Avast! A Pirate Storytime for Booklubbers

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

In honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19, we read books about pirates this week. I opened with some pirate words from TalkLikeaPirate.com, and told my favorite pirate joke: “What is a pirate’s favorite letter?” Inevitably someone guessed “R!” to which I replied, “Ah, yeh’d think it’d be R, but it’s really the C they love!” One dad responded to my joke with one of his own, “How do you know Olivia (his daughter) is a pirate?” “Because when she got her ears pierced, it cost a buck-an-ear!”

Here are the books we read:

Pirate Pete’s Talk Like a Pirate by Kim Kennedy; illustrated by Pete Kennedy (Amazon.com link)

Pirate Pete and his parrot are interviewing scallywags for their crew. Though many of them can fire a cannon, have eyepatches and are good at stealing treasure, not one of them can talk like a pirate. This one was fun to read aloud, since I not only got to “talk pirate” but trot out a lot of very “posh” voices too. The kids liked chiming in on the repeated line: “But you can’t talk like a pirate!”

Bubble Bath Pirates by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Amazon.com link)

This was the perfect follow-up to Pirate Pete’s Talk Like a Pirate, because it was short, and gave the kids a chance to talk like pirates themselves. Three pirate boys are ordered to take a bath by their pirate mom. “Arghh!” cry the little pirates. The bath time consists of lots of pirate phrases: “Blimey!” “Shiver Me Timbers!” and “Walk the Plank!” among others. The storytime kids also enjoyed counting down from 5 to 1 as the pirates pull the plug in the tub. And they liked the “treasure” at the end: chocolate fudge ice cream. This is one of the few pirate picture books that is short enough for toddlers, and it is always a hit.

Dirty Joe the Pirate by Bill Harley and Jack E. Davis (Amazon.com link)

I love this book, even though I can’t read it half as well as my former manager, Thom Ball, who does the best pirate voice. Dirty Joe is a dreadful pirate who roams the seas in search of dirty socks, until he tries to take on Stinky Annie, a pirate who steals underpants. The rhymed verse is clever and hilarious, and there’s a great twist at the end. The parents laughed at this one too.

How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long; illustrated by David Shannon

When pirates land on the beach, they invite little Jeremy Jacob to join them to help them bury their treasure. At first, Jeremy loves being a pirate: there are no vegetables, no manners, and no bedtimes. But there are also no bedtime stories and no one to comfort him when a huge storm threatens the ship. Fun, engaging story, with lots of opportunities for the kids to echo pirate phrases. It was the perfect lead-in to my treasure map activity.

SONGS:

When I Was One

I learned this song from my coworker Christina Olsen, and I’ve used it lots of times. I’ve even adapted it for space themes, and changed it to “When I was one, I had some fun, when I flew to outer space. I met a big green alien, with eight eyes on his face.” In any case, it’s a fun action song that gives the kids a chance to suggest rhymes. I usually sing it unaccompanied, but it’s easy to play on the ukulele with C and G7. Click on the triangle for the tune:

When I was one, I had some fun, (C)
When I travelled out to sea. (C G7)
I jumped aboard a pirate ship (G7)
And the captain said to me. (C G7)

He said, Go this way! (lean right) (C)
That way! (lean left) (C)
Forward! (lean forward) (C)
Backward! (lean backward) (C)
When you travel out to sea!” (G7 C)

I asked the kids to come up with a rhyme for “two” for the next verse. One girl suggested “Boo!” so I sang, “When I was two, a ghost said, ‘Boo!’ When I travelled out to sea!” For three we had “I climbed a tree,” for four “I slammed a door!” and for five “I took a dive!” Sometimes it takes a while for the kids to come up with rhymes, but this group was really quick.

Barges

I love this song. I learned it in Girl Scouts when I was a kid. At camp we would often make “barges” by melting birthday candles onto pieces of bark, then lighting them and sending them out into the lake while we sang the song. I suppose it might have been a fire hazard, but I always loved it. There are a lot of additional verses online, but here are the lyrics I use. Click on the triangle for the tune. On the ukulele, you can play it by cycling through C, F, and G7 all the way through the song:

Out of my window, looking through the night, (C F G7)
I can see the barges flickering light. (C F G7 C)
Softly flows the river to the sea (C F G7)
And the barges too go silently. (C F G7 C)

CHORUS:
Barges, I would like to go with you. (C F G7)
I would like to sail the ocean blue. (C F G7 C)
Barges, have you treasures in your hold? (C F G7)
Do you fight with pirates brave and bold? (C F G7 C)

Out of my window, looking through the night,
I can see the barges flickering light.
Carrying their cargo out into the sea,
How I wish that someday they’d take me.

CHORUS

ACTIVITY: Treasure Map

I had done this activity once before for a Map-themed storytime at our other branch. The picture above is actually from that library. I hand drew the map and copied it onto tan paper. I crumpled up each copy before spreading it out again to give it to the kids. I made signs to mark tables with names like Ship-Shape Shelter, Parrot Paradise, Mermaid Isle, and Dragon Isle.

The map included an instruction to “Stop and Say, ‘Arrrr!'” at the circulation desk (I don’t think I warned my coworkers about that, but they’re usually very forgiving of my weekly mayhem). I hid the treasure in the 910.4 area of the nonfiction section (the Dewey Decimal number for pirates and shipwrecks). I used my daughter’s Playmobil Pirate Chest (yes, I plundered her toy closet), and filled it with toy gold coins and spyglasses (extending telescopes) from Oriental Trading Company. Each child was allowed to take one coin and one spyglass.

The Treasure!

The innovation I added this week was throwing in a craft at the table near the “Storytime Cove,” for the kids to do while I hid the treasure and put the signs around the library to mark different landmarks. My coworker Angela Luis had given me an ice cream craft, with colorful pictures of different flavored ice cream for the kids to stack on paper cones (I don’t know where she got it, but it was very cute). It didn’t exactly fit the theme, although I labelled the table “Isle of Ice Cream” to tie it in. I think if I do it again, I will have the kids make hooks out of aluminum foil and plastic cups, a craft they have enjoyed in the past. (There’s an example of this, along with several other pirate crafts on the Summer Camp for Kids site).

Ice Cream Cone Craft on the Isle of Ice Cream

All and all, it was a fun evening, and the kids were excited about the treasure hunt. I think next year, I may add more “islands” with even more craft stations.

What are your favorite pirate books?

8Sep2014

The Very Busy Author: In Honor of Eric Carle

Posted in Rhymes and songs, Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

Seahorse by Addie

I got my first library job the summer of my freshman year at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. One afternoon, I just happened to stumble into the Jones Library (a lovely public library in town with a vast children’s collection), and even though I was already working as an intern for the local paper, I asked the woman at the children’s desk if they had any jobs available.

I have no idea why I did that, and even less of an idea why they hired me, but for the next three years I worked in the children’s room: checking out books, answering questions, shelving, filing cards in the card catalog (yes, I am THAT old!), and shelf-reading. It was baffling to me that I was getting paid to be there, because I loved every minute of it. And one day, after an arduous meeting with my thesis advisor, I was so relieved to get to my library shift, that I realized in a rush that this was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

I haven’t been back to Amherst since 2001, which means I just missed the opening of The Eric Carle Museum there. I would love to visit it, especially since it hosts so many wonderful children’s authors and exhibits. And I would love to meet Eric Carle himself, who was always one of my childhood favorites (I especially loved The Grouchy Ladybug. and I whacked that whale’s tale at the end so many times that it eventually ripped off).

As I kid, I don’t think I ever appreciated the genius of Eric Carle, specifically how each of his books teaches something: the days of the week, how to tell time, how a spider builds a web, etc. The repeated words and phrases also make his books great for beginning readers. But all that is like spinach secretly hidden in a batch of chocolate chip cookies (which apparently is a thing!). You don’t even notice it, because the story is fun to read, and the illustrations are irresistible.

So last week’s family storytime was in honor of Eric Carle. Here is what we read:

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse (Amazon.com link)

Based on the art of Franz Marc, who was famous for his paintings of blue horses, this book shows a boy describing his unusual animal paintings: a red crocodile, a yellow cow, a black polar bear, a polka dotted donkey, etc. It’s simple enough for toddlers to enjoy, but fun for all ages. Kids love books that break the rules, and this one gives them permission to go out and paint their own wild creations. Two first grade girls vied to check this one out in the end.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Amazon.com link)

I had to read this one, and not just because my daughter is raising caterpillars at home right now. When my son was born, my former boss from Amherst sent me a board book copy of this from the Eric Carle Museum. Both of my kids have always loved it. They especially enjoy sticking their fingers through the holes on each page. It’s a naturally interactive read-aloud, since you can ask kids to name the foods the caterpillar ate each day, and to chime in every time you say, “But he was still hungry.” The kids at storytime were all excited to see it, even though (or maybe especially because) most of them had a copy at home.

Mister Seahorse (Amazon.com link)

When Mrs. Seahorse deposits her eggs in Mister Seahorse’s pouch, he proudly swims around meeting other fish fathers, who each have their own way of guarding their offspring: carrying their eggs in their mouths or on top of their heads. But there are many other fish he doesn’t see, because of their clever ways of hiding. The camouflaged fish are revealed behind clear plastic “peek-a-book” pages (as a kid, I was fascinated by the Human Body section of the World Book Encyclopedia, where you could flip the transparent pages to see the layers of bones, organs and muscles. I would have loved this book for the same reason). A great book for teaching about ocean life and camouflage. One girl asked why the baby seahorses swim away from their father as soon as they are born, which led to an interesting discussion about instinct.

The Secret Birthday Message (Amazon.com link)

A mysterious message provides shape-themed clues leading to a birthday surprise. Fun, simple, adventure that would be great lead-in to a scavenger hunt, or a unit on maps or shapes.

A House for Hermit Crab (Amazon.com link)

Another ocean-themed book, this one about a hermit crab who has outgrown his shell. He finds a new one, but is dismayed that it is so plain, so as he travels, he asks other creatures to attach to his shell and make it more decorative. Lovely way to learn about a variety of ocean animals and the names of the months.

SONGS:

I Bought Me a Rooster

To go along with The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, we sang this song, and I asked the kids to supply silly animal and color combinations: purple dog, rainbow horse, etc. Here are the words with the ukulele chords (click on the triangle for the tune):

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

I bought a purple dog and the purple dog pleased me
I fed my purple dog on the bayberry tree
My purple dog goes “Woof! Woof! Woof!”
My yellow rooster goes, “Cock-a-doodle doo!
Dee Doodle, Dee Doodle, Dee Doodle, Dee Doo!”

If All the Raindrops

We sang this one after The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and the kids suggested foods to be the rain, including popsicles and chocolate:

C
If all the raindrops
G7 C
Were lemondrops and gumdrops
C G7
Oh, what a rain that would be!
C G7 C G7
Standing outside, with my mouth open wide
C G7 C G7
Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah!
C G7 C
If all the raindrops were lemondrops and gumdrops,
C G7 C
Oh, what a rain it would be!

CRAFT: Dot Paint Seahorse

Seahorse by Olivia

Seahorse by Shelby

I printed out a seahorse template from this web site. I was originally going to have the kids glue scraps of colored tissue paper on the seahorse, but I ended up letting them use Do A Dot Markers instead, which was far less messy. They had a great time playing with the different colors. I liked that one little girl said her dots were the seahorse’s eggs. Another used the Dot Markers to color in the whole seahorse, which isn’t easy to do. A third used regular markers to add seaweed.

What is your favorite Eric Carle book?

8Aug2014

I Scream, You Scream for Stories about Ice Cream

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

The ice cream mixture: milk, vanilla and sugar

This week we read books about ice cream, and made ice cream in a bag, something I learned from my very first job as a Children’s Librarian, at the North Regional Library in Raleigh, North Carolina. I was only there for a few months before my husband got a job that required us to move to the Bay Area, but I learned a lot from my coworkers there, and I’ll always be grateful to them.

I was actually debating about making the ice cream in coffee cans instead of plastic bags, since it would be more environmental, but my kids and I tried it three times at home (yeah, they hated being guinea pigs for this one), and we just couldn’t get it to work. The stuff in the middle would always be too slushy, and the stuff on the sides so frozen it was hard to scrape off. So I went back to the original plan. I did collect and wash all the plastic bags at the end. (Stores in our county no longer give out plastic bags, so I actually hoard them to dispose of my cat litter).

Here’s what we read:

Ice Cream Larry by Daniel Pinkwater; illustrated by Jill Pinkwater (Amazon.com link)

I hadn’t originally planned to read this one, because it’s a longer picture book, but right when storytime started, there was only one 6 year-old and her mom, so I decided to share it with her. It’s one of a series of books about Larry the polar bear, who lives at the Hotel Larry and serves as the lifeguard for the pool. In this book, Larry makes the news when he asks a local ice cream shop if he can cool down in their freezer, and then eats 1/8 of a ton of their ice cream. “I do not feel sick,” he says. Soon, the owner of the Iceberg Ice Cream company shows up at the hotel to meet with Larry. He ends up making him the spokesbear for his new line of ice creams, and the company’s new slogan, “I do not feel sick,” becomes a national sensation. Very silly, but lots of fun to read, and a hit with the kids.

Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal; illustrated by Jen Corace (Amazon.com link)

Other families with younger kids had come in during the first book, so I went with this one next. It’s not actually an ice cream book, but it tied in with my “Candy Corn for Dinner” song that I sang before I read it. It’s one of my favorite picture books, about a little pea who dreads having to eat his nightly dinner of candy. This one always gets laughs from both kids and adults.

Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems (Amazon.com link)

I had to to do this book, which is one of my favorite Elephant and Piggies. Gerald is just about to enjoy his ice cream cone, when he wonders if he should share it with Piggie instead. It is a terribly difficult decision, and one that takes him so long that his ice cream melts. Most of my regular storytime families are familiar with Gerald and Piggie, but there was one new family who had never heard of the series. I was happy to hear them laughing at the ending.

Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel (Amazon.com link)

Occasionally I like to share a chapter from an early reader book like this one, and I was reminded of the “Ice Cream” story in this book when my daughter was listening to the audiobook in the car. To my surprise, most of the kids had never heard of the Frog and Toad books, which I know are still asked for frequently at the library. In this story, Toad buys two ice cream cones for himself and Frog to enjoy. But on his way back to Frog, the ice cream melts, covering his face so he cannot see. Other animals run from him in alarm, and when he finally gets back to Frog, he looks like a scary monster with two pointy horns. This one got laughs too.

Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta; illustrated by Ed Young (Amazon.com link)

I should have asked ahead of time if the kids knew what a ninja was, because one of them raised the question. A ninja is stealthily creeping through a house, until he is discovered and unmasked for what he really is: a boy sneaking ice cream from the freezer. This is a short book that is fun to read aloud because you can build up the suspense in the early pages.

SONGS:

Candy Corn for Dinner

I wrote this song for the storytime, since I couldn’t find many that fit the ice cream theme. It needs another verse, which I’ll try to add sometime in the future, but the kids seemed to like it. I’m still too nervous to tell people at storytime when I perform an original song, but it’s a fun challenge to write them. It’s also not too hard if you know a few chords on the guitar or ukulele, which is all you need for most kids songs anyway. This one only has three chords: C G7 and F.

C G7 C
My mom and dad put me in charge of our dinner tonight.
C G7
They said I could make anything as long as we ate right.
C G7 C
I had to serve some vegetables, a salad, and a stew.
C G7 C
I thought a while and cooked a bit, and here is my menu.

F C
We’re having candy corn for dinner
G7 C
With a side of chocolate stew.
F C
A three jelly bean salad,
G7 C
And an ice cream sandwich too.

I don’t know why Mom and Dad say cooking’s such a chore,
‘Cause I had such a great time going to the grocery store.
My mom said we were out of milk, so I bought a big milkshake,
And since my dad likes cheese so much, I got him a cheesecake.

We’re having candy corn for dinner
With a side of chocolate stew.
A three jelly bean salad,
And an ice cream sandwich too.

If All the Raindrops

This is an old standby that I use for toddler and baby storytimes too. (I used to sing it to my daughter at toothbrushing time, and it became kind of a game to brush her teeth while we sang the “Aaahs.”) I asked the kids to suggest other things they would like the rain to be. One girl suggested chocolate marshmallows, and her mom suggested margaritas. Here are the traditional lyrics (click on the triangle for the tune):

If all the snowflakes
Were candy bars and milkshakes…

If all the sunbeams
Were bubblegum and ice cream…

CRAFT: Ice Cream in a Bag

Ice cream mixture sealed in a large bag of ice and rock salt

The finished product!

I printed out the directions on a half-page handout, in case anyone wanted to take it home. You can print your own here: ICE CREAM IN A BAG

Before we started, I went over each of the ingredients. We talked about the vanilla, and I let the kids smell the open bottle. I showed them the rock salt, and explained that it was important, because without it the ice cream wouldn’t freeze. (The milk and sugar freeze at a lower temperature than water, but the salt lowers the freezing temperature of water. When you put it on ice, the ice melts, but it turns into a slushy mixture that is actually colder).

I gave each kid a quart-sized plastic zipper bag (for what it’s worth, the bags I bought from Target claimed to be BPA-free, although I’ve read that the other chemicals plastic companies use aren’t necessarily safer). I had them hold their bags open, and I poured the 1/2 of whole milk in for them, since it was a large, heavy gallon of milk. Then I held the bag open for each of them as they scooped in two tablespoons of sugar. I pour in the 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Then I told them to seal their bags tightly, and make sure they were closed (I once had volunteers mix up the ice cream mixture in the bags ahead of time, and they forgot to seal the bags shut. There were a lot of disappointed kids left holding bags of salty milk).

Once they had their ice cream mixture sealed in the small bags, I gave them each a gallon-sized bag to half-fill with ice. Then we poured the rock salt in on top of the ice (the recipe calls for 1/2 cup, but I just estimated). They sealed their ice cream mix into the big bag, and shook the bags while I played some songs on the ukulele. It takes about 5 minutes for the ice cream to freeze.

Once the ice cream was frozen, I gave out spoons and straws for the kids to each it straight out of the bag. Some froze more solidly than others, but it has a pretty good flavor that they all seemed to like.

OTHER BOOKS ABOUT ICE CREAM:

I Scream, Ice Cream! a Book of Wordles by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Serge Bloch (Amazon.com link)

This book’s not actually about ice cream, but I was originally going to read it along with Little Pea, since it references that book at the end. It’s actually a series of phrases that can mean two different things, depending on how you read them. For example: “I scream! Two bucks!” (with a picture of someone running away from two angry deer), sounds just like “Ice cream, two bucks!” The phrases get increasingly complicated, and it’s fun to try and guess what the alternate meaning will be.

Ice Cream: the Full Scoop by Gail Gibbons (Amazon.com link)

Nice overview of the history of ice cream, and how it is made commercially. This one was a little long for my group, but would work well for a preschool or elementary school class.

Any other books about ice cream? I would love some more suggestions.

1Aug2014

For the Birds: Stories about our Fine, Feathered Friends

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

Goldfinch Feeder

Last night at Family Storytime we read stories about birds, and made a simple bird feeder for goldfinches.

I was happy because I got to open with one of my all-time favorite read-alouds:

The Baby Beebee Bird by Diane Redfield Massie; illustrated by Stephen Kellogg (Amazon.com link)

This book is perfect for storytime: it has large, colorful illustrations, lots of animal noises, and a funny, annoying repeated phrase the kids get to join in on. A quiet evening at the zoo is interrupted by the newly arrived baby beebee bird, who insists on singing, “Beebee Bobbi Bobbi!” over and over again all night long. The next morning, the other animals are exhausted, the zookeeper is worried, and the lion has a plan to get revenge. I’ve also seen this book performed as a reader’s theater, where it works beautifully because there are so many different parts.

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

One of the kids spotted this Pigeon book in my stack and got really excited. I had actually brought two Pigeon books along, and I asked the kids to vote for the one they wanted to hear: they all asked me to read both. I think this one got the biggest laughs though. In this book, the Pigeon is about to enjoy the hot dog he found, until an adorable, curious (and deviously clever) duckling asks him what hot dogs are like.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems (Amazon.com link)

This one is more like the original Pigeon book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, where the kids get to respond to the Pigeon’s wheedling demands by yelling, “No!” In this case, the Pigeon is angling to stay up past bedtime, by using the arguments and excuses that every parent has heard before.

Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman (Amazon.com link)

Fun, silly farm story about the Greenstalk family, whose chickens always swoop in to save the day. Wristwatch in the well? Chickens to the rescue! Too tired to make dinner? Chickens to the rescue! Dog ate your book report? Chickens to the rescue. This one is always a hit, and the kids love chiming in on the “Chickens to the Rescue!”

Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles; illustrated by Rod Clement (Amazon.com link)

Edward the emu is sick of the zoo. When he hears someone say that the seals are his favorite animal, Edward hops the fence into the seal pool and tries being a seal instead. But then he overhears someone else saying the lions are best, and has to try that too, until another person raves about the snakes. Finally, someone says they like the emus best, but when Edward returns to his old enclosure, he finds a new emu in his place. The illustrations in this rhyming story, showing Edward emu-lating the other animals, are hilarious. The kids also enjoyed making animal noises along with Edward.

SONGS:

Two Little Blackbirds

One of my favorite songs/fingerplays. I usually sing it a cappella, so I can do the hand motions. Click on the triangle to hear how it goes:

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill, (Hold up both thumbs)
One named Jack, and the other named Jill.
Fly away, Jack! (Put one thumb behind your back)
Fly away, Jill! (Put the other thumb behind your back)
Come back, Jack! (Bring the first thumb out in front).
Come back, Jill! (Bring the second thumb out in the front).

Two little blackbirds sitting on a cloud,
One was quiet, and the other was loud (I make my voice as loud and obnoxious as possible each time I sing the word “Loud!”)
Fly away, Quiet!
Fly away, Loud!
Come back, Quiet!
Come back, Loud!

Two little blackbirds sitting in the snow.
One flew fast!
And the other f-l-e-w s-l-o-w!…

Two little blackbirds sitting on a gate.
One was early,
And the other was…late!… (I like to drag the pauses out as long as possible before saying “Late!” until the kids are all yelling it out.)

Six Little Ducks

I’ve done this song for years, and it’s a popular favorite at toddler and baby storytimes. Last night, I had several 6 year-olds in the group, so for an extra challenge, I asked if any of them could squat down and waddle like a duck (it’s surprisingly tiring, but they had fun). Here are the lyrics, with the accompanying ukulele or guitar chords:

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

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

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

Chorus

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

Chorus

Little Bird

I actually meant to do this song, but I forgot about it completely, and sang Brush Your Teeth instead (to go along with Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late). It’s perfect for a bird theme though, since the kids can suggest different types of birds, so I’m including it here. I originally heard it performed by Elizabeth Mitchell on her album, You Are My Little Bird, which is one of my favorite kids’ albums. Here’s how it goes:

C
Little Bird, Little Bird,
C
Fly through my window.
G7
Little Bird, Little Bird,
G7
Fly through my window.
C
Little Bird, Little Bird,
C
Fly through my window.
G7 C
Find molasses candy.

Chorus:
G7
Fly through my window, my sugar lump!
C G7 C
Fly through my window, my sugar lump!
G7 C
Find molasses candy!

Jay bird, Jay bird, fly through my window…etc…

Chorus

Repeat the verse and chorus, asking kids for the names of different birds (robin, parrot, etc.) to sing in place of “Little Bird” each time. You can also do this song as a dance, where a pair of kids put their hands together over their heads to make a “window” and the other kids “fly” through the window in a line.

CRAFT: Goldfinch Feeders

Goldfinch Feeder by Sarah

I found this easy goldfinch feeder on Do-It-Yourself N Save: http://diynsave.com/?p=337. I was really happy, because we get a lot of goldfinches here on the coast, and they are beautiful, and fun to watch. Also, I had originally thought of doing one of the typical kids bird feeder projects, where you put peanut butter on a pine cone and roll it in bird seed, but one of my regular storytime kids has a severe peanut allergy, so this was a much safer alternative.

It is super easy to make (although a bit messy, since the thistle seed tends to spill). After showing the kids a picture of a goldfinch, I gave each of them a knee-high stocking or the foot of a regular pair of stockings (one of my coworkers brought me some old ones from her mom, and I had also picked some up at Goodwill). I also had a variety of old jar lids, a chopstick, some yarn, and a bag of thistle (Nyger) seed. The kids each stuffed a lid into the bottom of their stocking, then filled the stocking with thistle seed (I gave them little plastic cups to scoop and pour). Then they tied them shut with the yarn, and stuck the chopstick through the stocking just above the lid. The chopstick makes a hole for the goldfinches to reach the seed, while also giving them a place to perch. One dad wisely waited on sticking the chopstick through the stocking until they got home, to keep the seed from spilling out all over the car (and the library!). All in all, it was easy and fun. I hung one on a tree in my backyard at home, and I’m eager to see if the goldfinches find it.

OTHER BOOKS ABOUT BIRDS:

There are so many great books about birds, especially once you factor in all the duck, penguin, and chicken books out there. Here are some others that I considered:

Penguin by Polly Dunbar (Amazon.com link)

This one is super-quirky, and a little dark, but I love it, and it’s always been a hit at storytime. Ben is frustrated with his new penguin, who refuses to talk. He tries everything from tickling it, to trying to feed it to a passing lion, but the lion eats Ben instead. Luckily, Penguin saves the day, rescuing Ben, and finally speaking, in a language of his own.

One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo; illustrated by David Small (Amazon.com link)

When Eliot secretly brings a penguin home from the aquarium, his father seems oblivious to all of Eliot’s attempts to make his new pet feel at home, until the surprise at the end. I’ve read this one to a wide range of ages, including a few second grade classes, and they loved it.

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell; illustrated by Patrick Benson (Amazon.com link)

This has always been one of my favorite books for toddler time. A sweet story about three baby owls whose mother has left them alone in their nest. As time passes, they grow increasingly worried, and wish their mother would come back, and of course, she does. The illustrations are beautiful. I have a personal copy of this book that I’ve read many, many times to my own kids. It is perfect for a snuggly bedtime story.

What are your favorite books about birds?

21Jul2014

Yes, Uke Can! A Ukulele Workshop for Kids

Posted in Ukulele by worldsloudestlibrarian

Yesterday, my coworker Nicol Cassidy-White and I led our first ukulele workshop at the library. We had advertised it for kids aged 5-10 and their parents, and required registration to keep the group small.

Most of the kids brought their own ukuleles, but we had a few to lend out to those who didn’t, thanks to a grant from the Mockingbird Foundation, a wonderful volunteer-run foundation for music education (it was founded by fans of the band Phish). I had originally asked Mockingbird for $300 to buy new rhythm instruments for the kids to play at musical storytime, since our old instruments had gotten ragged and broken. To my surprise, they actually gave us $500, enough to buy 6 ukuleles with cases, which we are hoping to use for future classes and possibly even lend out to library patrons.

Our class consisted of 9 kids and a few parents who actively helped their children. They covered our whole age span: one five year-old, one six, three seven year-olds, an eight year-old, two nine year-olds, and one ten year-old. As you can imagine, our class was a bit, well, loud, especially in our tiny library. In between exercises, there was a lot of random strumming, so we started using the command “Ukes Up!” and holding our ukes upright in front of us whenever we were explaining the next step.

Here was the structure for our class:

TUNING AND BASICS:

As soon as we had the group all together in a circle, we did a brief overview of the parts of the ukulele (body, fretboard, tuning pegs). We asked the kids if they knew why the strings made noise, and had them strum a string and watch it vibrate. We talked about the hole in the body and why it was there (I had them sing into the hole so they could hear how it made their voices louder). And then we talked about the tuning pegs, and how they made the strings tighter (and the sound higher) or looser (and lower).

After that, Nicol and I went around the circle to help everyone tune up. This took a little while. Nicol had a ukulele tuner, and I had the GuitarToolkit app on my iPhone (I love this app, by the way. It comes with a digital tuner, a metronome, and diagrams for all of the guitar and ukulele chords). When everyone was tuned up, we had them play the open strings to hear how each note sounded, and that this made a tune called “My Dog Has Fleas.” I also told them the names of the notes for each string (from the top string to the bottom: G C E A), and that I remember them with the silly phrase, “Good Cats Eat Apples.” (I should probably come up with something that makes more sense, like Great Cockroaches Eat Anything).

We also talked about the different ways of holding the uke: either down in your lap, or close to your chest. We showed them how to cup the fretboard in their open left hands, with their right hands coming across the sound board. We actually had two left-handed kids in the group, a statistical anomaly (but then both my kids are left-handed, and my husband and I are righties, so go figure). This definitely made it harder for them to play, and I suggested that they get their ukes restrung upside down at a local music store.

STRUMMING:

Earlier this summer, when I was showing my son how to play the ukulele, he complained about the strings hurting his fingers when he strummed. For the class, I ordered some felt picks from Amazon.com, and handed them out to the kids. Many of them opted to use the pick for the rest of the class, although we did show them all the different ways to strum otherwise: with the fleshy part of their thumb, or their index fingers. I often use all of my fingers.

We talked about how you can strum down across the strings, or up, or alternate between the two. And then we had them practice strumming together as a group. I was surprised at how quickly they picked this up. (I volunteer to teach music at my son’s school, and getting the class to play anything together is usually the hardest part).

CHORDS:

After practicing strumming together, it was time to talk about chords. I explained that chords are two or more notes that are played at the same time, and that most chords on the ukulele are made of four notes, because of the four strings. Then we showed the kids how to hold their fingers on the fretboard to make a C chord. We had little white dot stickers to put on the spot where their fingers should go.

For the C chord, you usually hold your ring finger on the third fret of the bottom string. This is obviously really hard for kids to do, since they don’t usually use their ring fingers independently. I showed them a trick I learned from Alfred’s Kid’s Ukulele Course 1, which suggests that you can put your index finger on the first fret, and your middle finger on the second, to give your ring finger more support on the third. Mostly though, we just let the kids hold the note however it felt the most comfortable (a lot of them used their index or middle fingers).

There are lots of songs you can play with just the C chord. We had them try three: Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Are You Sleeping? (Frère Jacques), and The Itsy Bitsy Spider (Nicol had the great idea to have them play the Itsy Bitsy Spider softly at first. Then we did the Great Big Hairy Spider, and had them play loudly). Again, I was really surprised at how well this went. Yes, some of them were having a hard time holding the note, and many of the ukes (being new) were slipping out of tune by this point. But for the most part, they were strumming together and singing.

At this point, we had been going for about 40 minutes, and I could see that some of the kids were starting to lose focus. I wanted them to have some idea of where to go from this point though, so we showed them how to read a chord chart, by imagining that the ukulele is standing upright, and lining up the chart with the strings to see where their fingers should go. For example, here is the chord chart for a C chord:

We briefly showed them how to make an F chord, which was really hard, especially for the younger kids with small hands, since they have to reach all the way to the top string. For the five year-old, I suggested that his dad hold the chord while he strummed. A few of the older kids were able to manage it on their own.

We briefly had them practice switching between C and F, and then we tried a song, just for fun. The song was Everything is Awesome from The Lego Movie. Here’s how it goes with the chord changes:

Everything is awesome!

F C F

Everything is cool when you’re part of a team.

F C F C

Everything is awesome when we’re living our dream.

Admittedly, this part of the class sounded less than awesome. The chords themselves are challenging, and switching between them even more so, but at least it gave them the general idea. (In retrospect, it might have been easier for them to learn G7, and play something like The Wheels on the Bus, but I was kind of hoping to use something current and popular).

So that was the end of our class, although one 7 year-old, who was the only one with experience playing, asked it she could perform a song, and she did! She sang Go Tell Aunt Rhody, which she played with F and C7 (C7 is actually even easier than C, because you put your index finger on the first fret of the bottom string). I thought she did really well, and told her it took me years to work up the nerve to play my ukulele in front of a group, which is true.

We sent them home with their picks, and a handout I made up (you can print it from here: BEGINNING UKULELE (.doc) or BEGINNING UKULELE (.pdf, along with a chord chart of 8 basic chords from ukulele-chords.com. We also had them fill out a contact sheet to be notified of future classes. In the future, we are hoping to offer four-week sessions for very small groups (no more than 4 at a time), and group them by age (kids, tweens, teens, and adults).

Overall I was happy and relieved with how well the class went, since I had no idea how much kids under the age of 10 could pick up in one class. But I was really pleased with how receptive the kids were, and how hard they tried, especially on a sunny, summer Saturday afternoon. I’m excited about teaching more, and supporting the Ukulele Revolution! (Ukuleles are everywhere nowadays. If you don’t believe me, just listen to the music on most TV commercials). Plus, I just read an article yesterday about all of the many positives ways learning an instrument affects the developing brain: http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2014/07/music-language-brain.

I’ll leave you with a joke that one of the boys described to the class (I found this cartoon version later on Modern Life Is Awesome):

If you have any questions or suggestions, please write them in the comments below. In the meantime, happy playing!

19Jul2014

Abracadabra! Stories about Magic

Posted in Rhymes and songs, Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SONGS:

Abracadabra!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Little Bunny Foo Foo

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

CRAFT: “Magic” Magic Wands

The floating wand

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

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

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

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

OTHER BOOKS ABOUT MAGIC:

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

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

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

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

What are your favorite books about magic?

23Jun2014

A Day at the Beach

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

Beach scene by Indy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SONGS:

Bumpin’ Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon

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

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

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

Ella’s going to fix it with a banana…

Bumpin’ up and down in my little red wagon.

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

Sarah’s going to fix it with a sandwich…

B-I-N-G-O

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

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

Sandcastle:

Sand in My Sandals:

CRAFT:

Beach Scene

Beach scene by Ella

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

OTHER BOOKS ABOUT THE BEACH:

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are your favorite books about the beach?

9Jun2014

The Great Outdoors! Stories about Adventure

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

Foam Shape Boat by Shelby

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SONGS:

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

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

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

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

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

Five Green and Speckled Frogs

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

Five green and speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log.
Eating the most delicious bugs! Yum Yum!
One jumped into the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there are four green speckled frogs!

Four green and speckled frogs…etc.

Going to the Zoo

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

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

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

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

CHORUS

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

CHORUS

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

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

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

CHORUS

CRAFT: Foam Shape Boats

Foam Shape Boat by Kiley

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

OTHER BOOKS:

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

Journey by Aaron Becker (Amazon.com link)

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

Fortunately by Remy Charlip (Amazon.com link)

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

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

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

What are your favorite picture book adventure stories?

24May2014

Under the Sea: Books About the Ocean

Posted in Rhymes and songs, Storytime themes by worldsloudestlibrarian

Paper Shark by Stephanie

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

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

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

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

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

Fidgety Fish by Ruth Galloway (Amazon.com link)

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

Swimmy by Leo Lionni (Amazon.com link)

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

SONGS:

There’s a Spider on the Floor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But it jumps off!

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

Slippery Fish

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

1,2,3,4,5

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

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

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

CRAFT: Paper Shark

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

Paper Shark by Lena

OTHER BOOKS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are your favorite picture books about the ocean?

16May2014

We Are in a Book: Storytime with Elephant and Piggie

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

Paper Bag Gerald and Piggie Puppets by Nina

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SONGS:

Elephants Have Wrinkles

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

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

Repeat

Elephants have wrinkles…

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

I Bought Me a Rooster

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

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

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

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

CRAFT: Gerald and Piggie Paper Bag Puppets

Gerald Paper Bag Puppet by Chloe

Piggie Paper Bag Puppet by Chloe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are your favorite Mo Willems books?

The Loudest Librarian!

Weekly library storytime themes, book recommendations, songs, crafts, and other library programming ideas

Avast! A Pirate Storytime for Booklubbers

The Very Busy Author: In Honor of Eric Carle

For the Birds: Stories about our Fine, Feathered Friends

Yes, Uke Can! A Ukulele Workshop for Kids

Abracadabra! Stories about Magic

A Day at the Beach

The Great Outdoors! Stories about Adventure

Under the Sea: Books About the Ocean

We Are in a Book: Storytime with Elephant and Piggie