When I was a kid, I had a mild obsession with Hans Christian Andersen. I’m not sure why: most of his stories were sad and bleak, like The Little Matchgirl, and some were downright weird and disturbing, like The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf. But the one that fascinated and troubled me the most was The Little Mermaid.
I don’t know how many times I read the story, imagining different outcomes. It frustrated me that the mermaid couldn’t figure out some way to communicate who she was to the prince. Sign language? Charades? The ending was equally frustrating: the mermaid’s sisters buy her a chance to return to the sea if she kills the prince with a dagger. Unable to bring herself to stab the prince, she dives into the sea, and turns into seafoam. Because of her sacrifice though, she is turned into a daughter of the air. Better than seafoam, I suppose, but hardly a dream come true.
Of course, when the Disney movie came out, it completely ignored the whole murder/suicide-by-seafoam business, and put the sacrifice mostly in the hands of the mermaid’s father. And while I loved the movie (especially the music!), I realized that Andersen’s story did do a better job of conveying the moral that you shouldn’t try to change yourself to fit into someone else’s world.
Regardless of the ending though, I think I was drawn to the story because of the way it captures a longing to connect with someone who seems out of reach, which as an awkward teenager, I related to deeply. This song is for that awkward teenager.
CHORUS
I’m a fish out of water whenever you’re near. Tongue-tied and awkward when you appear. I wish I could show you the things I can do. But I’m a fish out of water with you.
I was a mermaid, a queen of the sea, Agile and graceful, contented and free. But I’ve been breathless and floundering, since we met, I never intended to get caught in your net. I may be a princess in the wild ocean blue. But I’m a fish out of water with you.
CHORUS
We may be as different as people can be, You are steady and grounded, while I’m all at sea. I just wish I could show you who I really am, But whenever I’m with you I close up like a clam. And I feel like I’ve landed in a world that’s brand new. I’m just a fish out of water with you.
I lure sailors to me with my songs by choice, But when I’m with you I lose my voice. I may have saved you from drowning, but you never knew. I’m just a fish out of water with you.
I wish I could show you my world in the sea, But I know in my heart that we’re not meant to be. For it’s only in movies that our love can prevail, My original story’s a morality tale. In life happy endings are random and few, And I’m a fish out of water with you
CHORUS
What stories and books were you most drawn to when you were younger? Please share them in the comments below.
Next Monday (March 14) is Pi Day, which is a storytime theme I’ve never explored, but we had a lot of fun trying it today.
My Outdoor Musical Storytime crowd is mostly toddlers and a few preschoolers, so I kept the theme largely to Circles and Pie. But I did want to do a very brief explanation of the number Pi, just in case any of the adults wanted a simple way to explain it. So I began by showing the Greek symbol for Pi, and the first few digits (3.14159265). I explained that the number Pi is a little more than 3, and that it’s a number used to measure circles.
I held up a picture of a circle with a piece of yarn glued around the outside. I had also taped a second piece of yarn (the same length) so that it was folded three times across the middle of the circle, with a little bit sticking out at the end. I told the kids that sometimes you want to be able to know how long the line around a circle is. And an easy way to figure that out is to draw a line across the middle. If you know how long that line is, you can make a line three times as long (plus a little extra). That three plus a little extra is represented by the number Pi.
I pointed out my picture, where the yarn in the middle was folded three times, with a little bit leftover, and said that that piece was just as long as the yarn on the outside of the circle. I then pulled both pieces of yarn off of the circle and held them up to show that they were the same length.
I only took about a minute for this demonstration, which was really basic. I mostly just wanted to convey that the number Pi had something to do with circles, and we were celebrating Pi with books and songs about the food Pie, and other things shaped like a circle.
Adorable story about a cat family who enjoys all but one slice of pie, which is then enjoyed by a mouse family, who leaves six crumbs for a family of ants. In the end, all of the animals enjoy a fresh new pie together.
This is one of my all-time favorite picture books. When Pete’s plans with friends get rained out, his Dad decides it might cheer him up to be made into a pizza. Pete the Pizza gets kneaded, stretched, and twirled in the air, then topped with sauce (water), cheese (pieces of paper), and tomatoes (checkers). After baking in the over (the living room couch), it’s time to slice the pizza! But the pizza runs away, and gets captured and hugged, just in time for the sun to come out. I love that families can participate in the kneading, stretching, and hugging, making this a great lapsit story, even for very young kids.
Mom Pie by Lynne Jonell; illustrated by Petra Mathers
Christopher and Robbie are disappointed because company is coming, and Mommy is too busy to spend time with them. So instead they make a Mom Pie with things that remind them of Mommy: gloves that are soft like Mommy, slippers that are cuddly, and a candle in her favorite color. When Mommy finds out what they are doing, she sits with them on the sofa while their family guests jump in to finish making dinner. The last line (about nothing being better than Mom Pie, except Mommy) drew big “Awwww’s” from the crowd.
Songs:
Alligator Pie
This is a fun, easy rhyme that I learned from an Orff Music lesson years ago. Kids always really seem to like it (today I had a toddler signing “More” every time the rhyme ended). We started out by clapping a steady beat, and then I chanted the words. We chanted Alligator Pie twice, and then I asked for other types of pie to substitute. We did Blueberry Pie and Pumpkin Pie:
Alligator Pie, Alligator Pie,
If I don’t get some, I think I’m going to cry.
Take away my basketball and take away the sky,
But don’t take away my Alligator Pie!
Do You Know What Shape I Have?
I learned this song from my coworker, Angela. It’s to the tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man? I cut out different shapes (circle, square, star, and triangle) out of paper, and put them in a bag. Each time we sang the song, my coworker, Claire, pulled one out of the bag, and we asked the kids what it was:
Do you know what shape I have?
What shape I have? What shape I have?
Do you know what shape I have?
Right here in my hand!
Silly Pizza Song
This song by Rachel de Azevedo Coleman from her Signing Time series is one of my absolute favorites. Here’s a YouTube video with the tune and the signs. I usually just teach the kids the sign for pizza and the sign for cheese, and then I ask them for topping suggestions. Today we had pepperoni, mint, olives, mushrooms, and pumpkin.
Shoofly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy by Guy Wood and Sammy Gallop
This is an old song, originally popularized by Dinah Shore. Here’s a link to the tune. We did it as an instrument play-along and the kids were dancing, which was adorable:
[C] Shoofly Pie and Apple Pan [G7] Dowdy
Makes my [C] eyes light up and my tummy say [G7] “Howdy,”
[C] Shoofly Pie and Apple Pan [G7] Dowdy
I [C] never get enough of that [G7] wonderful [C] stuff.
[C] Shoofly Pie and Apple Pan [G7] Dowdy
Makes the [C] sun come up when the heavens are [G7] cloudy.
[C] Shoofly Pie and Apple Pan [G7] Dowdy
I [C] never get enough of that [G7] wonderful [C] stuff.
[E7] Mama, when you bake,
[A] Mama, I don’t care for cake.
[G7] Mama, make no mistake,
[C] Go to the oven, and [G7] make some ever lovin’
Shoofly pie… (repeat first verse)
Stay and Play: Circle Art
This was really simple and fun, if a bit messy. I put out small pie tins with three different colors of tempura paint in each. Then I gave each child a Dixie cup and a piece of card stock. They had a great time stamping circles all over their papers with the cup (some cups got a little squished in the process, which made for some unusual shapes, but the kids seemed to enjoy that too). I recommend having some baby wipes or paper towels on hand.
What are your favorite books about pie? Please share them in the comments.
We had a very special guest at our Outdoor Musical Storytime today–a wild turkey! It was fitting for a storytime at the beginning of November, and also because our theme was an ancient ancestor of the turkey: dinosaurs!
We almost cancelled today, because it had been raining overnight and the ground was still a bit damp. But since the skies were clearning, we decided to give it a try. I posted a picture of the picnic area on a couple of Facebook groups for local families, explaining that we were still holding storytime, but to be sure to bring a towel or blanket to sit on. I also mentioned our Dinosaur theme, so one little boy showed up with his prized dinosaur collection!
Crunch, the Dinosaur, is very shy, and likely to hide if you say “Hello” too loudly. This is a fun, interactive book that asks the kids to sing “Happy Birthday,” shout their names, and say “Goodnight,” as Crunch slowly warms up to them. This was a great way to get my shy group talking.
Groovy Joe is a lot like Pete the Cat, especially since the books are written by the author of the first few Pete books. In this one, Groovy Joe is preparing to enjoy his favorite ice cream, and singing his song “Love My Doggy Ice Cream!,” but he keeps getting interrupted by hungry dinosaurs. But that’s okay because, as Joe says, “It’s awesome to share!” The kids loved chiming in on the ROARs, and the families were singing along with the song every time.
I love to throw in pop-up books whenever I can, because the kids are always mesmerized by them. In this colorful, rhyming picture book the dinosaurs pop off the page in surprising ways. It was fun to ask the kids to name some of the more recognizable dinosaurs.
SONGS:
If You’re Happy and You Know It
This one fit well with Crunch, the Shy Dinosaur, because we sang about lots of different emotions: If you’re sad and you know it, cry “Boo hoo!”; If you’re angry and you know it, say “I’m mad!”; If you’re shy and you know it, hide your face…peek-a-boo!
The chords are:
If you’re happy [C] and you know it, clap your [G7].
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [C].
If you’re [F] happy and you know it,
And you [C] really want to show it,
If you’re [G7] happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands.
IfAll the Raindrops
The perfect song for our recent weather, and as a follow-up to Ice Cream and Dinosaurs. I asked for suggestions of favorite foods, so we made the rain into gummy bears and pasta, and pizza and grapes. Here’s an old video I made for the tune:
[C] If all the raindrops were [G7] lemon drops and [C] gum drops,
Oh, what a rain it would [G7] be.
[C] I’d stand out- [G7] side with my [C] mouth open [G7] wide,
For our Stay and Play activity, we gave the kids paper plates and small handfuls of Crayola Air Dry Clay, and showed them how to flatten their clay into a small disc on the plate. Then we gave them toy dinosaurs, so they could press the footprints into the clay, or lay them on their sides to make a full body print. We also encouraged them to decorate their clay with leaves from around the park. This turned out to be a lot of fun! Thank you to Big Happy House for this idea. You can also do this craft with Salt Dough, which is cheap and easy to make.
What are your favorite dinosaur books or songs? Please let me know in the comments.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted about storytime, and that’s because it’s been a while since I’ve done one, even virtually. Our library system opted to hold in-person camps over the summer, to help offset some of the learning loss from the pandemic, so most of our other kids programs were put on hold. But now we are moving into a new phase of holding outdoor storytimes.
Unfortunately, neither of the libraries where I work have an outdoor space suitable for a large, socially-distanced storytime, but this opened up the opportunity to partner with our County and City parks. I was excited to be able to lead a series of Outdoor Musical Storytimes in a picnic area at San Pedro Valley Park, one of my favorite places. We had our first one earlier this week.
It was so great to see all of the families in person. Several of my regular parents showed up with babies or toddlers who had been born during the shutdown. We asked that everyone bring a blanket or seating for their family, and that everyone over the age of 2 wear a mask (we had extra adult and kids masks on hand just in case, but everyone seemed to already have one).
Since sound is an issue outdoors, I brought our branch karaoke machine and a mic on a stand, but sadly the karaoke machine battery died midway through. Before that though, I was having a good time playing kids songs from my phone while families settled in, and using sound effects from Spotify (like quail sounds) to go along with my books. Once it died, I had to just be loud.
I brought two copies of each book: one for me to read from at the front of the group, and one for a coworker to walk around with, so the kids had a chance to see the pictures up close. Weirdly, even though I only read three books (instead of my usual four), the storytime ran for 40 minutes, which was longer than I had intended.
One thing I’m excited to do with this storytime series is introduce kids to the wildlife they might see in the park. And San Pedro Valley Park has LOTS of quail. This is an adorable book about a young quail who always falls behind her large family, because she often stops to look at treasures along the way. The family is constantly fussing at her to keep up, until one day her curiosity saves them from a sneaky cat. The repeated “bob, bob, bobbing” and “hurry, hurry, hurrying” throughout the book were an easy way to keep the kids moving and engaged.
One of my very favorite picture books to read/sing aloud, this parody of the folk song It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More tells the story of a kid who just can’t help painting different parts of his body, even after his mother tells him not to. There is always a page break before each body part, allowing the kids to guess what it is based on the rhyme (“I see some red, so I paint my…head”), and they enjoy miming painting their own bodies. (In the “before times,” I used to hand out play scarves for the kids to use as paintbrushes). Always a hit!
It’s a Tiger by David LaRochelle; illustrated by Jeremy Tankard
Another favorite read-aloud, this book takes readers on an adventure through the jungle and over the sea, where a tiger suddenly appears in the most unlikely places. The book includes lots of opportunities for kids to run in place or pretend to climb a ladder, as well as to yell out “Tiger!” on every other page.
SONGS:
Put Your Mask on Your Face (to the tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
My coworker Adrienne Gass came up with this song, which is an easy reminder to throw in at the beginning of storytime:
Put your mask on your face, on your face, Put your mask on your face, on your face, Put your mask on your face, Not on your toes or out in space! Put your mask on your face, on your face.
Put Your Finger In the Air by Woody Guthrie (Here’s a link to a YouTube performance by Miss Nina, which uses different lyrics than I do, but basically the same tune)
This was my traditional opening song for musical storytime, which I inherited from my former coworker Mike Eppley. It’s fun to come up with different verses each time, and also to ask participants if they know how to count to three in different languages (we usually go through five or six different suggestions, depending on the crowd).
Put your finger in the air, in the air, Put your finger in the air, in the air, Put your finger in the air, And now hide it in your hair, Put your finger in the air, in the air.
Put your finger on your nose… And now see how long it grows!…(mime making your nose grow long, and then short again)
Put your finger on your knee… And now can you count to three?…1,2,3 (uno, dos, tres; un, deux, trois, etc.)
Point your finger at the ground… And now make a spooky sound!…
Put your fingers all together, all together… (clap) We we will all be friends forever!
Little Bird
A traditional folk song. I played it on the ukulele (chords and lyrics below), and asked the kids to suggest different birds for each verse. We sang “Owl, Owl, fly through my window,” and “Chickadee, Chickadee…”
C Little Bird, Little Bird, C Fly through my window. G7 Little Bird, Little Bird, G7 Fly through my window. C Little Bird, Little Bird, C Fly through my window. G7 C Find molasses candy.
Chorus: G7 Fly through my window, my sugar lump! C G7 C Fly through my window, my sugar lump! G7 C Find molasses candy!
Jay bird, Jay bird, fly through my window…etc…
Chorus
Repeat the verse and chorus, asking kids for the names of different birds (robin, parrot, etc.) to sing in place of “Little Bird” each time.
Two Little Blackbirds
One of my favorite songs/fingerplays. I usually sing it a cappella, so I can do the hand motions. Click on the triangle to hear how it goes:
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill, (Hold up both thumbs) One named Jack, and the other named Jill. Fly away, Jack! (Put one thumb behind your back) Fly away, Jill! (Put the other thumb behind your back) Come back, Jack! (Bring the first thumb out in front). Come back, Jill! (Bring the second thumb out in the front).
Two little blackbirds sitting on a cloud, One was quiet, and the other was loud (I make my voice as loud and obnoxious as possible each time I sing the word “Loud!”) Fly away, Quiet! Fly away, Loud! Come back, Quiet! Come back, Loud!
Two little blackbirds sitting in the snow. One flew fast! And the other f-l-e-w s-l-o-w!…
Two little blackbirds sitting on a gate. One was early, And the other was…late!… (I like to drag the pauses out as long as possible before saying “Late!” until the kids are all yelling it out.)
Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee
For this one, I asked the kids what animals they might find at the park, and we came up with our own verses. We had “I’m bringing home a baby raccoon,/ Won’t my Mommy fly off to the moon?” and “I’m bringing home a baby bunny,/Won’t my Mommy really think that’s funny?”
I’m [C] bringing home a [F] baby [C]bumblebee. [G7] Won’t my mommy be so proud of me? ‘Cause I’m [C] bringing home a [F] baby [C] bumblebee. [G7 ]Ouch! It stung me!
For the last two songs, I handed out shakers, and the kids played along to Going to the Zoo by Tom Paxton and Under a Shady Tree by Laurie Berkner (I’m planning to make that my ending song for the whole series, since it fits so well with our outdoor setting).
As a final activity for families to do on their own, I handed out small pencils and a scavenger hunt, featuring things that could be easily found near the picnic area. We also passed out stickers as a memento.
Have you performed or attended any outdoor storytimes? If you have any recommendations for things that worked well, please leave them in the comments.
My coworker Angela and I had a fun Thanksgiving-themed Interactive storytime this morning, with families and two preschools logging in via Zoom. Here’s what we did:
Introduction:
We opened by talking about Thanksgiving, and sharing this funny list of things that kids are thankful for from the Huffington Post, which includes gas, ceiling fans, and “Mommy wiping my poop”: 21 Things Kids Are Thankful For That Will Make You Laugh by Hollis Miller.
OPENING SONG: Do As I’m Doing
As usual, we asked the kids to find a cloth of some kind to wave the first time we sang this song. Then we asked for suggestions to do for the next few times we sang it. We ended up jumping (always a favorite), twirling, saying “I Love You” in sign language, and smiling.
[C] Do as I’m doing, follow, follow [G7] me.
[C] Do as I’m doing, follow, [G7] follow [C] me.
[C] Follow, [G7] follow, [F] follow [C] me.
[F] Follow, [C] follow, [G7] follow [C] me.
Follow, [G7] follow, [F] follow [C] me,
[F] Follow, [C] follow, [G7] follow [C] me.
SONG: The Turkey Jerky
So many Thanksgiving books are about unfortunate turkeys trying to escape ending up on the dinner table. I do enjoy some of them, especially Sometimes It’s Turkey, Sometimes It’s Feathers by Lorna and Lecia Balian, but they are sometimes a bit depressing. This time, we mostly avoided the turkey theme, but I couldn’t resist including this song, because it’s so much fun.
(To the tune of The Hokey Pokey)
You put your right wing in,
You put your right wing out,
You put your right wing in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the turkey jerky and you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!
Repeat with your left wing, your right drumstick (right foot), left drumstick, waddle (your chin, or a cloth hanging from your chin), and tail feathers!
We taught the kids the sign for Happy in American Sign Language. Then we sang the song, but added in different emotions. Angela had several paper plates with faces depicting different emotions on them, so she up a different one for each verse. We sang:
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands…
If you’re sad and you know it, cry “Boo hoo!”…
If you’re sleepy and you know it, yawn and stretch…
If you’re surprised and you know it, give a big gasp!…
Short, sweet story with adorable illustrations, about a baby bear and his mother, sharing the things that make them happy. It made for a great read-aloud for toddlers and preschoolers because there were lots of opportunities for them to make the sign for Happy, as well as blowing kisses, giving themselves a hug, and other simple motions.
SONG: I Am Thankful
I couldn’t think of a good song for the theme, so I wrote this one. Feel free to use it however you like, or add in your own verses. We did it as a play-along, encouraging the kids to play whatever instruments or noisemakers they had on hand, or just clap or dance along.
[C] I am thankful for
The [F] colors that I see,
For [C] friends who play with me,
And for my [G7] loving family.
[C] I am thankful for [F] rainbows in the sky,
For the [C] taste of pumpkin pie,
And for a [G7] warm hug when I cry.
I’m thankful [F] for the sky above
I’m thankful [C] for the ones I love,
[D] My cozy bed at night,
And for [G] the summer sun so bright.
[C] I am thankful for the [F] monkeys at the zoo
But [C] most of all I’m [G7] thankful for [C] YOU!
[C] I am thankful for [F] bubbles in the air,
For a [C] cool breeze in my hair,
And for my [G7] snuggly teddy bear.
[C] I am thankful for [F] yummy things to eat,
For [C] ice cream cones so sweet,
And for a [G7] special birthday treat.
I’m thankful [F] for the sky above
I’m thankful [C] for the ones I love,
[D] My cozy bed at night,
And for [G] the summer sun so bright.
[C] I am thankful for the [F] monkeys at the zoo
But [C] most of all I’m [G7] thankful,
[C] I am so very [F] thankful!
[C] Most of all I’m [G7] thankful for [C] YOU!
CLOSING SONG: You Are My Sunshine by Jimmie Davis & Charles Mitchell (or possibly by Oliver Hood)
All in all it was a fun program! Some of kids held up favorite toys or books, and we talked about them here and there. One challenge with Zoom is that, while we muted the kids while we were reading or singing (because unfortunately music doesn’t sync well over Zoom), the kids can unmute themselves by hitting the space bar, which of course is the biggest button on the keyboard, so we did have to occasionally mute certain kids (even though they were adorable!). Luckily, we had another coworker, Kelly, managing the tech side of the program. Highly recommended if you have enough staff!
What are your favorite Thanksgiving books or songs? Please share them in the comments.
Last week, my coworker Angela and I did an Interactive Musical Storytime featuring books by and about Native Americans in honor of National Native American Heritage Month. While we were planning it, I checked with a friend of mine, Laverne Pilcher-Villalobos, who is a member of the Omaha tribe. As a school librarian, she is also a passionate advocate for accurate representation of Native Americans in children’s books. She has recently compiled this wonderful virtual library of books, curriculum, and web sites for students and teachers: November American Indian Heritage Month Virtual Library
As with all of our programs right now, the storytime was held over Zoom, with families registering in advance. Here is what we did:
OPENING SONG: Do As I’m Doing
This has been our regular opening song for our Interactive Storytimes. It’s great because it allows the kids to suggest actions they would like to do. As usual, we had asked them to find a cloth or blanket to wave around, so for one verse, we waved the cloths. We also did a couple of verses when we jumped up and down (always a favorite!), and one where we danced. Here are the lyrics and chords, and a link to video if you would like the tune:
[C] Do as I’m doing, follow, follow [G7] me.
[C] Do as I’m doing, follow, [G7] follow [C] me.
[C] Follow, [G7] follow, [F] follow [C] me.
[F] Follow, [C] follow, [G7] follow [C] me.
Follow, [G7] follow, [F] follow [C] me,
[F] Follow, [C] follow, [G7] follow [C] me.
After our opening song, we talked briefly about Native American Heritage Month. I had originally asked Laverne if she had any songs she would recommend, but she was concerned that sharing a song from any one tribe might give the audience the impression that it was representative of all tribes and tribal languages. She emphasized that there are 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States, each with their own distinct language and culture. Instead, she shared this video of representatives from different tribes saying “I Love You” in their language, so I played a short clip for the kids:
I also shared the map of historic tribal lands from Native-Land.ca, which is an excellent visual of the sheer number of different tribes who have lived, and are currently living, in the United States: https://native-land.ca/
SONG: If All the Raindrops Were Lemon drops and Gumdrops
Since our first book was about food, we set the tone with one of my favorite food songs. We had the kids throw their cloths in the air and let them fall like raindrops, and suggest different foods to sing about. We had pizza, and strawberries, and strawberries with ketchup (!). As I mention in this video, it’s one of the easiest songs to play on the ukulele, because you only use two chords (C and G7):
[C] If all the raindrops were [G7] lemon drops and [C] gum drops,
Oh, what a rain it would [G7] be.
[C] I’d stand out- [G7] side with my [C] mouth open [G7] wide,
We shared this ebook from Overdrive. Luckily, there were two copies available in library system, allowing both Angela and I to borrow one in case one of us lost our Internet connection (which happened before).
The book is a series of short sensory descriptions of a simple, but delicious food made and enjoyed by a number of different tribes, which also serves as a symbol of their adaptability and resilience. The author, Kevin Maillard, is a registered member of the Seminole Nation. This book was the perfect length for our audience (mostly toddlers and preschoolers), especially because it gives the kids the opportunity to mime the mixing, rolling, and flattening of the dough.
SONG: Five Days Old by Laurie Berkner
This is such a fun and lively song, and was a perfect segway for our next book:
[C] I’m sitting here, I’m [F] one day old, and [C] I’m sitting here I’m [F] two [G7] days [C] old.
[C] I’m sitting here, I’m [F] three days old, and [C] I’m sitting here I’m [F] four [G7] days [C] old.
[F] One [C] day, I’ll [F] be a [C] year, then [F] I’ll be [C] two, then [G7] three, then four.
[C] As for now I’m [F] sitting here, I’m [C] five days old and [F] no [G7] days [C] more!
Angela read this sweet book (also available on Overdrive) honoring the First Laugh Celebration practiced by the Navajo (Diné) tribe. The story follows a family and all of their attempts to make their new baby laugh, so that he may be welcomed into the tribe. This is a wonderful book that portrays experiences all kids and families can relate to, while also demonstrating language and cultural elements unique to the Navajo.
SONG: Circle of the Sun by Sally Rogers
This was one of our two “play-along” songs, so we asked the kids to play something from around their house (pot lid and spoon, cereal box, etc.) or simply clap along. We also asked them for suggestions of things that children or babies might do for the first time. We had “Babies laugh their first laugh,” “Children all go dancing” and “Children all go jumping.” Here’s a recording of the original song:
[C] Babies are born in a circle of the sun,
Circle of the sun on their [G7] birthing [C] day.
[C] Babies are born in a circle of the sun,
Circle of the sun on their [G7] birthing [C] day.
CHORUS
[C] Clouds to the North, Clouds to the South,
[F] Wind and [C] rain to the [F] East and the [G7] West,
[C] Babies are born in a circle of the sun,
Circle of the sun on their [G7] birthing [C] day.
ENDING SONG: You Are My Sunshine by Jimmie Davis & Charles Mitchell (or possibly by Oliver Hood)
Incidentally, I noticed that Laverne Pilcher-Villalobos uses the term “American Indian” instead of “Native American,” and I asked her which term was preferred. Here’s what she said:
First, not all American Indians think alike and some don’t care how they are addressed or about stereotypes. However, those of us in the education or libraries do care and a lot. If someone mentions their native background to you, the best way to address them is by asking “what tribe or what nation are you from?” There are approximately 600 federally recognized tribes and each one has its own language and culture… To clump everyone together would be equivalent to saying “European” instead of Italian, Irish, Spanish, French, Swedish or what have you. Using Native American or American Indian is appropriate but the better way to use generic terms is using “Indigenous” to America.
Laverne Pilcher-Villalobos
Do you have favorite books by Native American authors? Please share them in the comments.
Last week, my coworker Angela and I performed our first “live” interactive virtual storytime via Zoom.
For the first time since March, we could actually see the kids and they could see us.
I was surprisingly nervous, even though prior to the shutdown, I used to regularly perform six or more live storytimes a week. But technology adds a whole new level of unpredictability. Now, on top of my recurring nightmare of being faced with a large crowd of toddlers with nothing to read but The Grapes of Wrath, I now had to worry about Zoom bombers, Internet outages, glitches with our ebook databases, and any number of other problems completely out of our control.
But thankfully the Internet gods were kind, and we had a wonderful coworker (Darren) managing all of the nitty gritty techical challenges of muting and unmuting, and monitoring the chat. We had a large and enthusiastic audience of kids, and we all had a blast.
Here’s how we did it:
In order to reduce the risk of Zoom bombers, and also to comply with COPPA (the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act), we required participants to register in advance, and verify that children under the age of 13 would be participating with an adult. Advertising went out over social media (Facebook and Instagram) a week in advance, although it was really the email newsletter that went out to our patrons that brought in the most sign-ups.
On the morning of the program, we logged on to our Zoom meeting about an hour in advance to make sure all of our ebooks were loading properly, run through songs, adjust the lighting, and gather props. We kept everyone in the Zoom waiting room until the program started, although I sent a message to them saying that they could rename themselves if they didn’t want their full name or their child’s full name on the screen.
Once we let the audience in to the meeting, we spent a few minutes explaining to the families how to mute and unmute, and how to set the Zoom meeting to Speaker view, so the kids could see me or Angela when we were talking. Mostly Darren managed muting throughout the storytime, which was a bit of a challenge, since muting everyone meant that Angela and I were temporarily muted too, but only for few seconds.
We also asked the kids to find some kind of cloth (dish towel, small blanket, wash cloth, etc.) and something to make noise with (paper cups, pots and pans, keys, etc.) to use in different parts of the storytime.
We kept the kids muted while we read the books and sang the songs, but we would unmute them in between. For many of the songs, we asked for suggestions of motions we could do, or animals to sing about. These were the books and songs we used:
Opening Song: Do As I’m Doing
This is a really simple action song, which worked well in the virtual setting. We asked the kids to suggest different motions (twirling, jumping, etc.), which they demonstrated on video. Some of the actions involved the cloth that we asked the kids to gather at the beginning (twirling the cloth, throwing it in the air, etc., basically the same kinds of things we used to do with play scarves in our regular storytimes). I played it on the ukulele, while Angela demonstrated the motions. Here are the chords and lyrics.
[C] Do as I’m doing, follow, follow [G7] me.
[C] Do as I’m doing, follow, [G7] follow [C] me.
[C] Follow, [G7] follow, [F] follow [C] me.
[F] Follow, [C] follow, [G7] follow [C] me.
Follow, [G7] follow, [F] follow [C] me,
[F] Follow, [C] follow, [G7] follow [C] me.
Song: If You’re Happy and You Know It
We added verses for different emotions: If you’re sad and you know it, cry boo-hoo!… If you’re angry and you know it, say “I’m mad!”… If you’re sleepy and you know it yawn and stretch… If you’re nervous and you know it, hide your face (we used the cloth, and then did a big “Peek-a-boo!” at the end of each line). Angela had paper plates with different faces (happy, sad, angry) on them that she held up at the beginning of each verse.
eBook:Grumpy Monkeyby Suzanne Lang; illustrated by Max Lang
When Jim Panzee, the monkey, wakes up in a bad mood, all of the other animals try to cheer him up. We read this one from Overdrive, using the Share Screen, so the kids could see the illustrations up close. Angela read the narration and the voice of Jim Panzee, and I did all the other animal voices. This is such a great book for 2020, when everyone feels a little grumpy sometimes. One mom emailed me later to say that her toddler retold the story to every member of their family, so I think it was a hit!
Song: Old McDonald Had a Farm
Angela had a bunch of puppets prepared to hold up, so we could sing about the different animals, but we didn’t end up needing them. The kids (adorably) were all eager to hold up their own stuffed animals, or suggest a favorite animal and the sound it made (unicorns apparently say “neigh!”). This ended up being one of my favorite parts of the storytime.
Gerald the Elephant is unhappy when two birds build a nest on his head. This book is available for 1 Hour Borrowing from Open Library. Angela and I each read a character, and I held a bird stuffed animal on my head (in retrospect, I wish I had asked the kids to pretend their cloths were birds and had them put them on their heads). The simplicity and humor of these books make them perfect for almost any age group, and sharing the ebook on screen made it really easy for the kids to enjoy the illustrations.
Song: Five Little Ducks
There are LOTS of different versions of this song, but the tune I usually sing is the Raffi one). Angela had a Monkey Mitt with the 5 Little Ducks velcroed on, so she held it up while I sang and played the song on the ukulele.
Closing Song: You Are My Sunshine by Jimmie Davis & Charles Mitchell (or possibly by Oliver Hood)
We had unmuted the kids temporarily while we talked about this being our last song, but before we could mute them again, one little boy sang the whole song through all by himself and it was adorable! We asked the kids to play along on the noisemakers (pots and pans, etc.) that they gathered at the beginning of storytime. Angela and I always used to end our regular Musical Storytimes with this song, so it felt almost like old times.
REACTIONS AND TAKE-AWAYS
All in all, Angela and I felt that the storytime went really well. It was wonderful for us to actually see our audience, after months of performing pre-recorded storytimes in an empty room, and wonderful for the kids to see us and each other.
After the storytime, I emailed all of our participants with the registration link for the next Interactive Storytime (which was led by a different librarian). One mom emailed me back to say that in some ways she almost preferred this format to the live storytimes in the library. She said that sharing the ebooks on screen made it easier for her toddler to see the illsutrations and follow the story, and muting the kids during the story meant he wasn’t distracted by the usual noises of the audience. He also bragged to his older brother, who is doing At Home Learning, that he too got to be in a big class with lots of kids on Zoom.
This feedback made me wonder if there might be ways to incorporate some elements of virtual programming into in-person storytimes in the future. For example, I might try displaying the illustrations on a screen while I read from the physical book (so the kids still get the sense of how physical books “work”, but can still see the illustrations clearly. Or I might try to use more “big books,” although I have a hard time turning the pages. In any case, it’s definitely something I will be thinking about when I finally go back to doing in-person storytimes.
Have you performed or attended any virtual storytimes? If so, what worked well, or not so well, for you? Please share any thoughts in the comments.
Well, it’s been ages since I’ve posted anything, but I wanted to share a song I learned a few months ago that’s been a big hit at all of my storytimes, from babies to preschoolers. It’s called We Bounce and We Bounce and We Stop. The kids love to jump up and down, and they giggle every time we stop.
The lyrics are really simple and adaptable, and it’s super easy to do with ukulele although if you’re going to bounce up and down while you do it, you will definitely want to invest in a ukulele strap (I have a Uku’Lei Sling that has been a lifesaver!). I slap the strings on the word stop to make it more dramatic.
Here are the lyrics and chords (click on the triangle to hear a recording):
C
We bounce and we bounce and we stop!
C
We bounce and we bounce and we stop!
C
We bounce and we bounce and we bounce and we bounce,
C G7 C
And we bounce and we bounce and we stop!
I usually repeat this at least twice, and then sing it again with different motions: We clap and we clap and we stop; we wiggle and we wiggle and we stop, etc. With babies I’ve used motions for parents (we tickle and we tickle and we stop; or we lean and we lean and we stop). With older kids I add stomping and turning, or ask them for other motions or even sounds they’d like to do. It’s a great way to give the kids a chance to move around, and re-engage any wandering toddlers. And it can be as long or as short as you like.
I learned the lyrics from a collection of nursery rhymes and songs on a set of signs at the Burlingame Library, and, not knowing how the song went, I used the tune to A Hunting We Will Go. I’ve since found this other, slower version that sounds more like Skip to My Lou on a YouTube video from Jbrary, which looks great for baby storytime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcKGbUk54ns
What are your go-to songs for storytime? Please leave them in the comments.
I apologize for the long hiatus from the blog. Our library actually had a storytime break for the last couple of months because our schedule of open hours is changing. I was so happy to be back doing storytime tonight, and seeing some of my regular families, plus some new faces. And I was especially excited to share this year’s Caldecott Award-winning picture books.
I led off the storytime by describing the Caldecott Award, which is selected every year by a committee from the Association for Library Services to Children who is charged with choosing one book they all agree to be the “most distinguished American picture book for children” published in the previous year. I explained that while they are only allowed to give the award to one book, they are allowed to select as many Caldecott Honor books as they want. This year there were six! I told the kids I would be reading the award-winner and four of the honor books, but they would have to try to guess which one was the winner. Here is the order I read them in:
I had suspected that this book would not win the Caldecott, if only because Jon Klassen already won the award two years ago for This is Not My Hat. But I love to read it aloud. I shared it with two second grade classes a few weeks ago, and I felt like a rock star while I was reading it. It’s the story of two boys and a dog who set out to dig until they find something spectacular, and although they miss several spectacular somethings along the way, something quite extraordinary happens to them at the end. Spoiler alert: you have to pay attention to the trees and the flowers on the first page to realize that Sam and Dave end up someplace slightly different from where they started. The second-graders I read to were practically screaming with frustration whenever they saw the massive gemstones that Sam and Dave somehow always manage to dig around and never find. The kids at family storytime weren’t quite as loud, but they were still absorbed and excited.
This was the actual winner of this year’s Caldecott Award. I started by asking the kids if they had an imaginary friend, or knew someone who did (my mother once had an infamous imaginary friend named Jelly, who caused so much trouble that her sisters used to plot to kill him). One girl at storytime shared that she had an imaginary sister named Serena. The book opens in the land of imaginary friends, where lots of unusual creatures wait to be claimed and named by a real child. One of them is the creature who will eventually be named Beekle, but first he has to set off on an adventure to find the child who will be his friend. I love Beekle’s reaction to “the real world” a place where only grown-ups are eating cake, no one stops to hear the music, and everyone needs a nap. The kids I read this too all loved the different depictions of imaginary friends: one shaped like a puzzle piece, one like a drum, one like a snake, etc. Great fun to read, with colorful, imaginative illustrations.
This is one of my favorite picture book biographies. It tells the story of painter Vasya Kandinsky, who was a proper Russian boy until his aunt gave him a box of paints. To Vasya’s surprise, the colors make sounds, a music that no one else seems to hear. And while he tries his best to be proper, in the end he is driven to try to paint the music he hears and how it makes him feel, leading to the birth of abstract art. The author’s note at the end says that Kandinsky may have had synthesia, a condition that causes people to feel one sense in response to another. These people may hear colors, smell numbers (imagine what math classes would be like?), or even taste words. The kids were entranced by that idea, and they loved the photos of Kandinsky’s art at the end. One girl snatched this book up, and sat clutching it tightly for the whole rest of the storytime.
Sweet story about a little boy who finds the city where his Nana lives frightening and loud, until Nana shows him all the wonderful things they can do there. This was an interesting book to read aloud, considering that our library sits in a quiet suburb of San Francisco, a city most of the kids have probably visited often. Some of them made a point of saying that they didn’t consider cities frightening. As a former farm girl though, I can relate to the boy’s fears, and his nana reminds me of my great-aunt Hazel, who loved living alone in her Manhattan apartment until a fractured hip forced her to leave New York shortly after her 90th birthday. I always admired her, and I admire the Nana in this story. This would be a lovely book for a theme about grandparents.
Yuyi Morales also won the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award for this book. The text is very simple, with only one or two words per page in both English and Spanish. The kids loved the illustrations, which are magical and engaging, evoking the art of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
After I read the books, I asked the kids to guess which one won the actual Caldecott Award. All the books got several votes, although Sam and Dave Dig a Hole had slightly more. When I did this with the two second grade classes earlier in the day, I threw in a couple of books that weren’t Caldecott winners at all: You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant, which won this year’s Theodor Seuss Geisel Award; and My Teacher is a Monster (No I Am Not) by Peter Brown. Funnily enough, their favorite was My Teacher is a Monster.
SONGS:
My Imaginary Friend
I haven’t actually performed this song live yet, because I was still working on it the night of the storytime. But here it is, if anyone would like to use it. I may pull it out again for a future Monster Storytime. Here are the lyrics and chords. Click on the triangle for the tune:
I have a little monster (C)
No larger than a tear. (F, C)
He climbs up on my shoulder (C)
And whispers in my ear. (G7, C)
CHORUS
He’s my friend, my friend, (C)
My imaginary friend. (F, C)
Nobody else can see him. (C)
They say he’s just pretend. (G7, C)
Chorus
My monster’s always hungry.
He likes to eat my peas.
He brings me little treasures,
Like shiny coins and keys.
Chorus
My monster sleeps beside me
In a matchbox filled with hay.
He tells me funny stories,
And scares bad dreams away.
Chorus
If you find a monster,
I hope you’ll let him stay,
To chase away your nightmares
And play throughout the day.
He’ll be your friend, your friend,
Your imaginary friend.
And though no one else can see him,
He’ll be with you till the end.
Rainbow ‘Round Me
I sang this one to go with The Noisy Paint Box, and asked the kids for suggestions of things they might see outside their window. We had blue rain, brown dirt, and a red kite. This is the original version, the way I first learned it:
When I look outside my window, (D, A)
There’s a world of color I see. (A, D)
Fiddle-dee-dee, outside my window (D, G, D)
There’s a world of color I see. (A, D)
CHORUS:
Rainbow, rainbow, rainbow ’round me. (G, D, A, D)
Rainbow, rainbow, rainbow ’round me. (G, D, A, D)
And the sky outside my window,
Is as blue as blue can be.
Fiddle-dee-dee, outside my window
It’s as blue as blue can be.
Chorus
And the grass outside my window,
Is as green as green can be.
Fiddle-dee-dee, outside my window
It’s as green and green can be,
And the sky is blue as blue can be.
Chorus
And the flowers outside my window,
Are as yellow as yellow can be.
Fiddle-dee-dee, outside my window
They’re as yellow as yellow can be.
And the grass is green as green can be.
And the sky is blue as blue can be.
Chorus
CRAFT: Imaginary Friends with Crayon Resist and Watercolors
This project was really fun. I gave the kids watercolors and crayons, and suggested they draw an imaginary friend of their own in white crayon, then paint over it with the watercolors to make a crayon resist. Many of them did that, although some of them just enjoyed painting and drawing as well. They were all completely different and whimsical. Here are a few:
Although I didn’t have enough time to share this one at Family Storytime, I did read it to the second graders. It describes the life of Peter Roget, who was obsessed with making lists. It was a good opportunity to describe what a thesaurus is (most of them had never used one, and one student guessed it was a kind of dinosaur). I think it’s hard for kids growing up today to conceive of a world without the Internet and Google, the electronic realization of Roget’s dream of having all knowledge in one place.
I didn’t share this one at all, because it’s a lengthy graphic novel intended for Young Adults, and I haven’t had a chance to read it myself, but I wish I had been able to at least show it to the kids. Graphic novels are so popular right now. Most of the book requests I get at work are for series like Smile, Big Nate, and Amulet. I’m a big believer in comics and graphic novels as a way to hook kids on reading (for more on that see my post: My Love Affair with Superman), so it’s nice to see a book in this medium receive a prominent award. It was also chosen as an Honor book for the Michael L. Printz Award for Young Adult Literature.
Which of the Caldecott Award winners do you like best? Or would you have picked a different book entirely?
Sorry for the lapse in my posts! I have a backlog of storytimes I need to write up, but I’ll start with the one I did last Wednesday, because it featured some of my favorite picture books. The theme was Bedtime. Here’s what we read:
A fun, cumulative rhyme about a pile of sleepers that includes a granny, a child, a dog, a cat, a mouse, and a flea. I like to read it in a hushed voice until the dramatic turn in the middle, when the flea bites the mouse. The kids giggled as the pile of creatures grew bigger and bigger, and laughed when the bed broke.
Margaret Read MacDonald is a master at retelling old tales. Her picture books usually include lots of repeated words or phrases for kids to chime in on. A few weeks back, I read Pickin’ Peas, which one family enjoyed so much that they returned to the library later in the week to check out. This story is about a little boy who is sleeping over at his grandparents’ house. At bedtime, his Grandma says, “Now when I turn off the light, and close the door, are you going to be scared?” “NO! NOT ME!” says the boy. But when she closes the door, it makes an awful squeak, and the little boy cries. So Grandma brings in the cat to keep the boy company. But of course the door squeaks again. So Grandma brings in the dog. The story gets more and more absurd, as more and more animals crowd into the bed. The kids and parents laughed at Grandma kissing the pig goodnight, and dressing the horse in pajamas, and the kids loved saying the repeated, “No! Not me!” every time. Always a hit.
This is one of my all-time favorite read-alouds. It works well for a wide range of ages. Like The Squeaky Door, it is about a little boy (whose name is Patrick) sleeping over at his Granny’s house. But when Granny tells Patrick to climb into bed, he informs her that he doesn’t have a bed there. “What?” cries Granny, and rushes out to cut down some trees and build Patrick a bed. But then she discovers he doesn’t have a pillow. This book is great for promoting print awareness (you can point out the word “What?!” which gets bigger and bigger every time it is repeated), and prediction (the kids enjoy guessing what Granny will have to make next. But it’s also just a funny story, with big, brightly colored illustrations.
Whenever I have a Mo Willems book in my storytime stack, the kids always spot it right away, and demand that I read it. So it was no surprise when someone shouted out, “Read the Pigeon book!” This one, like the other books about that naughty Pigeon, encourages the kids to say “No!” to the Pigeon’s constant wheedling, this time about why he should be allowed to stay up a little longer.
Jan Thomas writes a lot of great read-alouds, full of humor and surprise. In this one, a cowboy is singing his cows to sleep, except “EEEEEK! Is that a huge hairy spider?” No, it’s just a flower. The kids love the repeated, “Eeeks!” and the dramatic irony of knowing when an actual danger appears. I use a tune my former manager, Thom Ball, came up with for the lullaby, which goes like this:
SONGS AND RHYMES
Five in the Bed
When I did this at storytime, I actually made it Ten in the Bed, which obviously takes about twice as long to sing. Click on the triangle for the tune:
There were five in the bed (hold up five fingers)
And the little one said,
“I’m crowded! Roll over!” (roll hands around each other)
So they all rolled over,
And one fell out,
There were four in the bed
And the little one said… (Repeat, counting down until one.)…
There was one in the bed,
And that little one said,
“I’ve got the whole bed to myself!
I’ve got the whole bed to myself!
I’ve got the whole bed to myself!
I’ve got the whole bed to myself!”
No More Monkeys
I sing the version by Asheba from Putumayo’s Animal Playground. Here are the lyrics, and ukulele chords (although actually in the recording, I’m playing the new banjolele my in-laws gave me for my birthday. Squee! Instant tiny banjo! So easy to play.) Click on the triangle to hear the tune:
Five monkeys were playing on the bed. (C)
One fell off and bumped his head. (C G7)
Mama called the doctor, and the doctor said, (C F)
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!” (C G7 C)
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed! (C)
No more monkeys jumping on the bed! (C G7)
No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”(C F)
That is what the doctor said. (C G7 C)
Four monkeys were jumping on the bed…
(Repeat, counting down to one…)
One monkey was playing on the bed,
She fell off and bumped her head.
Mama called the children, and the children said,
“YES! More monkeys jumping on the bed!”
“Yes! More monkeys jumping on the bed!
Yes! More monkeys jumping on the bed!
Yes! More monkeys jumping on the bed!”
That is what the children said.
CRAFT: Worry Dolls
Worry Doll by Sarah
I was originally going to read Silly Billy by Anthony Browne to introduce the worry doll idea, but the copy I ordered over from another branch didn’t arrive in time. The kids loved making the worry dolls anyway. If you aren’t familiar with worry dolls (also known as trouble dolls), they are a tradition that comes from Guatemala, where kids are given tiny dolls to tell their worries to, and keep under their pillows at night. The book Silly Billy is about a boy who has so many worries that he makes worry dolls for his worry dolls.
For our worry doll craft, I gave the kids clothespins (the kind with the round top), markers to draw faces, pipe cleaners for the arms, and kids’ scissors and multicolored yarn to make hair and clothes. We used gluesticks to stick the hair on, and wrapped the yarn around the clothespins for the clothes. The kids needed some help securing the ends of the yarn (I tucked the ends under the wrapped part). But the parents seemed to enjoy helping with the dolls, and the kids were excited to take them home.
The Loudest Librarian! 