it: a duck? an ostrich? an alligator? But they are all in for a surprise.

An Extraordinary Egg by Leo Lionni (Amazon.com link)

My daughter loved this story about a frog named Jessica who finds an extraordinary pebble. Her friend insists that it is a chicken egg, so when it hatches, Jessica and her friends assume the new baby is a chicken. They become close friends with the new baby, until the chicken finds her mother. The frogs all find it very funny that the chicken’s mother calls her “my little alligator.”

What are your favorite books about eggs?

12Apr2014

Things Could Always Be Verse: Picture Books for National Poetry Month

Posted in Books for Second Graders by worldsloudestlibrarian

Although we had a performer in place of Family Storytime this week, I did get to share poetry books with two second grade classes, in honor of National Poetry Month. These were the ones we read:

Guess Again! by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Adam Rex (Amazon.com link)

This was one of the most gratifying read-alouds I’ve ever shared with a group. It’s a series of riddles, with clues, rhymes, and silhouettes that all seem to be leading to an obvious answer, only the solution is always something completely unexpected. For example: He steals carrots from the neighbor’s yard./His hair is soft, his teeth are hard./His floppy ears are long and funny./Can you guess who? That’s right! My…Grandpa Ned! This worked incredibly well for second grade because they were so certain they knew the answer, and they exclaimed so loudly each time the real answer was revealed. The first class made me read it twice, so they could all shout out the real solutions.

What a Day it was at School! by Jack Prelutsky; illustrated by Doug Cushman (Amazon.com link)

Jack Prelutsky is a genius at children’s poetry, with a gift for humorous twists along the lines of Shel Silverstein. In this collection, a cat describes his school day to his mother, with different poems describing how his science homework dog, how he accidentally started a food fight at lunch, and even how he farted in class. In the last poem, he has to write a poem for class that has to have meter and rhyme, which gave me an opportunity to talk about meter in poetry.

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer; illustrated by Josee Masse (Amazon.com link)

This is an amazing and beautiful book. Each page features a different fairy tale: Cinderella, Rumplestiltskin, Sleeping Beauty, etc. And each is actually two poems: the first poem reads normally, from top to bottom; the second takes the exact same poem but flips it, as if you were reading it from bottom to top, where it takes on an entirely different meaning. For example, for Red Riding Hood, the first poem is from the girl’s perspective: In my hood, / skipping through the wood, / carrying a basket, / picking berries to eat — / juicy and sweet / what a treat! / But a girl / mustn’t dawdle. / After all, Grandma’s waiting! The second poem uses the same lines in reverse to show the wolf’s point of view: After all, Grandma’s waiting, / mustn’t dawdle… / But a girl! / What a treat — / juicy and sweet, picking berries to eat, / carrying a basket, / skipping through the wood / in my ‘hood. The kids especially loved the illustrations, which mirror the way one thing transforms into another: the wolves legs becoming the trees in the forest, the seven dwarves’ mine becoming the evil queen’s face. A brilliantly executed poetry collection that could make for a fun, and challenging poetry assignment. The second graders were mesmerized.

OTHER POETRY BOOKS:

There were lots of other books I could have shared, including almost any rhyming picture books. Some of my favorites:

Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich: and other stories you’re sure to like, because they’re all about monsters, and some of them are also about food… by Adam Rex (Amazon.com link)

I read this to some second grade classes last year, and it was a huge hit! Each poem features the woes of a different monster: the Phantom of the Opera can’t get It’s a Small World out of his head; Count Dracula has spinach in his teeth; Big Foot is tired of being mistaken for the Yeti. Very funny and off-the-wall.

Charlie Parker Played Be-Bop by Chris Raschka (Amazon.com link)

A great book to illustrate how writers can use words to mimic sounds or experiences, in this case Charlie Parker’s jazz rendition of A Night in Tunisia. I’ve read this book so many times to both of my kids that I can almost recite it from memory, and it’s a blast to read aloud: Be bop. Fisk Fisk. Lollipop. Boomba Boomba The language captures the play and joyful unexpectedness of jazz music.

17 Kings and 42 Elephants by Margaret Mahy; illustrated by Patricia MacCarthy (Amazon.com link)

A rhythmic poem describing 17 kings and 42 elephants walking through the jungle. It’s fun to have the kids clap or stomp along with the beat, which is infectious.

What are your favorite poetry books for kids?

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Things Could Always Be Verse: Picture Books for National Poetry Month