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.

Going Out on a Limb: A Storytime About Trees

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Last week, we enjoyed celebrating trees in both Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

Hilariously over-the-top story about a boy whose kite gets stuck in a tree, so he tries to get it down by throwing increasingly large objects at it: his shoes, a ladder, a firetruck, the house across the street, etc. This one always gets laughs.

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

One of my favorite interactive picture books, which asks readers to tap an apple tree to make leaves appear, rub the leaves to make buds, etc., as it follows the cycle of growth throughout the course of a year. With my larger groups, I have the kids tap an imaginary tree in the air, but with smaller ones, I bring the book around and let each child interact with a page.

Ol’ Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein

Ol’ Mama Squirrel guards her babies fiercely by chanting “Chook! Chook! Chook!” at any potential predators. But when a big bear threatens her family, she gathers all of the Mama squirrels in the park to scare him away. The kids enjoyed joining in on the “Chook, Chook! Chooks!”

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell; illustrated by Patrick Benson

This is one of my all-time favorite picture books: the story of three baby owls waiting for their mother to return to the nest. It’s such a sweet, relatable story, and the part where the mother owl returns always gets big smiles from both kids and grown-ups.

The Starry Giraffe by Andy Bergmann

The hungry Starry Giraffe picks apples from a tree, but ends up giving each one to a hungrier animal, until they are all gone. I love the twist at the end.

Songs & Rhymes:

I Bought Me a Rooster

I love this traditional cumulative song, because it gives the kids a chance to suggest their favorite animals for each verse.

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

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

I bought me a cow and the cow pleased me…etc.

I’m a Wide Eyed Owl

You can sing this to the tune of Turkey in the Straw, or just chant it as a rhyme:


I’m a wide-eyed owl (make circles with your fingers to look like eyes)
With a pointed nose (make a V with your index fingers and hold it up to your nose),
I have pointed tufts (hold your index fingers up on either side of your head),
And claws for toes (wiggle your fingers like claws).
I live in a tree,
And I’m looking at you (point your finger).
When I flap my wings (flap arms),
I say, “Whoooo! Whooo!”

Way Up High in the Apple Tree

We did this rhyme with the parachute for Outdoor Musical Storytime. I put two apple-shaker instruments on the parachute, and we lifted it up and down. For Family Storytime, I gave each child two play scarves to bundle up in their hands like apples. Then I asked them to suggest other foods they would like to pick from a tree. They suggested mangos, oranges, and sandwiches.

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!

Under a Shady Tree

We sang this as our instrument play-along at the end of both storytimes.

[C] Under a shady tree, you and me.
Under a [G7] shady tree you and [C] me.
Under a shady tree you and me.
Lying under a [G7] shady tree you and [C] me.

Can you [G7] feel the breeze blow by?
Can you [C] feel it on your face?
This is our [F] special [G7] place.

[C] Under a shady tree, you and me.
Under a [G7] shady tree you and [C] me.
Under a shady tree you and me.
Lying under a [G7] shady tree you and [C] me.

Can you [G7] feel the soft cool grass?
Can you [C] feel it with your toes?
We can [F] sit here while it [G7] grows.

[C] Under a shady tree, you and me.
Under a [G7] shady tree you and [C] me.
Under a shady tree you and me.
Lying under a [G7] shady tree you and [C] me.

If you want to [G7] close your eyes,
And [C] sleep beneath the tree,
You can [F] rest your head on [G7] me.

[C] Under a shady tree, you and me.
Under a [G7] shady tree you and [C] me.
Under a shady tree you and me.
Lying under a [G7] shady tree you and [C] me.

Stay & Play: Mixed Media Trees

This was a really simple Stay & Play. Before storytime, I printed out tree templates from CraftsOnSea, and picked a variety of leaves from trees and plants. For the Stay & Play, I put out the templates, leaves, glue sticks and markers. The kids really enjoyed gluing the leaves on their tree, and decorating it with the markers.

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

Bookworms: A Storytime About Worms

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I love to do storytimes about things kids are likely to see in the world outside, especially since one of my storytimes is in a local park. This week, we had a good time celebrating earthworms.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

What About Worms? by Ryan T. Higgins

One of the Elephant & Piggie Like Reading books, this one features a tiger who is not afraid of anything, except worms. When his fear of worms leads him to drop his flower pot and an apple, and leave a book that appears to be about worms (but is actually about tigers), he gains the gratitude of a bunch of worms who are eager to give him a “worm hug.” I love to do silly voices when I read, and this one provides lots of opportunities to voice different worms.

Here are the Seeds by JaNay Brown-Wood; illustrated by Olivia Amoah

A rhyming book about two kids planting a garden, but running into problems along the way: not enough water, too much water, etc. The kids liked guessing what the different problems were.

Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin; illustrated by Harry Bliss

Funny picture book diary that captures the daily struggles of an earthworm, but also highlights the important role worms play in helping plants grow. The part about the worms only being able to “put their head in” when they do the Hokey Pokey got a big laugh.

Ear Worm by Jo Knowles; illustrated by Galia Bernstein

Cute, cumulative story about an earthworm who is trying to figure out who got a song stuck in his head. Along the way he meets a number of other animals who share their own earworms.

Songs:

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.

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 hop, I hop, I hop like a kangaroo…

The Worms Go Wiggling

We sang this with the parachute. I put two pipe cleaners I had curled up like worms on the parachute so the kids could make them bounce up and down. It’s to the tune of The Ants Go Marching.

The worms go crawling all around,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The worms go crawling all around,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The worms go crawling all around,
The have a party underground.
But they all go crawling out of the ground
When it starts to rain.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Wiggly Wiggly Worms

We sang this with the play scarves, pretending they were worms crawling up and down our bodies. I used the tune to Hickory Dickory Dock.

Wiggly, wiggly worms.
Wiggly, wiggly worms.
Climbing up and climbing down,
Wiggly, wiggly worms!

The Hokey Pokey

We sang this to go along with Diary of a Worm, which makes a joke about the song.

[C] You put your right hand in,
You put your right hand out.
You put your right hand in,
[G] And you shake it all about!
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around,
That’s what it’s all [C] about!

Stay & Play: Paper Circle Worms

I found this easy activity on At Home With Zan.

Before the storytime, I cut out a bunch of circles out of different colors of paper (it helps that we have a circle cutter for our button machine).

For the storytime, I put out white paper, the paper circles, markers, dot markers, and gluesticks. The kids had fun assembling their worms (some just glued the circles together without putting them on the white paper), and decorating them.

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

Butterfly Effect: A Storytime About Butterflies

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Sorry for the long delay between posts! I missed several weeks of storytime because my Mom was having knee surgery and then I got the flu, but we had a great time this week celebrating butterflies at Outdoor Musical Storytime and Family Storytime.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Bianca and the Butterfly by Sergio Ruzzier

Sweet story about a polar bear who is amazed to find a butterfly with colors she has never seen before. The butterfly leads her on an unexpected adventure when the ice floe she is standing on breaks away, and she discovers a land of new smells and foods before finding her way back home.

Bob and Otto by Robert O. Bruel; pictures by Nick Bruel

I love this story about the friendship between a caterpillar named Bob, and a worm named Otto, who are separated when Bob decides to climb up into the branches of a tall tree. When they meet again, Bob has transformed into a butterfly, and Otto is sad that he didn’t follow his friend so he could grow wings too. But Bob assures him that by digging in the dirt under the tree, he helped the tree grow the leaves he needed.

Are You a Butterfly? by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries

This is one of my favorite nonfiction series. This one follows the life cycle of the butterfly, in very kid-friendly language.

Señorita Mariposa by Ben Gundersheimer; illustrated by Marcos Almado Rivero

Bilingual song in English and Spanish about the migration of monarch butterflies. Our community is within driving distance of Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz, which is an amazing place to see the monarchs clustered in the winter. I gave out egg shakers before I sang this one, and used a tune roughly based on Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star.

Songs:

The Butterfly Song

I learned this song from my 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. I flew the butterfly around at the end to give “kisses” to the kids.

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).

Parachute Song: Butterflies Fly Up and Down

For our parachute song, I put a handful of pompoms on the parachute, and we watched them bounce up and down as we sang. It’s to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus.

Butterflies fly up and down
Up and down,
Up and down,
They fly around all over town,
All day long.

Scarf Song: A Butterfly Is Landing on My Nose

For my play scarf song at Family Storytime, I had the kids pretend their scarves were butterflies landing on different body parts. This song is to the tune of I’m a Little Teapot.

A butterfly is landing on my nose,
On my head,
And on my toes.
Now the butterfly is landing on my knee,
She’ll fly away when I count to 3.
1…2…3…!
(Throw the 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.

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 fly, I fly,
I fly like a butterfly.
I fly, I fly,
I fly like a butterfly.

CHORUS

I roar, I roar, I roar like a lion…

Stay & Play: Coffee Filter Butterflies

One of the most familiar butterfly crafts I know, but the kids LOVED flying their butterflies around afterwards.

For the Stay & Play, I put out coffee filters, pipe cleaners, and dot markers. We recently got some Royal Shimmer Dot Markers that have been a big hit. The kids needed some help twisting the pipe cleaners around the middle, but they had a great time decorating the coffee filters.

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

Hug It Out: A Storytime for National Hug Day

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Last Tuesday (January 21) was National Hugging Day, which seemed like the perfect opportunity to do a storytime about Hugs.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Can I Give You a Squish? by Emily Nelson

Adorable story about a merboy named Kai, who learns that not all sea creatures like getting squishes (hugs) as much as he does. So, he sets out to find out what other types of squishes they might like instead: a fin bump, a tentacle shake, a claw pinch, etc.

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

Funny, rhyming story, which describes all the different things and people you can and cannot hug, and how to find out which ones are which (Ask!). The last page reveals that Doug does like high fives, and offers kids the chance to high five the hand on the page. I brought the book around to any kids who wanted to try it, and they did it with great enthusiasm.

Tiny T-Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman; illustrated by Jay Fleck

Tiny T-Rex longs to give his friend a hug, but fears his arms are too short. But a surprise flight with a pterodactyl gives him just the boost he needs to make it work. This one was a big hit with my Family Storytime group.

I Need a Hug by Aaron Blabey

A sad porcupine discovers that no one will hug him, until he meets a snake who desperately wants a kiss. Very cute, simple, rhyming story.

Songs:

Slippery Fish

I sang this one with puppets (a fish, an octopus, a shark, and a whale).

Slippery Fish, Slippery Fish,
Swimming in the water.
Slippery Fish, Slippery Fish,
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

She was eaten by an octopus, octopus,
Swimming in the water.
Octopus, Octopus,
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

He was eaten by a great white shark,
Great white shark,
Swimming in the water,
Great white shark, Great white shark.
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

She was eaten by a humongous whale,
Humongous whale,
Swimming in the water,
Humongous whale,
Humongous whale,
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
BURP!! Pardon me!

We Wave Our Scarves Together

I handed out the play scarves for this one. It’s to the tune of The Bear Went Over the Mountain.

We wave our scarves together,
We wave our scarves together,
We wave our scarves together,
Because it’s fun to do.

We hug our scarves together…

We wear our scarves together…

We throw our scarves together…

We Are the Dinosaurs by Laurie Berkner

We sang this after reading Tiny T-Rex and the Impossible Hug.

[Dm] We are the [C] dinosaurs marching, marching.
[Dm] We are the dinosaurs. [A] Whaddaya think of that?
[Dm] We are the dinosaurs [C] marching, marching.
[Dm] We are the [A] dinosaurs. [Dm] We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.
We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.

[F] We stop and eat our [C] food, [F] when we’re in the [C] mood.
[F] Stop and eat our [C] food on the [Dm] ground.
[F] We stop and eat our [C] food, [F] when we’re in the [C] mood.
[F] Stop and eat our [C] food, and [Dm] then we march [A] around.

[Dm] We are the [C] dinosaurs marching, marching.
[Dm] We are the dinosaurs. [A] Whaddaya think of that?
[Dm] We are the dinosaurs [C] marching, marching.
[Dm] We are the [A] dinosaurs. [Dm] We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.
We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.

[F] We stop and take a [C] rest, [F] over in our [C] nest.
[F] Stop and take a [C] rest at the end of the [Dm] day.
[F] We stop and take a [C] rest, [F] over in our [C] nest.
[F] Stop and take a [C] rest, and [Dm] then you’ll hear us [A] say…

[Dm] We are the [C] dinosaurs marching, marching.
[Dm] We are the dinosaurs. [A] Whaddaya think of that?
[Dm] We are the dinosaurs [C] marching, marching.
[Dm] We are the [A] dinosaurs. [Dm] We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.
We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.

[A] And then we RO-AR-OAR!
[A] Because [Dm] we [C] are the [Dm]dino-[D]saurs!

A Bushel and a Peck by Woody Guthrie

A love this sweet, old song by Woody Guthrie. We sang it as our instrument play-along at the end.

[F] I love you a bushel and a peck,
A [G] bushel and a [C] peck and a hug around the neck.
A hug around the neck and a [F] barrel and a heap,
A [G] barrel and a [C] heap and I’m talkin’ in my sleep

About [Bb] you, about [F] you.
[C] ‘Cause [F] I love you a bushel and a peck
You bet [C] your [F] purdy neck I do.
[C] Doodle oodle ooh doo,
[Bb] Doodle oodle ooh ooh doo,
[F] Doodle [C] oodle [F] doo doo doo.

[F] I love you a bushel and a peck,
A [G] bushel and a [C] peck though you make my heart a wreck.
Make my heart a wreck and you [F] make my life a mess,
Make [G] my life a [C] mess, yes, a mess of happiness.

About [Bb] you, about [F] you.
[C] ‘Cause [F] I love you a bushel and a peck
You bet [C] your [F] purdy neck I do.
[C] Doodle oodle ooh doo,
[Bb] Doodle oodle ooh ooh doo,
[F] Doodle [C] oodle [F] doo doo doo.

Stay & Play: Cuddly Sock Octopus

I based this super-cute no-sew stuffie on this project from CraftBits.com. For the Stay & Play, I put out fluffy socks (we had a bunch left over from our sock snowmen program in December), Poly-fil, rubber bands, markers, Googly eyes, and kids’ scissors.

I explained to the kids how to stuff the toe of the sock with a handful of Poly-fil, then wrap a rubber band around the stuffed part in order to make the head. Then they could cut the rest of the sock into eight strips for the tentacles, and decorate the face with markers and Googly eyes. Some of the younger kids needed help with cutting and stuffing, but they all had a great time, and they loved having their own octopus to cuddle at the end.

Do you have any favorite books about hugging? Please share them in the comments below.

Reaching Out: Library Outreach and Satellite Libraries

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Thumbprint/Dot Marker Picture from One of Our Aftercare Sites

This past year, my coworkers and I have been making an effort to connect with kids and families who aren’t usually able to attend our regular library storytimes and programs. We were already offering an evening Family Storytime once a week, as well as a Saturday one, and for many years we have been providing monthly storytimes at local preschools, but most of our in-library activities and special programs were still mostly scheduled during regular work hours, and tended to attract most of the same people.

At the beginning of last year, my coworker Rachel Evans suggested that we visit local aftercare programs, where kids go after school until their parents can pick them up. She reached out to each of them to schedule a time for us to visit once a month, and bring a simple staff-led activity. There turned out to be a LOT of programs, far more than one or two people could manage. In the end, most of our staff ended up signing up to cover a location, and we’ve even brought in some volunteers to help with the larger sites.

I’ve been surprised to see how many kids are in each of the aftercare programs. Some of them have over a hundred students. It’s been a lot of fun to get to know the kids at each location, and they are always excited for the change of routine, and a chance to be creative.

We’ve also created satellite library collections for each location. These are bins of 30 to 40 library books (we usually pull duplicate copies from our shelves to fill them) that are checked out to a library card created for that site. We tell the aftercare providers that they don’t have to worry about keeping track of the books, and that the kids are welcome to bring them home. We exchange the books for new ones at each visit. Yesterday I brought a bin to an aftercare program for the first time, and the kids were literally begging to look at the books. They were also eager to tell me what types of books they would like me to bring next time.

Here are some of the activities we have done with the aftercare sites so far:

  • Decorate a bandana: We brought white bandanas and fabric markers, as well as pictures of different ways to use bandanas (neckerchiefs, head-scarves, headbands, hair ties, pirate-style, etc.).
  • Beading: We brought pipe cleaners and a wide variety of pony beads, including alphabet beads. The kids loved making bracelets for themselves, as well as for their friends and family.
  • Thumbprint art: We brought stamp pads, white paper, markers, and lots of baby wipes, along with examples of different animals and objects made from thumbprints, including Ed Emberley’s Thumbprint Art book. We also brought dot markers, for kids who didn’t want to get their fingers inky. Some of the kids enjoyed making artwork just with those.
  • Button making: We brought our button maker, along with precut paper circles, markers, mylar circles, and pinback button supplies. The kids LOVE designing their own buttons, although operating the button machine can be a bit staff intensive.
  • Bookmark decorating: We brought precut cardstock bookmarks, markers, and yarn to make tassels. The kids made lots of bookmarks for family and friends.
  • Lego Drop Challenge: We brought bins of Legos and challenged the kids to make something with 20 pieces that could survive being dropped from a height of seven feet (we marked the feet on a wall). This was a HUGE hit at all of our sites.

A few tips that we’ve learned along the way:

  • Keep the projects open-ended: Most of the day cares cater to a wide range of grade levels, so it’s better to provide activities that kids can participate in regardless of their age, reading abilities, etc. Also, because the groups tend to be large, with a lot of in-and-out, it’s best to avoid anything that requires a lot of instruction.
  • Stick to generic supplies: We’ve found that it’s best to stick to projects where the supplies don’t have special designs, like stickers where there might be only a few of a particular kind.
  • It helps to provide some pictures or samples of different ways to do the activity: With the bandana decorating, some of the kids weren’t interested until they saw all of the different ways they could wear the bandana. Then suddenly we had several excited groups of bandits, pirates, and cowboys, along with several headbands and hair ties.
  • Encourage kids to make the activity their own: I always tell the kids that they don’t have to do the project the way I did it. Often they will take the materials in a whole new direction. One day, I brought pipe cleaners to an aftercare so that they could make animal sculptures, and one of the girls made a pipe cleaner pumpkin instead. Soon they all wanted to learn how to do that. She taught me how to do it, and I ended up making it part of a Halloween program at the library a few weeks later. The same girl used the yarn from our bookmark decorating activity to do some finger knitting, and soon all the kids wanted to try that too. It’s always so much fun to see them finding inspiration from each other.

Overall, the outreach has been incredibly successful. I’ve even been seeing some of the aftercare kids visiting the library with their parents. It’s always really gratifying to hear them say, “You came to my daycare!”

Do you have any activities that have been successful at aftercare sites or other locations? Please share them in the comments below.

Getting Cozy: A Storytime About Hot Chocolate, Scarves, Socks & Other Winter Pleasures

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I got this idea from MyStorytimeCorner, and it happened to coincide with a Cozy Up at the Library campaign in our library system. It was fun to focus on books about warm Winter treats like hot chocolate and snuggling under blankets, especially now that the weather is getting colder.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Lucky Pennies and Hot Chocolate by Carol Diggory Shields; illustrated by Hiroe Nakata

Sweet story about a boy and his grandfather, and the things they enjoy doing together in the winter. It’s told in the first person, and the surprise at the end is that the grandfather is the narrator.

Small Bunny’s Blue Blanket by Tatyana Feeney

Very cute, simple story about a bunny who does everything with his blue blanket, until his mother decides it needs a wash. The page where Small Bunny is watching the washing machine for 107 minutes got a lot of laughs.

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

Colorful, award-winning story about a man whose overcoat becomes old and worn, so he turns it into a jacket, and then a vest, and then a handkerchief, and then a button, and when the button is lost, he makes a book about it. The kids enjoyed the cut-outs on each page that reveal the latest garment.

Sally and the Purple Socks by Lisze Bechtold

When Sally’s new socks arrive in the mail, they start out the perfect size, but then grow bigger and bigger until they are blocking the traffic in front of her house. This book was a big hit!

Cat Knit by Jacob Grant

Short, but adorable book about Cat and his friend, Yarn. When Girl transforms Yarn into a sweater, at first Cat doesn’t like it, but then he discovers that the snowy day doesn’t feel as cold anymore.

Songs:

¡CHOCOLATÉ!

We sang this after reading Lucky Pennies and Hot Chocolate. This is a wonderful, easy song in Spanish about making hot chocolate. I usually do it two or three times, and we take time to pour the hot chocolate, add whipped cream or marshmallows, and then blow on it to cool it down (I usually make a big show about accidentally blowing whipped cream on one of the kids, which they think it hilarious). Here’s a YouTube video from Babelzone with the tune:

Uno, dos, tres, cho-
uno, dos, tres, co-
uno, dos, tres, la-
uno, dos, tres, te.
¡Chocolate! ¡Chocolate!

¡Bate! ¡Bate! ¡El chocolate!

Let It Snow by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne

We sang this with the parachute, shaking it up and down to the rhythm of the song. I threw cotton balls on the parachute whenever we got to the “Let it snow” line. The kids loved watching them fly around.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful.
And since we’ve no place to go,
“Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!”

The Wishy Washy Washerwoman

We sang this with the play scarves after reading Small Bunny’s Blue Blanket. 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 (blowing on the scarves), folding her clothes, and wearing her clothes.

Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton

This is such a sweet song. We sang it as our instrument play-along at the end. There is also a board book version.

Well, [G] I have a thing to tell you
And it [C] won’t take long.
The [D] way I feel about you
Is a [G] kind of a song.
[G] It starts with an ooh and [C] ends with a kiss,
And [A] all along the middle it goes [D] something like [D7] this:

CHORUS
We go, [G] ooh, Snuggle [C] Puppy of mine,
[D] Everything about you is [G] especially fine.
[C] I love what you are, [G] I love what you do,
[A] Fuzzy little Snuggle Puppy, [D] I love [D7] you!

I say, [G] ooh, Snuggle [C] puppy of mine,
[D] Everything about you is [G7] especially fine,
[C] I love what you are, [G] I love what you do,
[D] Ooh, I love [G] you!

Well, I [G] wanted just to tell you
And it [C] didn’t take long,
The [D] way I feel about you
Is a [G] kind of a song.
[G] It started with ooh, [C] I gave you a kiss.
I [A] hope you like the middle now we’ll [D] end like [D7] this:

CHORUS

We go, [G] ooh, Snuggle [C] Puppy of mine,
[D] Everything about you is [G] especially fine.
[C] I love what you are, [G] I love what you do,
[A] Fuzzy little snuggle puppy, [D] I love [D7] you!

I say, [G] ooh, Snuggle [C] Puppy of mine,
[D] Everything about you is [G7] especially fine,
[C] I love what you are, [G] I love what you do,
[D] Ooh, I love [G] you!

Stay & Play: Yarn & Cotton Ball Painting

To go along with the theme of soft and cozy things, I decided to offer both yarn and cotton painting as a process art activity.

Before the storytime, I cut pieces of yarn about 18 inches long. For the Stay & Play, I put out white construction paper, tempera paint, the yarn pieces, and cotton balls. I showed the kids how to fold their paper in half, and then helped them put small drops of tempera paint in different colors in the crease. I also demonstrated how they could lay the piece of yarn on top the paint with one end hanging off the paper, then fold the paper over, press down on the front, and slowly pull the yarn out to make a colorful symmetric pattern inside the paper. Or they could use cotton balls to dab the paint around the paper. They had a lot of fun!

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

Journey to the North Pole: A Storytime About Arctic Animals

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At last week’s storytimes, I decided to focus on the animals of the North Pole. It ended up being a lot of fun.

Here’s what we did:

Books:

A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris

I have a special fondness for Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris, because they are both Bay Area authors, and have done a number of programs for us (Shawn Harris even provided the artwork for our My Summer Adventure program this summer). They were also childhood friends, and it’s fun to hear them talk about their collaborations as adults. This is a beautiful, simple story that follows a polar bear as he wakes up and goes for a swim. The kids were mesmerized by the illustrations.

If It’s Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws by Kim Norman; illustrated by Liza Woodruff

Fun, Arctic-themed version of If You’re Happy and You Know It, featuring actions like tasting a snowflake, sipping hot chocolate, and building a snowman. The kids enjoyed miming the motions.

Polar Opposites by Erik Brooks

Very simple, cute story about a penguin and a polar bear who live on opposite poles, but meet once a year in the Galapagos Islands. They are opposites in lots of other ways too, but still manage to be very good friends.

Little Whale by Jo Weaver

This was a wonderful story for our community because we often get to see the gray whales as they migrate along the coast. It’s about a baby gray whale and her mother as they travel through the ocean to the feeding grounds in the North. Several parents commented that the baby whale reminded them of their kids asking “Are we there yet” on family road trips.

Songs:

If You’re Happy and You Know It

We sang this to accompany If It’s Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws. I always throw in other emotions.

[C] If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [G7] hands! (clap, clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your [C] hands! (clap, clap)
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! (clap, clap)

If you’re sad and you know it, cry, “Boo hoo!”…

If you’re angry and you know it, say, “I’m mad!”… (stomp feet while saying, “I’m mad!”)

If you’re shy and you know it, hide your face… (cover your eyes, and then uncover them and say, “Peek-a-boo!”

If you’re sleepy and you know it, yawn and stretch…

If you’re happy and you know it, shout, “Hooray!”

Two Little Black Birds

We sang this to accompany Polar Opposites, since it’s a song about opposites.

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 flew slow!…

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

Snow Is Falling Down

We sang this with play scarves, waving them up and down for the rain, and throwing them in the air, then letting them fall for the snow.

Rain is falling down. SPLASH!
Rain is falling down. SPLASH!
Pitter patter, Pitter patter,
Rain is falling down. SPLASH!

Snow is falling down. SHHH!
Snow is falling down. SHHH!
Swirling, twirling, swirling, twirling,
Snow is falling down. SHHH!

Baby Beluga by Raffi

We sang this as our play-along song at the end, to accompany Little Whale.

C] Baby Beluga in the deep blue sea
Swim so wild and you [G7] swim so free
Heaven above and the sea below
And a little white whale [C] on the go

CHORUS
[F] Baby Beluga, [C] Baby Beluga, [D] is the water warm?
Is your mama home [G7] with you so happy?
[C] Way down yonder where the dolphins play
Where you dive and [G7] splash all day
Waves roll in and the waves roll out
[G] See the water squirting [C] out of your spout

CHORUS
[F] Baby Beluga, [C] Baby Beluga, [D] sing your little song,
Sing for all your friends. [G7] We love to hear you!
[C] When it’s dark you’re home and fed
Curl up snug in your [G7] water bed
Moon is shining and the stars are out
Good night, little whale, [C] goodnight

CHORUS
[F] Baby Beluga, [C] Baby Beluga, [D] with tomorrow’s sun,
Another day’s begun. [G7] You’ll soon be waking.
[C] Baby Beluga in the deep blue sea,
Swim so wild and you [G7] swim so free.
Heaven above and the sea below,
And a little white whale [C] on the go.
[G7] You’re just a little white whale [C] on the go!

Stay & Play: Polar Bear in the Snow

This was a fun, if messy, painting activity. Before storytime, I cut out polar bear templates on white paper. For the Stay & Play, I put out blue construction paper, bowls of white tempera paint, repositionable glue sticks, and cotton swabs.

I told the kids they could glue their polar bear on the paper with the repositionable glue stick and then paint snowflakes all around with the cotton swabs. I gave them the option of either leaving the polar bear template on the paper, or painting around it with the white paint, and peeling it off to leave the outline.

What are your favorite books about Arctic animals? Please share them in the comments below.

Page Turners: A Storytime for Picture Book Month

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November is Picture Book Month, so I thought it would be fun to celebrate some of the classic picture books that have stood the test of time. Please share your favorites in the comments below.

Books:

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

This is such a fun book to read aloud, and is one of the earliest examples of a story that seems designed for audience participation. A cap seller wakes from a nap to discover that all of his caps have been stolen by monkeys, who copy everything he does. The kids loved pretending to be the monkeys and making, “Tsz! Tsz! Tsz!” noises.

Corduroy by Don Freeman

This was one of my very favorite childhood stories, about a bear searching for his lost button, after the mother of a little girl who wants to buy him points out that it is missing. I did preface the book by explaining that mattresses always used to have buttons sewn on the top, since a lot of modern mattresses aren’t made that way, but the kids clearly understood the humor of Corduroy mistaking an escalator for a mountain, and a department store for a palace. The ending got lots of “Awww’s!”

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

I still have a copy of this book that my grandmother gave me. She suffered from Parkinson’s disease for most of her life, causing her to lose the use of her right hand, so the message she inscribed to me on the title page is written in her shaky handwriting. Sharing it at storytime this week brought back a lot of memories of her, and it was gratifying when several of the kids asked if there were other books about Madeline, which they eagerly checked out before they went home. I think the book is kind of amazing for the way it manages to pack so much into a concise, but memorable little poem: a unique character, an emergency trip to the hospital, and the humor of a whole school full of girls envying the attention their classmate receives after what would ordinarily be seen as a traumatic event.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

I love reading this book aloud because the kids are always absolutely mesmerized by the magical story of Max, and his journey to the land of Wild Things. They also enjoyed pretending to be Wild Things: roaring and gnashing their teeth.

Songs:

Monkey See & Monkey Do

I don’t remember where I learned this song, but it’s one of my favorites, and it was the perfect follow-up to Caps for Sale.

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.

When the Bears Go Marching In

Fun variation of When The Saints Go Marching In. We sang it with the parachute at Outdoor Musical Storytime, and I threw different stuffed animals onto the parachute for each verse. The kids loved watching them fly up and down.

[C] Oh, when the bears go bouncing in,
Oh, when the bears go bouncing [G7] in,
Oh, [C7] how I want to be in that [F] number,
When the [C] bears go [G7] bouncing [C] in!


Repeat with other actions, like:
Oh, when the bears go clapping in…
Oh, when the bears go stomping in… etc.

You Sing a Song by Ella Jenkins

Ella Jenkins just died at the age of 100, so it seemed appropriate to share this song as a tribute to her. We did it as our instrument play-along for Outdoor Musical Storytime, and with the play scarves for Family Storytime. I adapted the verses accordingly, doing “You shake them fast!” for the egg shakers, and “You throw a scarf” for the play scarves.

[C] You’ll sing a song, and [Am] I’ll sing a song,
And [C] we’ll sing a [Dm] song toge-[G]ther.
[C] You’ll sing a song, and [Am] I’ll sing a song,
In [G] warm or [C] wintry [G] wea-[C]ther.

You’ll wave a scarf, and I’ll wave a scarf, and we’ll wave our scarves together…

You’ll peek-a-boo, and I’ll peek-a-boo… (put the scarf over your face, then pull it away)

You’ll throw a scarf, and I’ll throw a scarf…

Home Again

I wrote this song a while back as a tribute to Maurice Sendak, who wrote a lot of my favorite childhood books. We did it as our instrument play-along for Family Storytime.

[F] Darling, when you [C] feel afraid,
For [Bb] you can plainly [F] see,
The world is full of [C] monsters
Who look [Bb] just like you and [F] me.
Just [F] jump aboard your [C] tiny boat
Fol-[Bb]low the falling [F] star.
You’ll sail away through [C] night and day,
To [Bb] where the wild things [F] are.

And you will dance and [C] then
Let the [Bb] wild rumpus be-[F]gin.
But I will love you [C] best of all
When [Bb] you come home [F] again.

And darling, when the goblins come,
And no one seems to care,
Climb out your bedroom window
Into outside over there.
Bring your horn, and play a jig,
And charm them with a song.
They’ll set you free, and you will soon be
Home where you belong.

And you will dance and then,
Let the wild rumpus begin.
But I will love you best of all,
When you come home again.

[C] And if you fall into the [F] Night Kitchen,
[C] Just fly your plane up to the [F] Milky Way.
[C] Our world is full of dark and [F] strange visions,
But I [C] know that you will find a [A] way.

And when the moon is in a fit,
And you are in the dumps,
Lost in the rye with one black eye,
And diamonds are all trumps.
I will come and buy you bread,
One loaf or maybe two.
And I will bring you up
Cause happy endings can come true.

And we will dance and then,
Let the wild rumpus begin.
And I will love you best of all
Until the very end.

Stay & Play: Homemade Books

Super simple Stay & Play. Before storytime, I assembled the books by folding three pieces of white paper in half and stapling a folded piece of colored paper around them to make a cover. For the Stay & Play, we put out markers, stickers, and dot markers for the kids to create their own books.

What are your favorite classic picture books? Please share them in the comments below.

Dinosaur Days: A Storytime for DiNovember

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This storytime theme was so much fun, with lots of opportunities for roaring and stomping!

Here’s what we did:

Books:

Crunch, the Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap; illustrated by Greg Pizzoli

Fun, interactive picture book about a shy dinosaur who is easily frightened. The narrator suggests different ways to make him feel comfortable: saying “Hello” in different ways, and singing, “Happy Birthday!” Even the older kids in my Family Storytime enjoyed doing the different actions.

Dino Duckling by Alison Murray

Sweet story about a dinosaur who belongs to a family of ducklings. Mama Duck always says that differences don’t matter, and everyone belongs, but when it comes time for the ducks to fly south for the winter Dino is sure that he will have to stay behind. Luckily, the ducks find a way to keep everyone together.

I’m Hungry! / ¡Tengo hambre! by Angela Dominguez

A lot of the caregivers at Outdoor Musical Storytime are native Spanish speakers, and they were very excited to see this bilingual book. A bilingual bird tries to help a Spanish-speaking dinosaur find food, but he doesn’t seem interested in eating anything but the bird himself. Luckily, the bird is able to persuade him to try cookies instead. This is a brilliant example of a bilingual book, because the bird is essentially translating the Spanish words for anyone who doesn’t already know them.

Groovy Joe: Ice Cream and Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

We gave out egg shakers before I read this one, and the kids played them along with the repeated “Love My Doggy Ice Cream” song. Groovy Joe is excited to enjoy some ice cream, but keeps getting interrupted by hungry dinosaurs. But, as Joe says, “It’s awesome to share!”

Songs:

Can You Name the Dinosaur?

For this song, I printed out pictures of different types of dinosaurs (stegosaurus, tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops, and velociraptor) and put them in a bag. Each time I sang the song, I’d hold up a dinosaur and the kids would call out the name.

To the tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man?

Can you name the dinosaur,
The dinosaur, the dinosaur?
Can you name the dinosaur
I have here in my hand?

I Found a Little Egg

For this one, I printed out small pictures of animals that hatch from eggs (a baby bird, a snake, and a dinosaur) and put them inside plastic eggs. I had the kids pretend to hold an egg in their hands. Each time we sang the song, I would ask them to guess what animal was inside, and then crack it open.

To the tune of I’m a Little Teapot.

I found a little egg out on the ground,
I kept it warm and safe and sound.
I waited and I watched my egg with pride.
Can you guess who was inside?

The Dinosaurs March Up and Down

We sang this one with the parachute for Outdoor Musical Storytime. It’s to the tune of When Johnny Comes Marching Home.

The dinosaurs march up and down,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The dinosaurs march up and down,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The dinosaurs march up and down,
They stomp their feet upon the ground,
And we all roar loud
When the dinosaurs march around!

Two Little Blue Birds

We sang this with play scarves for Family Storytime after reading I’m Hungry! / ¡Tengo hambre!

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

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

We Are the Dinosaurs by Laurie Berkner

We did this as our instrument play-along at the end. Always a hit!

[Dm] We are the [C] dinosaurs marching, marching.
[Dm] We are the dinosaurs. [A] Whaddaya think of that?
[Dm] We are the dinosaurs [C] marching, marching.
[Dm] We are the [A] dinosaurs. [Dm] We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.
We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.

[F] We stop and eat our [C] food, [F] when we’re in the [C] mood.
[F] Stop and eat our [C] food on the [Dm] ground.
[F] We stop and eat our [C] food, [F] when we’re in the [C] mood.
[F] Stop and eat our [C] food, and [Dm] then we march [A] around.

[Dm] We are the [C] dinosaurs marching, marching.
[Dm] We are the dinosaurs. [A] Whaddaya think of that?
[Dm] We are the dinosaurs [C] marching, marching.
[Dm] We are the [A] dinosaurs. [Dm] We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.
We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.

[F] We stop and take a [C] rest, [F] over in our [C] nest.
[F] Stop and take a [C] rest at the end of the [Dm] day.
[F] We stop and take a [C] rest, [F] over in our [C] nest.
[F] Stop and take a [C] rest, and [Dm] then you’ll hear us [A] say…

[Dm] We are the [C] dinosaurs marching, marching.
[Dm] We are the dinosaurs. [A] Whaddaya think of that?
[Dm] We are the dinosaurs [C] marching, marching.
[Dm] We are the [A] dinosaurs. [Dm] We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.
We make the [C] earth [Dm] flat.

[A] And then we RO-AR-OAR!
[A] Because [Dm] we [C] are the [Dm]dino-[D]saurs!

Stay & Play: Duplo-Painted Dinosaurs

I found this fun process-art activity on stayathomeeducator.com. Before storytime, I printed a couple of different dinosaur templates and cut them out. For the Stay & Play, I put out the paper templates, some blank paper to put underneath the templates while the kids were stamping, small paper plates with different colors of tempera paint, and duplo blocks. The kids had a great time dipping the duplos into the paint and stamping them onto the dinosaurs.

We also put out two Snap Dino sets for kids to play with, and they were a big hit!

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