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.

Satellite Libraries: Books Beyond the Branch

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This year, our library staff has been expanding our outreach efforts to reach people in our communities who may not be able to come to the library. One of the approaches we have been trying is to create Satellite Libraries in different locations, including local preschools, special needs classrooms for teens, senior centers, rehab facilities, food banks, and school aftercare sites.

For each location, we create a separate library account, and provide a plastic bin (we’re currently using heavy duty plastic transit bins that were retired when our system switched to a different type). We stock the bins with 30 to 40 books that we swap out once a month or so.

The books we supply are often duplicate copies, or low-circing items that might otherwise have been weeded. It’s been a great way to circulate some of our world language books to communities who will get the most use from them: for example, we bring picture books in Tagalog in Spanish to one of the local preschools where a number of the children come from families where those languages are spoken at home. We will also take requests for particular types of books if possible.

We make it clear to the staff at each location that they do not need to keep track of the books in the bin. People are welcome to bring the books home, and we are not overly concerned if they don’t get returned. In my experience though, most of the books have come back.

The kids at the school aftercare sites are always especially excited whenever we bring new books for the bin. They immediately start pulling books from the bin, which is always fun to see.

If you have any questions, or if you’ve tried a similar program you would like to share, please let me know in the comments.

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.

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.