Category Archives: Storytime themes

The Birds and the B’s: A Storytime About the Letter B

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Early Literacy Tip: Books with repeated phrases that kids can easily remember (like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?) help them associate the printed word with the spoken one, and helps build their basic sight word vocabulary.

This week we continued our journey through the alphabet by focusing on the letter B in both Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime.

I’ve been trying to use this alphabet series as a fun way to focus explicitly on letter sounds and early literacy skills. As part of that focus, I’ve also started offering caregivers the opportunity to make a name tag for their child (I use small mailing labels) at the beginning of storytime. I tell them that it’s optional, but that we are trying to promote print awareness, and get their kids used to seeing their names written in print.

I started both of my storytimes by drawing a capital and lowercase letter B on a whiteboard and asking the kids what sound B makes. Then we drew the letter B (capital and lowercase) together in the air (I did silly sound effects while we did it: a descending pitch “woooo!” for the straight line down, and a “whoop!” for each curved line).

After that, I asked the kids if they knew any words that started with B, and wrote them on the whiteboard. They came up with “bird,” “banana” and “bat.” I also pulled some items out of a paper bag: a bag, a ball, a book, and a container of bubbles (I blew some for fun). For my Family Storytime (which is in the evening, and draws a much smaller crowd), I had kids take turns pulling the items out of the bag.

I had such a good time picking books for this storytime, because there are so many classic titles featuring the letter B, and the kids were excited to see some of their favorites.

Books:

I’m Bored by Michael Ian Black; illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

This is one of my favorite books to read aloud: a story about a bored little girl and her conversation with a potato. The girl is shocked to learn that the potato thinks kids are boring, even after she describes all the amazing things that kids can do. The kids loved joining in on the repeated “boring’s.”

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

Another all-time favorite of mine. I’m always surprised to find families who haven’t read it yet, and delighted to share it with them for the first time. When George’s mother asks him to bark, he meows, quacks, oinks, and moos until she takes him the vet, who discovers a variety of animals inside of George. The surprise ending always gets a laugh.

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin; illustrated by James Dean

This is one of my favorite Pete the Cat books. Pete loves his yellow jacket with its four big colorful groovy buttons. He even has a song about it! But one by one his buttons pop off and roll away until he is left with just his belly button. The kids enjoyed joining in on the “Pop! Oh no!” each time.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle

There’s a reason why this book is a classic, and it made me happy to hear so many kids squeal, “I have that book at home!” when I held it up. It works well for so many reasons: the repeated pattern makes it perfect for beginning readers; the call and response structure makes it perfect for read-alouds. Plus, it teaches color and animal names. My only minor gripe is that I wish the teacher was a bit less frumpy looking, but at least teachers are in good company here, since librarians are usually portrayed the same way. At least she looks friendly!

Songs:

The Sleepy Bunny Song

I don’t know what it is about songs where you start on the ground and then jump up, but the kids always LOVE them! This one is a particular favorite.

See the little bunnies sleeping (crouch or lie down and pretend to sleep)
‘Till it’s nearly noon.
Come, let us wake them with a merry tune?
They’re so still.
Are they ill?
NO! Wake up little bunnies! (jump up)
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop! (hop!)
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Hop little bunnies, hop and stop!

We Bounce and We Bounce and We Stop

One of my all-time favorite storytime songs because it’s so versatile and works for almost any age. You can substitute almost any other action for bouncing (clapping, leaning, twirling, running, etc.), slow it down or speed it up, add in extra bounces on the third line, and put in a long pause between the words (we…bounce). For Outdoor Musical Storytime this week, we sang it with the parachute. I put cotton balls on the parachute so the kids could watch them bounce, and added more each time we sang it.

[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] And we bounce and [G7] we bounce and we [C] stop!

I’m Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee

There are a lot of versions of this old camp song, including the disturbing one about killing and squishing the poor baby bumblebee. The version I use is closest to the one in this video by Dr. Jean. I always ask the kids to suggest other animals to bring home, and then we try to come up with a line (usually rhyming) to describe what “my Mommy” does, which is a fun, and sometimes hilarious challenge. This time we had “I’m bringing home a baby bunny…won’t my Mommy think that’s really funny;” “I’m bringing home a baby cat…what will my Mommy think of that.” I got stumped by “I’m bringing home a baby puppy.” All I could think of on the spot was “Won’t my Mommy turn into a guppy,” which got some laughs from parents.

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!

Bananaphone by Raffi

We sang this as our instrument play-along at the end. It’s got some unusual chords and lots of lyrics, so I don’t do it often, but it’s always a big hit that gets stuck in my head for days.

[G] Ring ring ring ring [D] ring ring ring
[G] Bananaphone! [D]
[G] Ring ring ring ring [D] ring ring ring
[E7] Bananaphone
[Am] I’ve got this feeling, [G] so ap-[Em]pealing
[A7] For us to get together and [D7] sing, sing!

[G] Ring ring ring ring [D] ring ring ring
[G] Bananaphone! [D]
[G] Ding dong ding dong [D] ding dong ding
[E7] Donanaphone!
[Am] It grows in bunches. [G] I’ve got my [Em] hunches.
[A7] It’s the best! Beats the rest
[D7] Cellular, modular, interactivodular!

[G] Ring ring ring ring [D] ring ring ring
[G] Bananaphone!
[G] Ping pong ping pong [D] ping pong ping
[E7] Pananaphone
[Am] It’s no baloney. [G] It ain’t a [Em] phony,
[A7] My cellular [D7] Bananular [G] phone.

Don’t [F#] need quarters, don’t need dimes,
To [Bm] call a friend of mine!
Don’t [F#] need computer or TV
To [Bm] have a real good time!
I’ll [E7] call for pizza, I’ll call my cat
I’ll [A] call the white house, have a chat!
I’ll [A7] place a call around the world.
[D7] Operator get me Beijing-jing-jing-jing!

[G] Ring ring ring ring [D] ring ring ring
[G] Bananaphone! [D]
[G] Yin yang yin yang [D] yin yang ying
[E7] Yananaphone.
It’s a [C] real live mama and [C#dim7] papa phone,
A [G] brother and sister and a [E7] dog-aphone,
A [A7] grandpa phone and a [D7] grandmaphone too! [E7] Yeah!
My [A7] cellular, [D7] bananular [G] phone!

[G] Bananaphone, ring [D7] ring [G] ring!
[G] Bananaphone, ring [D7] ring [G] ring!

Stay & Play: Beaded Bracelets

This simple Stay & Play is always popular, and the kids get really into it. It’s always great for building their fine motor skills. I just put out bowls of Pony beads and pipe cleaners and let them thread away. The grown-ups usually have to help them connect the ends of the pipe cleaner to make it into a bracelet at the end.

Do you have any favorite books, songs, or activities featuring the Letter B? Or any early literacy tips? Please share them in the comments below.

Say Ahh! A Storytime About the Letter A

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Early Literacy Skill: Point out letters and letter combinations in books and in the world around you, and talk about the sounds they make. This helps promote phonological awareness, an essential skill for learning to read.

A few years ago, I did a series of storytimes based on each letter of the alphabet. It was a lot of fun, both in terms of planning, and because the families enjoyed trying to guess which letter we were focusing on each week.

Lately, I’ve been making more of an explicit effort to promote early literacy skills in my storytimes, and, after reading this Reading Rocket article about phonological awareness as a predictor of reading skills, I decided that revisiting the alphabet would be the perfect way to introduce letter sounds in a fun way.

For both Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime, I started out by asking the kids to suggest words they knew that started with the letter A. I wrote these down on a white board. They came up with Apple, Alligator, and Ant. We also added any kids’ names who started with A, like Aaron and Ava.

I also had a paper bag with three objects beginning with the letter A (a toy Albino Alligator, an Apple and an Avocado (actually shakers shaped like an Apple and an Avocado). I pulled these out of the bag one at a time. (For my Family Storytime, which is a much smaller group, I had kids reach in to pull things out of the bag).

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

Axolotl and Axolittle by Jess Hitchman; illustrated Sarah Rebar

The story of Axolotl and Axolittle, two axolotl siblings, is a cute, colorful, tongue-twisting read. When Axolotl starts quacking a lotl, it upsets her little brother, Axolittle, and the two get into an axo-squabble that Dad has to help resolve. I read this book at Family Storytime, and also at several local preschools.

Acorn Was a Little Wild by Jen Arena; illustrated by Jessica Gibson

Cute story about an acorn who loves adventure. Even when a squirrel picks him up and carries him away, he loves the thrill of racing through the trees, and can’t wait for more. But then another squirrel buries him the ground, and he finds himself changing in ways he never expected. This story was perfect for our Outdoor Musical Storytime at the park.

Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max

I love this simple, sweet story about a girl who wants to be an astronaut. Her father asks her if she is ready to do all of the things astronauts have to do: eating food from packages, spinning around in space, sleeping alone on the rocket ship. Finally, they go to meet her mother, who is just returning from her own voyage as an astronaut.

All Aboard the Alaska Train by Brooke Hartman; illustrated by John Joseph

I gave out egg shakers before we read this one, since it’s a rhythmic chant describing a trip on a train through Alaska. Each rhyme leads to a different animal: moose, otters, caribou, etc. and ends with the Northern Lights.

Rhymes & Song:

The Alphabet Song

We sang this at the beginning of storytime, to kick off our journey through the alphabet. I usually repeat it two or three times, getting faster and faster.

[C] A – B – C – D – [F] E – F – [C] G
[F] H – I – [C] J – K – [G7] LMNO – [C] P
[C] Q – R –[F] S –[C] T – U –[G7] V
[C] W – [F]X –[C] Y and [G7] Z
[C] Now I know my [F]AB[C]C’s,
[F]Next time [C] won’t you [G7]sing with [C] me.

Way Up High in the Apple Tree

We did this rhyme to go along with Acorn Was a Little Wild. For Family Storytime, I gave each child two play scarves to bundle up in their hands like apples. For both groups, I asked them to suggest other foods they would like to pick from a tree. They suggested pears, bananas and cookies.

Way up high in the apple tree,
Two little apples smiled at me.
I shook that tree as hard as I could!
Down came the apples.
Mmmm! They were good!

The Ants Go Marching

We sang this song with the parachute at Outdoor Musical Storytime. I put small pom-poms on the parachute each time we sang it to represent the ants. The kids loved watching them bounce up and down.

[Am] The ants go marching one by one, [C] Hurrah, Hurrah!
The [Am] ants go marching one by one, [C] Hurrah, Hurrah!
The [C] ants go marching [G7] one by one,
The [Am] little one stops to [E7] suck his thumb,
And they [C] all [G7] go marching [Am] down to the ground to get out of the rain,
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching two by two…the little one stops to tie her shoe…

The ants go marching three by three…the little one stops to climb a tree…

Zoom Zoom Zoom

We sang this to go along with Astro Girl, although I do it every week at Outdoor Musical Storytime as my second parachute song. The kids LOVE running underneath the parachute when we lift it up in the air.

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom,
We’re going to the Moon.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom,
We’re going to the Moon.
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom,
We’re going to the Moon.
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Blast-off!

Apples and Bananas

This is such a great song, particularly for helping kids learn the different vowel sounds. It’s also a lot of fun, and works well for almost any age group.

I like to [C] eat, eat eat, apples and ba-[G]nanas.
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and ba-[C]nanas.
I like to [C] eat, eat eat, apples and ba-[G]nanas.
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and ba-[C]nanas.

I like to eat, eat, eat ayples and baynaynays…

I like to eat, eat, eat eeples and beeneenees…

I like to eat, eat, eat īpples, and bīnīnīs… (the ī symbol is for the long “i” sound, which sounds like “eye”)

I like to eat, eat, eat oh-pples and boh-noh-nohs…

 I like to eat, eat, eat ūpples and būnūnūs… (the ū symbol is for the long “u” sound, which sounds like “ooh)

Letter A

I wrote this song to showcase the different sounds that Letter A makes. The kids enjoyed repeating the “Aaaah! Ahhh! Ayyy!” sounds in the chorus. Feel free to use it if you like. Also, if you are ever having trouble coming up with a song for a particular theme, please send me a message. I really enjoy the challenge of writing new songs.

Letter [D] A,
Letter [A] A,
Has so [D] many sounds to a say,
You say, [D] “Aaaah!”
You say, [A] “Ahhh!”
You say, [D] “Ayyy!”

You’re the [D] apple of my eye.
You’re the [A] airplane in the sky.
Astro-[D]nauts and arrows [A] fly
With letter [D] A.

You say “Aaah” in hat and rat,
And in cat and acrobat.
The whole world would be flat
Without A.

You put the a in cake and bake,
And in acorn and mistake.
When we say those words you make
Our faces smile.

You give water its ahhh,
And you make the sheep say “Baaa!”
There could be no Arkansas
Without A.

Letter A, Letter A,
You make everything okay,
You say, “Aaah!”
You say, ” Ahhh”
You say, “Ayyy”

Stay & Play: ART!

For our Stay & Play, I announced we were going to be exploring one of my favorite Letter A words: ART! I just put out white paper, markers and dot markers, and let the kids go wild.

What are your favorite books or songs about the Letter A? Please share them in the comments below.

Hold Your Horses: A Storytime for the Year of the Horse

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For the last few weeks, our libraries have been celebrating Lunar New Year, which this year fell on February 17, but is often celebrated through the Lantern Festival on March 3. We’ve been lucky enough to have a Lion Dancers come to both libraries, which has been a blast (the first one was absolutely packed!).

Since this year is the Year of the Horse, I focused my last two storytimes on a combination of horse books and songs, and books about the Lunar New Year. Here’s what we did:

Books:

Tomorrow is New Year’s Day by Aram Kim

Most of the picture books we have about the Lunar New Year are focused on the Chinese traditions surrounding the holiday. I liked that this one centered around the traditions practiced by people from Korea. It’s also relatively short, and works well for storytime. In this story, Mina can’t wait to show off her beautiful hanbok to her class, and share tteokguk, a delicious rice cake soup. But she’s embarrassed when her little brother shows up crying and complaining about his own hanbok being itchy. Luckily, the compliments of her classmates calm him down. Includes a glossary of terms (with pronunciation), and instructions on how to make an origami hanbok.The kids like joining in on the “Waaahh!” when the little brother cries.

Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin

This is one of my favorite Lunar New Year picture books that focuses on Chinese traditions. It describes how one family celebrates the holiday by sweeping out the old year, getting haircuts, eating dumplings, and waking up the dragon. Sometimes I hand out pieces of bubble wrap (the kind that still pops) for the kids to pop when we get to the page with the firecrackers.

Clip-Clop by Nicola Smee

This simple, funny picture book works well for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. All the animals want to go for a ride with Mr. Horse, but when they complain that he’s going too fast, he skids to a stop, and they all fly into a haystack. Mr. Horse is very worried, but then they all beg to do it again. Lots of opportunities for kids to join in on the “Clippedy-Clops” (or stomp their feet), and make different animal sounds.

Horse Meets Dog by Elliott Kalan & Tim Miller

Funny story about an encounter between a horse and a dog, who are both confused about each other’s identity. The horse thinks the dog is a tiny baby horse, and tries to give him a bottle of hay. The dog thinks the horse is a very big dog, and tries to teach him to play fetch with a ball. The kids loved the part at the end, where they argue back and forth: “Tiny baby horse!” “Very big dog!” and the ending, when a bird thinks they are “two weird looking birds.”

If You Want to Ride a Horse by Amy Novesky & Gael Abary

This one is a bit too long for my Outdoor Musical Storytime crowd, but it worked well for the early elementary kids at my evening Family Storytime. It invites the reader to imagine what kind of horse they might like to have, the different ways they could ride it, and the different tools they would need to take care of it. It’s the kind of book I would have loved when I was a horse-obsessed girl.

Songs:

Ribbon Dancing

In honor of Lunar New Year, we handed out ribbon wands, and invited the kids to wave them in time to the song Gongs and Drums to Welcome New Year performed by the Taipei Municipal Chinese Classical Orchestra. This was a big hit!

Giddy-Up!

This is one of my all-time favorite baby/toddler storytime songs. It’s to the tune of the William Tell Overture (Lone Ranger Theme). For Outdoor Musical Storytime, we sang it with the parachute, shaking the chute in time to the song, and getting faster each time.

Giddy-up, Giddy-up, Giddy-UP-UP-UP! (bounce baby or toddler, or have older kids “gallop” in place)
Giddy-up, Giddy-up, Giddy-UP-UP-UP!
Giddy-up, Giddy-up, Giddy-UP-UP-UP!
WHOA, Horsey! (Lean back with baby/toddler, or have older kids stop and put their hands out)

Hop Up, My Ladies

There are lots of recordings of this traditional song, but the one by Dan Zanes is my favorite. It’s such a fun and happy song. We did it as our instrument play-along at the end.

[C] Did you ever go to meetin’, [G] Uncle [C] Joe, Uncle Joe?
Did you ever go to [G] meetin’, Uncle Joe?
Did you [C] ever go to meetin’, Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe?
Don’t [F] mind the weather [G] so the wind don’t blow.

CHORUS:

[C] Hop up, my ladies, three in a row,
Hop up, my [G] ladies, three in a row,
Hop up, my [C] ladies, three in a row,
Don’t [F] mind the weather [G] so the wind don’t blow.

Will your horse carry double, Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe…

CHORUS:

Is your horse a single-footer, Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe…

CHORUS:

Say, don’t you wanna’ gallop, Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe…

Stay & Play: Paper Dragon Puppets

A teacher friend of mine gave me a whole envelope full of wooden chopsticks and New Year envelopes (we put stickers in these, and gave them out at the end of both storytimes).

Before the storytime, I cut out the dragon head and tail from krokotak.com (for some reason, I couldn’t get the template to load when I went back to the site, but here’s a photo of it).

I also cut sheets of red paper in half lengthwise to make the bodies.

For the Stay & Play, I put out the paper templates, markers, chopsticks, the half sheets of red paper, glue sticks, and Scotch tape. I showed the kids how to fold the red paper accordion style (the adults helped the kids with this too). Then they colored their dragons, and glued the head and tail onto either end of the folded paper. We taped a chopstick at the front and the back. The kids had a great time making their dragons dance.

Do you have favorite books, songs, or crafts related to Lunar New Year or horses? Please share them in the comments below.

Whatever Floats Your Boat: A Storytime About Floating and Sinking

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Early Literacy Tip: Find ways to play with rhyming words together by changing the words to favorite songs, or coming up with your own verses. Rhyming and music are both powerful tools for teaching the sounds that make up language, which will make it easier for kids to learn to decode words when they are learning to read later on.

Last week, I did a storytime focused on things that float/things that sink, mostly so we could do a little STEM activity with water play at the end. I started by asking the kids what things they could think of that float. They suggested boats, rubber ducks, and soap. I didn’t get into any of the science behind it, but in retrospect, I wish I had done a little demonstration where we tried seeing if different things floated or sank in a container of water.

Here’s the rest of what we did:

Books:

I Want a Boat by Liz Garton Scanlon; illustrated by Kevan Atteberry

I read this one for Family Storytime. The text is simple (“I have a box. I want a boat. I have a boat. I want a crew, etc.”) but the magic is in the adorable illustrations of a little girl on an imaginary adventure.

Truck Full of Ducks by Ross Burach

This one is always a hit. When the ducks eat the address of the customer who called for a “Truck full of ducks,” the owner drives around town looking for them. He finds surfers who called for an ice cream truck, a construction worker who called for a dump truck, and even someone who called for a duck removal truck. Finally, in the deep dark woods, he finds the fox who called for a truck full of ducks–for his bathtub! The best page is the one showing all of the ducks in a public restroom, with their little feet showing under the doors.

Swim, Swim, Sink by Jenn Harney

Rhyming (sort of) book about a family of three baby ducks. Two of the ducks swim without any problem, but the third one always sinks. He tries everything to cope: SCUBA gear, a jet-ski, water wings, and then finally uses his eggshell as a boat. The kids enjoyed joining in on the “Swim, Swim, Sink!” part.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Jane Cabrera

Adorable adaptation of the classic song, with additional verses featuring a wide variety of animals (and animal sounds). We sang it with the egg shakers at the end of both Outdoor Musical and Family Storytime.

Songs:

The Goldfish Song

We sang this after reading Swim, Swim, Sink. I handed out ribbon wands for the kids to wave around during the choruses.

[C] Lots of little fish were sleeping on a rock
In the [G] bottom of the [C] ocean.
They lifted up their heads,
And they shook out their tails,
And they [G] said let’s go [C] swimming.

CHORUS
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming,
[G] Yeah, let’s go [C] swimming.
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming in the [G] bottom of the [C] ocean.

[C] Then the little fish got so very, very tired
That they [G] swam back to the [C] rock.
And they [C] put down their heads,
And they put down their tails,
And they [G] took a little [C] nap.
And when they woke up, they were a little bit dirty,
So they took a shower.
And they washed their [C] hair,
And they washed their [G] ears,
And they washed their tummies,
And they washed their very long fishy beards.
And they washed their [F] noses,
And they washed their [C] toeses,
And then they [G] said,
“Wait a minute, we’re fish!
We don’t take showers!”

CHORUS:
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming,
[G] Yeah, let’s go [C] swimming.
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming in the [G] bottom of the [C] ocean.

[C] Then the little fish got so very, very tired
That they [G] swam back to the [C] rock.
And they [C] put down their heads,
And they put down their tails,
And they [G] took a little [C] nap.
And when they woke up,
They decided to brush their teeth.

So they got out their tooth [C] brush
And their [G] toothpaste.
And they squeezed a little on,
They really liked the [C] taste.
Then they put it in their [F] mouth,
They brushed north and [C] south.
Ch-ka-ch! Ch-ka-ch! Ch-ka-ch!
And then [G] they said,
“Wait a minute, we’re fish!
We don’t brush our teeth!

CHORUS

[C] Then the little fish got so very, very tired,
That they [G] came back to the [C] rock.
They [C] put down their heads,
And they put down their tails,
And they [G] took a little [C] nap.
And [C] when they woke up,
They decided to ride their bicycles.

So they rode to the [C] left,
And they rode to the [G] right,
And they rode all day,
And they rode all [C] night-night-night-night-night.
They rode down the [F] hill,
And then faster [C] still,
And then they said,
“Wait a minute, [G] we’re [C] fish!
We don’t ride bicycles!”

CHORUS
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming
[G] Yeah, let’s go [C] swimming
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming in the [G] bottom of the [C] ocean.
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming
[G] Yeah, let’s go [C] swimming
Let’s go [C] swimming, let’s go swimming in the [G] bottom of the [F] o-[C]cean

Six Little Ducks

We sang this with the parachute for Outdoor Musical Storytime. I threw six small rubber ducks onto the parachute. The kids loved watching them bounce around.

[C] Six little ducks that I once [G7] knew,
Big ones, little ones, [C] fair ones too.But the one little duck with the [G7] feather on his back.
He led the others with his [C] “Quack! Quack! Quack!”

Chorus:
[G7] “Quack! Quack! Quack! [C] Quack! Quack! Quack!”
[G7] He led the others with his [C] “Quack! Quack! Quack!”

[C] Down to the river they would [G7] go,
Wibble-wobble, wibble-wobble, [C] to and fro.
But the one little duck with the [G7] feather on his back.
He led the others with his [C] “Quack! Quack! Quack!”

Chorus

[C] Home from the river they would [G7] come,
[C] Wibble-wobble, wibble-wobble, ho hum hum.
But the one little duck with the [G7] feather on his back.
He led the others with his [C] “Quack! Quack! Quack!”

Chorus

When I Was One

We sang this as our instrument play-along at the end. I asked the kids for words that rhymed with each number for the additional verses: When I was two, I tied my shoe. When I was three, I saw a bee, etc.

When I was one, I had some fun,
When I travelled out to sea. (move hand in a wavy motion)
I jumped aboard a pirate ship (jump)
And the captain said to me. (salute)

He said, Go this way! (lean right) 
That way! (lean left) 
Forward! (lean forward) 
Backward! (lean backward) 
When you travel out to sea!”

When I was two, I tied my shoe…

Stay & Play: Nature Boats

Before storytime, I collected a bunch of small sticks. I also brought some small pieces of a cauliflower plant from my garden that I hadn’t harvested in time, although flowers would have worked just as well.

For the Stay & Play, I put out the sticks, cauliflower pieces, rubber bands, ribbon, and scissors, along with a large tub of water so the kids could see if their boats would float. The kids had a great time assembling the sticks into bundles fastened with the rubber bands and testing them out in the water (I showed them how they might have to flatten them out into a kind of raft shape to make them float). They then decorated them with the cauliflower pieces and ribbon, along with leaves and other things they found around the picnic area. For Family Storytime, we used pipe cleaners instead of rubber bands.

Do you have any favorite books or songs about sinking and floating? Please share them in the comments below.

By the Book: A Storytime About Interactive Picture Books

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Early Literacy Tip: Engage children in the books you read together by inviting them to mimic sounds and actions from the story, and asking them questions about the pictures and what they think will happen next. Interactive picture books are a fun and easy way to get kids involved in the story.

Interactive picture books (the kind that asks the reader to do different actions) are so much fun to share at storytime. They are also a great way to model the kinds of interactions that caregivers can use to encourage kids to engage with the books they read aloud. For this week’s storytimes, I decided to feature several of these types of books, and briefly explain to caregivers that they provide an easy way to give kids a way to participate in the books they read together, even before they learn how to read for themselves.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas

Jan Thomas is one of my favorite storytime authors. In this one, a trio of enthusiastic cows announce that it’s time to bounce on Chicken’s sofa. When Chicken tells them there will be no bouncing on his sofa, the cows dance, wiggle, and eventually nap on the sofa instead. The kids enjoyed doing the actions along with the cows. This is a great book for restless toddlers.

Bunny Slopes by Claudia Rueda

One of a series of Bunny Interactive books, this one asks the reader to help Bunny go skiing by shaking the book (or your arms) to make it snow, tilting the book (or your body) to make a ski slope, and more. The kids enjoyed following the bunny’s instructions.

Don’t Wake the Dragon by Bianca Schulze; illustrated by Samara Hardy

This was my first time reading this book, but it worked really well. A naughty dragon is finally asleep, and the narrator asks you to help keep her that way by saying “Shhh!” three times, rocking the book (or your body), and quieting a noisy group of knights by participating in their birthday party celebration until you can finally get their attention. The illustrations are bright and eye-catching, and the kids really seemed to enjoy all of the actions.

Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Kevin Cornell

I read this one for Family Storytime. It’s time to count the monkeys! There’s just one problem: a bunch of other animals (and people) keep showing up and scaring the monkeys away. You can help by giving high fives to the lumberjacks, moving your hand in a Z to confuse the crocodiles, saying thank you to the beekeepers, and more. This book got lots of laughs from both kids and grownups.

I Say Ooh, You Say Aah! by John Kane

I didn’t actually end up reading this at storytime, because it seemed a bit too complicated for the toddlers and preschoolers to follow. But I read it to a group of Kindergartners and T/K (Transitional Kindergartners), and they loved it so much, I ended up reading it twice (they even begged me to read it a third time!). The book asks the reader to follow a series of silly instructions: say “Aah” when the narrator says, “Ooh;” say “Underpants” when you see a picture of an ant; pat your head when you see the color red, etc. It then introduces a donkey named, “Ooh” with an ant on his nose, and things get very silly.

Songs:

We Bounce and We Bounce and We Stop

We sang this to go with the book Is Everyone Ready for Fun? This is one of my all-time favorite storytime songs, because it’s so versatile. It works for almost any age (as a lapsit song for babies, and an action song for toddlers on up). You can add in age-appropriate actions like clapping, jumping, spinning, etc., and ask the kids for suggestions. You can sing it fast or slow, or add in long pauses to make them wait for the action (“We…bounce and we bounce and we stop!”). Or repeat the third line to keep them guessing when the “stop” will come. It’s always a hit!

[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] And we bounce and [G7] we bounce and we [C} stop!

The Sleepy Bunny Song

We sang this after reading Bunny Slopes. This is another long-time favorite, which I learned from a daycare provider. The kids LOVE pretending to sleep on the floor, and then jumping up at the end.

For Outdoor Musical Storytime, we sang it twice, doing the actions with our bodies. Then I brought out the big parachute and put cotton balls on top to look like little bunnies. The kids loved watching them fly in the air.

See the little bunnies sleeping
‘Till it’s nearly noon.
Come, let us wake them with a merry tune?
They’re so still.
Are they ill?
NO! Wake up little bunnies!
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Hop little bunnies, hop and stop!

Monkey See and Monkey Do

I wish I could remember who taught me this song, because it’s one I’ve used for my whole career. It’s another really versatile song with a catchy tune, and you can ask the kids to suggest other actions for the monkey to do.

When you clap, clap, clap your hands,
The monkey clap, clap, claps his hands,
Monkey see, and monkey do,
The monkey does the same as you!

Repeat with other motions: when you jump up and down; make a funny face; turn yourself around; and sit back on the ground.

Down By the Bay

We sang this as our instrument play-along at the end. Each time we sang it through, I asked the kids to suggest different things that the mother might ask. Some kids were familiar with the original song, and suggested, “Did you ever see a llama wearing pajamas?” but another kid suggested, “Did you ever see a whale wearing pajamas?” which everyone thought was really funny.

[C] Down by the bay, where the watermelons [G7] grow,
Back to my home, I dare not [C] go,
For if I [F] do, my mother will [C] say,
“Did you ever see a whale with a polka dot tail
[G7] Down by the [C] bay?”

Stay & Play: Marble Painting

This was really messy, and had nothing to do with the theme, but I had been wanting to try this process art activity ever since one of my coworkers found a big box of marbles in our craft closet. Before storytime, I traced the bottom of a pie tin onto white paper, and cut out a circle for each child.

For the Stay & Play, I gave each child a pie tin with a paper circle inside, and put a few dollops of different colors of tempera paint on the paper. I let them choose a marble (or two or three), and then they tilted the pie tin back and forth to roll the marble through the paint. One little girl discovered that she could make a more understated painting by taking the paint-covered marble from her first attempt, and rolling it across another white paper. You can see both paintings in the photo above.

Do you have any favorite interactive picture books? Please share them in the comments below.

Get Your Ducks in a Row: A Storytime About Ducks (And Chickens!)

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I haven’t had as much time to write up my storytimes lately, but this was one I had fun with recently. I used the theme for both Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime, so here’s a combined list of the books and songs that I did.

Books:

Guji Guji by Chih-Yuen Chen

This is an older title, and a bit too long for my Outdoor Musical Crowd, but my Family Storytime kids were mesmerized. When a strange egg rolls into a duck’s nest, it hatches into a crocodile named Guji Guji, who grows up believing he is just like the other ducks. When a trio of crocodiles tells him the truth, Guji Guji has to decide whether to join them or save his adoptive family.

Truck Full of Ducks by Ross Burach

Hilarious story about a company called Truck Full of Ducks, who sets out one day in search of a customer whose address was accidentally eaten by the ducks. Along the way, they meet a number of other odd truck-based businesses: a tow truck towing a flying saucer, a duck removal service, and a mail truck requested by a girl who wants to ship her brother far away. They finally find their customer deep in the forest: a fox who wants a few ducks for his evening bath. The book got laughs from both kids and grown-ups, especially the page showing a row of bathroom stalls, with a set of duck feet showing under each door.

Ducks Away! by Mem Fox, illustrated by Judy Horacek

Cute, simple story about a mother duck who is dismayed when each of her five babies slip off of a bridge into the water below. For Outdoor Musical Storytime, I used the ducks from the Monkee Mitt and tossed a duck into the crowd each time a duck in the story fell off of the bridge. For Family Storytime, I read this book after our play scarf songs, and had the kids toss their scarf in the air each time a duck fell.

The Pigeon Finds a Hotdog by Mo Willems

My coworker and I read this book together at Outdoor Musical Storytime. The first Mo Willems book featuring The Duckling, this story involves the Pigeon preparing to enjoy a hot dog he just found, but being repeatedly interrupted by the Duckling’s questions.

Chicken Butt! by Erica S. Perl; illustrated by Henry Cole

I couldn’t resist including this book for Family Storytime, even though it’s about chickens rather than ducks. I’ve been having a great time reading it at my preschool and Transitional Kindergarten outreach classes. It’s basically an extension of the old “Guess What?” “Chicken Butt!” joke, in the context of a young boy joking with his father. The line “Guess where?” “Chicken underwear!” got an even bigger laugh than “Chicken butt!”

Songs

Five Little Ducks

We sang this song with the five little duck set and the Monkee Mitt. Although the song always seems sad to me (at least until the last verse), the kids seem to enjoy singing the “Quack Quack Quack Quacks.”

Five little ducks went out one day,
Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck cried, “Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack!”
But only four little ducks came back.

Four little ducks went out one day…

Three little ducks went out one day…

Two little ducks went out one day…

One little duck went out one day…

Sad Mother Duck went out one day,
Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck cried, “Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack!”
And all of the five little ducks came back!

Six Little Ducks

We actually have two different Monkee Mitt sets for the Five Little Ducks, so for Outdoor Musical Storytime, I put six of the ducks on the parachute and we waved the chute up and down in time to the song.

[C] Six little ducks that I once [G7] knew,
Fat ones, skinny ones, [C] fair ones too.But the one little duck with the [G7] feather on his back.
He led the others with his [C] “Quack! Quack! Quack!”

Chorus:
[G7] “Quack! Quack! Quack! [C] Quack! Quack! Quack!”
[G7] He led the others with his [C] “Quack! Quack! Quack!”

[C] Down to the river they would [G7] go,
Wibble-wobble, wibble-wobble, [C] to and fro.
But the one little duck with the [G7] feather on his back.
He led the others with his [C] “Quack! Quack! Quack!”

Chorus

[C] Home from the river they would [G7] come,
[C] Wibble-wobble, wibble-wobble, ho hum hum.
But the one little duck with the [G7] feather on his back.
He led the others with his [C] “Quack! Quack! Quack!”

Chorus

Two Little Duckies

We sang this with the play scarves at Family Storytime. I gave each child two scarves, so they could hold one in each hand to be the two duckies. Adapted from the traditional Two Little Blackbirds fingerplay.

Two little duckies 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 duckies 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 duckies sitting in the snow.
One flew fast!
And the other flew slow!…

Two little duckies sitting on a gate.
One was early, and the other was…late!…

Rubber Ducky by Jeff Moss

I couldn’t resist ending with Rubber Ducky as our instrument play-along song at the end. The song uses some less-known chords, so rather than including the lyrics and chords here, I’m just attaching the link to ukulele-tabs.com, which helpfully provides the chord charts: https://www.ukulele-tabs.com/uke-songs/sesame-street/rubber-ducky-uke-tab-67701.html

Stay & Play: Duck Collage

For the Stay & Play, I put out some paper duck templates (that I had pre-cut before storytime (I used this one from SimpleMomProject.com), along with glue sticks, dot markers, eye stickers and googly eyes, and craft feathers. The kids had a great time decorating their ducks.

What are your favorite books or songs about ducks? Please tell me in the comments below.

Disability Pride Month: A Storytime

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I’m finally catching up on posting some of the storytimes I did over the summer. July is Disability Pride Month, so a few weeks ago I did a Family Storytime featuring a variety of disabilities. I opened by talking very briefly about how everyone has different abilities, and things that they find easier or harder than others, and how some people rely on different types of tools to help them.

For this post, I’m experimenting with writing out everything we did in order, instead of breaking it up into books, songs, and Stay & Play activity. Please let me know if you prefer this format.

OPENING SONG: The Wheels on the Bus

For Family Storytime (which is on Wednesday nights, and tends to get a smaller crowd) I always put out a variety of animal puppets around the storytime area. When we sing the wheels on the bus, the kids hold up different animals they would like us to sing about: The cat on the bus goes “Meow, Meow, Meow!” etc. We always end by singing “The wheels on the bus go round and round” as fast as we can.

[C] The wheels on the bus go round and round.
[G7] Round and round, [C] Round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
[G7] All over [C] town.

OPENING BOOK: Best Day Ever by Marilyn Singer; illustrated by Leah Nixon

A dog describes the “best day ever,” which is spent with a little boy who happens to be in a wheelchair. This is an adorable, simple story that captures the way everyday moments can change your view of how good or bad the day is, especially for an energetic dog who sometimes gets into trouble. The wheelchair is never mentioned in the text, and the illustrations clearly demonstrate that kids who use wheelchairs can do most of the same day-to-day things as kids who don’t. A great example of a book that shows different life experiences without presenting them as a “problem.”

SONG: B-I-N-G-O

This is an old standby, but here’s a video from Super Simple Songs, just in case you’re not familiar with it. Traditionally, you leave out a letter each time you sing it, and clap instead. Sometimes, I have the kids bark instead of clapping. I also like to use the American Sign Language signs when I explain which letters we will be leaving out, for example, “This time we’re going to clap instead of singing the letters B and I.”

[C] There was a farmer [F] had a [C] dog,
And Bingo [G] was his [C] name-o.
[C] B-I- [F] N-G-O
[G] B-I- [C] N-G-O
[Am] B-I- [F] N-G-O
And [G] Bingo was his [C] name-o.

There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!… etc.

My City Speaks by Darren Lebeuf & Ashley Barron

A visually impaired girl describes how she experiences a day in the city, including the sounds, smells, tastes, and feel of the world around her. The kids enjoyed pointing out details in the illustrations.

DEMO BOOK: DK Braille Books: On the Move by DK Publishing

I didn’t actually read this one, but I passed it around so the kids could touch the Braille letters, and explained that it was written in a special language that you read with your fingertips instead of your eyes. The kids were fascinated!

ACTIVITY: CAN YOU GUESS THE ANIMAL?

To go along with the idea of using senses other than sight, I put plastic animals in individual paper bags. The kids took turns reaching into the bag and trying to guess which animal it was, just based on their sense of touch. They got all of them wrong, except for the sheep, which has a distinctive knobbly coat.

THIRD BOOK: Can Bears Ski? by Raymond Antrobus & Polly Dunbar

A bear is confused when people keep asking him “Can bears ski?” and also when he doesn’t understand jokes that his friends are laughing at. But then one day, he is fitted with hearing aids, and discovers people have really been asking, “Can you hear me?”

SCARF PLAY: Snowball Fight

I usually do another song with the play scarves before we sing Popcorn Kernels (which we do every week), but this week, we had a pretend snowball fight with the scarves instead, bundling them up into balls and throwing them at each other. Always a hit!

SCARF SONG: Popcorn Kernels
To the Tune of Frere Jacques (Are You Sleeping?)

Popcorn Kernels, (hold scarf bunched up in one hand)
Popcorn Kernels,
In the Pot,
In the Pot.
Shake ’em, shake ’em, shake ’em, (shake hand)
Shake ’em, shake ’em, shake ’em.
Till they POP! (throw scarf in the air)
Till they POP!

FINAL BOOK: Oona and the Shark by Kelly DiPucchio; illustrated by Raissa Figueroa

I was planning to end with this book, and talk briefly about how some people have a hard time with loud sounds (we have a bin of headphones for kids with sound sensitivity). Unfortunately, we ran out of time before we got to it. It’s a cute story though, where Oona, the Mermaid, tries to befriend a shark, but discovers that her loud activities and the party she throws are scaring him away, and comes up with new activities instead.

INSTRUMENT PLAY: Baby Shark

Even though I didn’t get to read my final book, we still had time to hand out the egg shakers and sing Baby Shark.

[C] Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo
[F] Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo
[Am] Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo
[G] Baby shark!

Mommy shark…

Daddy shark…

Grandma Shark…

Grandpa Shark…

Let’s go hunt!…

Run away!…

CLOSING SONG: The More We Get Together

I always end Family Storytime with The More We Get Together, which we do with the ASL signs. Here’s a Miss Rachel video to demonstrate:

The more we get together,
Together, together,
The more we get together,
The happier we’ll be.
‘Cause your friends are my friends,
And my friends are your friends.
The more we get together,
The happier we’ll be.

Stay & Play: Watercolor Painting

I just realized I didn’t get any photos of the watercolor painting, but the kids really enjoyed it. It always takes the little ones a few minutes to get the hang of dipping the brush in water before dipping it into the paint, but once they do, they don’t want to stop. It didn’t exactly tie-in to the theme, but it’s such a peaceful, sensory-filled experience, and everyone loves it.

RELATED BOOKS:

I did a similar theme at my Outdoor Musical Storytime this past week, and we asked a local agency called AbilityPath to table. AbilityPath is a nonprofit that provides free services to people who are neurodiverse or have developmental disabilities.

For this storytime, I focused more on books about neurodiversity, and how to respect other people’s individual differences and sensitivities. Here are the books I read:

Autism: Through the Eyes of a Child: Brayden’s Story by Jennifer Zuniga & Pia Reyes

I have a regular volunteer (a college student) who accompanies me on guitar for Outdoor Musical Storytime. She is on the autism spectrum, and had asked me if she could read this book aloud at storytime. Unfortunately, she able to read that day due to illness, but I’m hoping she will be able to share it this week, as part of our Friendship Week theme. The book is told from the point of view of a child who has just learned about autism, and is reminded of a classmate named Brayden, who would probably love to make friends.

This Beach is Loud by Samantha Cotterill (Part of the Little Senses series)

A boy who is excited to go to the beach with his Dad discovers that it is much too loud and crowded. His Dad helps him cope with the sensory overload by telling him to count to three and tap his fingers. The kids loved his monologue on the drive to and from the beach, which ends with “I have to pee!” both times. I like that this book, and the others in the series, provide real life scenarios for families with children with sensory processing disorders or similar conditions, but keep the stories general enough to apply to any child. I wanted to give a shoutout to the Storytime Solidarity group on Facebook, where I got this recommendation (from Sheri Shumaker), along with other great book suggestions from other members.

Don’t Hug Doug (He Doesn’t Like It) by Carrie Finison; illustrated by Daniel Wiseman

This book isn’t specifically about disabilities, but since many kids with sensory processing disorder or autism may be upset by unsolicited hugs, it seemed like a good one to include. It’s also just a great, funny, rhyming story for everyone about the importance of consent. I also read it at a lot of my preschool outreach sites, where it’s always a hit. The kids love giving Doug a high five on the last page.

Do you have any favorite books or songs about disabilities or neurodiversity? Please share them in the comments below.

Let’s Pretend: A Storytime About Imaginative Play

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I’ve gotten behind on my blog posts this summer, and we’ve also had a number of performers in place of storytime, but this was a fun theme I did a few weeks ago about pretending and imaginative play.

Books:

I’m a Frog by Mo Willems

In this Elephant and Piggie book, Gerald is shocked when Piggie announces that she is a frog. At first, he worries that he might turn into a frog too, until Piggie explains that she is just pretending.

Alphabreaths Too by Christopher Willard & Daniel Rechtschaffen

I used this book more as an activity between books than a read-aloud. It’s a collection of mindful breathing exercises that are fun to do together. I did the first three at storytime: the Astronaut breath, the Bunny breath, and the Chocolate breath. The kids especially loved the Chocolate breath, where you pretend to breathe in the smell of hot chocolate and then breathe out like you are blowing on it to cool it down. I’ve been sharing this book at my preschool outreach storytimes too.

Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig

This is an old favorite of mine, about a father who decides to cheer up his son Pete by imagining he is a pizza: putting him on the kitchen table, kneading the dough, whirling and twirling it in the air, and adding toppings. Always a hit! The dedication at the end suggests that this is a game William Steig used to play with his own daughter.

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

Adorable, simple picture book featuring a conversation between a rabbit and an invisible narrator, who keeps asking what he is doing with a cardboard box. The rabbit insists that it’s not a box, while the illustrations show what the box is in his imagination: a rocket ship, a mountain, a burning building. The kids enjoyed guessing what the rabbit was imagining the box to be each time.

Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis

After I read, Not a Box, the kids were eager to hear this companion book, which features a pig pretending to do a variety of activities with a stick.

Songs:

The Silly Pizza Song

This song by Rachel de Azevedo Coleman from her Signing Time series is one of my absolute favorites. See the YouTube video below for the tune and the signs. I usually just teach the kids the sign for pizza and the sign for cheese, and we do those signs together each time we sing those words. I ask the kids for topping ideas, and we add a new topping each time we sing it. It’s fun to choose silly toppings, like cookies or ice cream.

I like pepperoni on my pizza.
I like pepperoni pizza, please.
Put the pepperoni on my pizza,
Don’t forget the extra cheese!

I like apples on my pizza,
I like apple pizza, please.
Put the apples on the pepperoni,
Put the pepperoni on my pizza.
Don’t forget the extra cheese!

Down By the Banks of the Hanky Panky

This is a lapsit rhyme I used to use for baby storytime, where you bounce the baby from knee to knee. For Outdoor Musical Storytime, I put some frog stuffed animals on the parachute, and we lifted the parachute up and down in time with the rhyme to make them “jump” around.

Down by the banks of the hanky panky,
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky,
With a hip, a hop,
A hippity-hop,
Jump off the lilypad and kerplop!

Wishy Washy Washer Woman

We did this song with play scarves for Family Storytime. I use the version in this video from Imagine More Story Adventures:

Way down in the valley where nobody goes,
There’s a wishy washy washer woman washing her clothes.
She goes “Oooh! Ahhh! Oooh! Ahhh! Oooh! Ahhh!”
And that’s the way she washes her clothes.

Repeat with drying her clothes (we blow on the scarves), folding her clothes, and wearing her clothes.

Abracadabra

This was one of the first songs that I ever wrote. Click on the triangle for the tune.

One day [C] 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 took 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.

Stay & Play: Magic Wands

For the Stay & Play, I gave the kids two different options for making magic wands: adding pony beads to a pipe cleaner, or decorating a stick with a piece of star wire garland. Some kids combined the two, wrapping their beaded pipe cleaners around a stick, or attacking the wire garland to the pipe cleaners. It was fun to see them waving their wands around at the end.

Do you have favorite books or songs about pretending? Please share them in the comments below.

Bugs and Slugs and Other Creatures: A Storytime About Creepy Crawlies

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Last week, we had a fun time celebrating the little creatures we see around us (worms, bugs, slugs, etc.) for both Outdoor Musical and Family Storytime. We have a collection of large toy insects that are popular with kids in the library, so I brought those out for the kids to look at during Stay & Play at the end.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Worm Makes a Sandwich by Brianne Farley

This book was so much fun to read aloud, especially because I got to try out my “worm voice” (I made it slightly squeaky). A friendly worm offers to make you a sandwich. All he needs is some garbage, which is not for your sandwich, but for him to eat, and then he will poop (the poop is not for your sandwich either) and help make compost to create dirt (also not for your sandwich) to grow a tomato (which IS for your sandwich). Such a cute, funny way to share the importance of earthworms, with tips at the back about composting.

Slug in Love by Rachel Bright; illustrated by Nadia Shireen

I shared this book largely because one of my regular storytime kiddos comes to the park before storytime every week in order to count the banana slugs. Although this book doesn’t feature a banana slug, it is about a lonely slug named Doug, who desperately needs a hug, but no one wants to hug him, until he meets a friendly lady bug.

A Good Place by Lucy Cousins

Sweet, simple, colorful book about four insect friends looking for a safe place to live. But every place they find comes with problems: the flowers are on a busy sidewalk, the puddle is on a car-filled street, the plant is sprayed with something that makes them cough, etc. Finally, a butterfly leads them to a beautiful garden owned by a boy who loves insects.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

I had to include this one, because it’s such a classic, and the kids always get excited when I read a book they have at home. The story of a caterpillar who eats a variety of foods all week in order to become a beautiful butterfly.

Songs:

The Butterfly Song

I learned this song from my former coworker, Angela, and it’s become one of my favorites, especially because somewhere along the way our library acquired a really cool Life Cycle of the Monarch puppet from Folkmanis, which allows you to switch between the caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly. You can also sing it with play scarves, as described below.

First comes a butterfly (Wave scarf or move your hands like a butterfly)
Who lays an egg. (Make a circle with your thumb and index finger).
Out comes a caterpillar (Wiggle your finger like a caterpillar)
With lots of legs.
Now see the caterpillar spin and spin (Spin the scarf),
A little chrysalis to sleep in (Bundle scarf up in a ball in your hand or make a fist).
Oh, oh, oh, wait and see…
Oh, oh, oh, wait and see…
Out of the chrysalis, my, oh, my!
Out comes a beautiful butterfly! (Open up hand and wave scarf).

Shoo, Fly!

There are lots of different versions of this song, but the one I use is closest to the one in this video by Greg and Steve. I asked the kids for suggestions of what animals they would like to be. For Family Storytime, I passed out the play scarves before we sang it, and we waved them in the air on the “Shoo, Fly” line.

CHORUS:

Shoo, Fly, don’t bother me! (Wave hands as if shooing a fly)
Shoo, Fly, don’t bother me!
Shoo, Fly, don’t bother me,
I’ll tell you what I want to be.

I wiggle, I wiggle,
I wiggle like a wiggling worm.
I wiggle, I wiggle,
I wiggle like a wiggling worm.

CHORUS

I roar, I roar, I roar like a lion…

Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee

We did this as our instrument play-along at the end. There are lots of different versions of this song, including the gruesome camp version where the poor bumblebee gets squished. The version I do is closest to the one in this video by Dr. Jean. I had the kids suggest different animals, and we created new verses on the spot for them, which is always a bit of a challenge: I’m bringing home a baby elephant, won’t my Mommy say, “Oh, no! I can’t!” etc.

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!

I’m bringing home a baby elephant…

Stay & Play: Fun with Stamps

This was the simplest Stay & Play, but the kids LOVED it! I just put out white paper, ink pads, and our large collection of stamps (which include a number of bugs and other animals) and the kids had a blast covering their pages with different pictures. One little boy kept saying, “I made a picture!”

What are your favorite picture books or songs about small creatures? Please share them in the comments below.

A Month of Favorite Picture Books

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Sorry for the long gap between posts. Since Children’s Book Week is in May, I decided to ask local families to share their favorite picture books, and build my weekly storytimes around them.

At the end of April, I asked my storytime audiences for book suggestions, and also posted the question on the Facebook page for our local Families Club. I got a LOT of recommendations, including many standard favorites, but also some titles I wasn’t familiar with.

It was a really fun month, and the families were excited to have their favorite books shared at storytime. I mostly stuck to a lot of traditional songs and rhymes as well (Old McDonald, The Wheels on the Bus, etc.).

The Babies on the Bus by Karen Katz

Adorable adaptation of The Wheels on the Bus, featuring a busload of babies.

Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman

Beautifully illustrated, rhyming story about a bear who wakes up hungry after hibernating all weekend. I taught the kids the ASL signs for Bear and More, so they could sign along with the repeated “Bear wants more!” line.

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

One of my own kids’ favorite books, this simple pop-up features different animals that the zoo sends as potential pets for the narrator: an elephant, a giraffe, a lion, etc. The kids loved guessing the animals and lifting the flaps.

Don’t Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton

I loved this picture book about a crab who is worried about leaving the tide pools to go into the deep ocean. I ended up bringing it to all of the preschools that I visit too. The illustrations are adorable.

Dozens of Doughnuts by Carrie Finison; illustrated by Brianne Farley

Cute, rhyming story about a bear who makes lots doughnuts to prepare for hibernation, but keeps being interrupted by hungry friends. The kids enjoyed joining in on the “Ding Dong” sounds on each page.

Grace and Box by Kim Howard; illustrated by Megan Lötter

Sweet, colorful picture book about a little girl and her friend Box, who can become whatever she imagines: a house, a rocket ship, a skyscraper, and more.

I Say Please and Thank You by Rachel Isadora & Robie Rogge

This was one of my favorite recommendations: a lift the flap about what to say in different situations. The illustrations are charming, and the book even covers what to say when you accidentally fart in public, which was huge hit!

The Hike by Alison Farrell

A story about a group of kids who hike to the top of a mountain together, and notice lots of animals and other natural sights along the way.

It’s a Tiger by David LaRochelle and Jeremy Tankard

An adventure story about journeying through the jungle and constantly being surprised by a tiger. The part where the sea captain ends up being a tiger always gets a laugh. It’s a fun book to pair with the traditional Going on a Bear Hunt rhyme (I substituted a tiger).

Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems

Such a fun read-aloud about a monster who can’t scare anyone. The kids always laugh at the ending when Leonardo says, “Boo!”

Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

Most of the families were already familiar with this one, but they loved hearing it again. A cute, rhyming story about a friendly Little Blue Truck, whose many friends come to the rescue when he gets stuck in the mud while trying to help a self-important dump truck. The kids enjoyed all of the animal sounds.

No More Naps by Chris Grabenstein; illustrated by Leo Espinosa

This one was a bit too long for my Outdoor Musical Storytime crowd, but worked well for the older kids at my Family Storytime. When a little girl refuses to take a nap, everyone around her asks to take one instead until all of the naps are gone. The kids liked joining in on the “Waaaaaaaa’s.”

The Scariest Book Ever by Bob Shea

This is technically a Halloween book, but my Family Storytime kiddos loved it anyway. A timid ghost warns the reader not to go into the scary woods, and is skeptical when he hears that it is full of friendly animals.

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

This is such a beautiful, interactive picture book that follows an apple tree throughout the year, asking readers to do help things along by blowing the tree a kiss, touching the blossoms, etc.

Where Is My Nose? by Lucas Zanotto

I’ll admit that this book caught me by surprise because (spoiler alert!) the dog never finds his nose! Instead he learns to love trying out different types of noses (clouds, trees, etc.) and wondering what he will find next. The kids enjoyed guessing what his nose was going to be each time, based on the piece of the picture you can see on the previous page.

Who Has Wiggle Waggle Toes? by Vicky Shiefman; illustrated Francesca Chessa

Very cute action book for toddlers and preschoolers, asking them to move different body parts.

Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood

When a curious owl stays awake all day, he is astonished by all of the different colors he sees. The kids enjoyed joining in on the “Wow’s!” and calling out the colors.

Stay & Play Activities:

In keeping with our month of favorites, I did some of my favorite easy process art activities for the Stay & Plays each week. They were:

Flower Painting

Flower Painting is so easy and fun! You just bring flower petals (preferably nontoxic ones like nasturtiums and geraniums) and the kids squish them into the paper.

Tissue Paper Painting

Another super easy (if messy) activity. The kids arrange pieces of tissue paper on cardstock and then lightly spray it with water until the color bleeds onto the page.

Sticky Note Resist Art

For this one, I put out sticky notes, dot markers, and white paper. The kids arranged sticky notes of different sizes on the white paper, and then covered the page with the dot markers. The fun part was peeling the sticky notes off to reveal the white space.

Beaded Bracelets

Beaded bracelets with Pony beads and pipe cleaners are always a huge hit!

Your turn: what are your favorite picture books? Or favorite process art activities? Please share them in the comments below.