Author: sillylibrarian

A Doggie Bag of Stories

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Dog storytimes are always popular. In this case, we were even able to get Clifford to come and visit!

Dogs Preschool Storytime with Jennifer: April 17, 2007

OPENING:
Intro Song: Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?
Intro: Casually share the book, Dog Food by Freymann and Elffers with the gathering children
Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: The Dog Who Cried Wolf by Keiko Kasza
Flannel: Where’s Spot?
Read-aloud #2: Bertie Was a Watchdog by Rick Walton
*Fingerplay: Ten Little Doggies
Read-aloud #3: Bark, George by Jules Feiffer (Also: use swallowing “dog” puppet with various animal fingerpuppets inside)
Flannel Song: BINGO
Read-aloud #4: Clifford Gets a Job by Norman Bridwell

SPECIAL GUEST: Clifford, the Big Red Dog (We were able to get a walk-about costume for a willing staff member to wear. The kids LOVED getting to meet and hug Clifford. This was a special treat, though. We didn’t have characters come and visit every week, of course!)

CLOSING:
Closing Song: We Wave Good-bye Like This

CRAFT OR HANDOUT:
Clifford Coloring Handouts

*Ten Little Doggies
Ten little doggies went out one day
(hold 10 fingers up)
To dig in the dirt and play, play, play.
(Pretend to dig like a dog with both hands)
Five were spotted, and five were not,
(Hold up one hand at a time)
and at dinner time they ate a lot!
(Pretend to eat)

Other Dog Ideas:
How much is that doggie in the window?
Snuggle Puppy
Knick Knack Paddy Whack
Old Mother Hubbard
Oh where oh where has my little dog gone?

Thanks, Mom!

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Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there…

Theme: Moms (May 2006 Outreach)

Books:
*My Mom by Anthony Browne
Where is My Mommy? by Julie Downing (CP)
*Thanks, Mom by Ed Emberley
Even Firefighters HUG Their Moms by Christine Cole MacLean
*I Love You Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt
What Mommies Do Best by Laura Numeroff
Kiss Kiss! by Margaret Wild

Big Books:
Ten Little Monkeys

Puppets:
Mama Kangaroo

Monkey Mitt:
Five Little Ducks

Rhymes:

Flowers for Mom:
I’ll pick some flowers for my Mom.
To make a nice bouquet (pick flowers)
I’ll give her a smile (smile)
And say, Happy Mother’s Day

Mother’s Knives and Forks:
These are Mother’s knives and forks (fingers interlocked and pointing up)
This is Mother’s table. (reverse interlock and point fingers downward)
This is Mother’s looking glass (keep interlocked – raise pointer fingers tip to tip)
And this is Baby’s cradle. (keep interlocked – raise pointer and little finger tip to tip)

Flannels:
Is Your Mama a Llama?
The Most Beautiful Hen in the Barnyard

Ahhh…. SPRING!

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Hello, friends! Yes, I am still alive and hoppin’. I’ve been feeling a bit discouraged because I haven’t found a new library job and storytime home yet… but I have been considering looking into at least volunteering my storytelling (anyone interested?), and I have been working on writing some of my own stories. So, life is good… and SPRING is full of possibilities 🙂

Here’s another “oldie-but-goodie” from my Burbank days….

Spring Preschool Storytime with Jennifer: March 20, 2007

OPENING:
Puppet Act: Bunny puppets
Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson
Song (with bird-in-egg prop): “Green Grass Grows All Around”
Read-aloud #2: Cold Little Duck, Duck, Duck by Lisa Westberg Peters
Flannel song: Five Little Ducks Went Out to Play
Fingerplay: Here’s a Bunny
Read-aloud #3: Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming
Song (with homemade finger puppets): Little Bunny Foo Foo
Storytelling Activity/ Flannelboard: The Enormous Turnip

MOVIE:
The Picnic

CLOSING:
Closing Song: We Wave Good-bye Like This

CRAFT OR HANDOUT:
Bunny Foo Foo handout

Here’s a Bunny:
Here’s a bunny with ears so funny, (make curved bunny ears with two fingers of one hand)
And here is his hole in the ground. (make an open fist with the other hand)
When a noise he hears,
He pricks up his ears (raise bunny-ear fingers straight and tall)
And jumps in his hole in the ground. (tuck bunny-ear fingers into the fist)

**Note: Cold Little Duck was probably too simple for this age group
Suggestion: Who’s Garden Is It? By Mary Ann Hoberman

Green for St. Patrick’s Day!

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Happy almost-St.-Patrick’s-Day, everyone!

It’s Not Easy Being Green(e): St. Pat’s Preschool Storytime with Jennifer: March 13, 2007

OPENING:
Opening: Discuss things that are green
Puppet act: Tease children with alligator puppet
Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story

PROGRAM:
Storytelling Activity: Very Hungry Caterpillar (flannel and puppets)
Read-aloud #1: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Flannel rhyme: Five Little Monkeys Teasing Mr. Alligator
Read-aloud #2: Snip Snap! What’s That? by Mara Bergman
Flannel poem: Five Green Shamrocks
Rhyme: Leprechaun Stew
Read-aloud #3: Green Wilma by Tedd Arnold

MOVIE:
Alligators All Around

CLOSING:
Closing Song: We Wave Good-bye Like This

CRAFT OR HANDOUT:
Shamrock Butterflies

ALSO: My previous toddler storytimes for St. Patrick’s Days can be found here, here, and here!

Lions… and Tigers… and Bears!!!

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OH MY!

Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My! Open Storytime with Jennifer: March 15, 2006

OPENING:

Greet children with Lion puppet
Opening song: The More We Get Together
Opening fingerplay: Ten Little Fingers

PROGRAM:

Read-aloud #1: We’re Going on a Lion Hunt by David Axtel
Read-aloud #2 (open the flap book): Tails by Matthew Van Fleet
Read-aloud #3: Who is the Beast? By Keith Baker
Song: “Silly Dance Contest” from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song
Read-aloud #4: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? By Bill Martin & Eric Carle
Storytell with Storyprops (use apron and pieces): Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

CLOSING:

Closing song: “Hands are for Clapping” from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song
Closing rhyme: See You Later Alligator (with flannel pieces)

Cat’s Meow

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There’s nothing like snuggling up next to a warm cat on a cold day!

Cats Preschool Storytime with Jennifer

OPENING:
Intro: Count and name animals in “Ten in the Bed” prop. Wear purple cat flannel in my hat.
Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Gobble, Gobble, Slip, Slop by Meilo So
Fingerplay: Five Little Kittens (TEWS by Cole)
Read-aloud #2: The Three Little Kittens by Paul Galdone (sung)
Song (with finger puppets): Ten in the Bed
Read-aloud #3: Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
Song: ABCs
Read-aloud #4: Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel
Movement Song: “Shake My Sillies Out” (Raffi)

MOVIE:
Here Comes the Cat!

CLOSING:
Closing Song: We Wave Good-bye Like This

CRAFT OR HANDOUT:
Cat and Dog Finger Puppets Coloring Handout

Get Happy!

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Happy New Year!!! The beginning of a new year is a great time to do a Happy Birthday and/or Celebrations storytime. Below is an oldie but goodie. Also: you may notice that some major changes are happening on this site (finally!). I am hoping to really start adding to this site this year and make it an even more useful resource for parents, teachers and fellow librarians. The look of the site may continue to change for a little while longer, but I hope to get things settled soon!

As an extra bonus, at the end of this post, I’ve included another “Silly Librarian in Action” video: a snippet of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”. Shout HOORAY! and get happy, people.

Birthdays and Celebrations Funfare with Jennifer: September 1, 2005

Decorate using streamers, balloons, felt cakes, presents…

OPENING:

Play the “Unbirthday Song” (from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland) as children enter. Have bubbles going.
Discuss birthdays and what you can find at parties.
Opening Fingerplay: Ten Little Fingers
Opening Song: Let Everyone Clap Hands with Me

PROGRAM:

Read-aloud #1: Little Gorilla by Ruth Bornstein
Fingerplay: Make a Cake
Read-aloud #2: Gotcha! by Gail Jorgensen (group) OR Fairytale Cake by Mark Sperring (family)
Fingerplay: Birthday Cake
Oral storytelling: Poule and Roach (from Margaret Read MacDonald’s Celebrate the World: Twenty Tellable Folktales for Multicultural Festivals) [I definitely needed to shorten the story for this audience. If I were to do this storytime again, I think that I would substitute this story for another book such as The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli or A Birthday for Cow! by Jan Thomas and/or more songs or fingerplays.]

CLOSING:

Song: Hokey Pokey
(Song: Shake My Sillies Out)
Present kids with colorfully wrapped box as a “present for everyone”. But before we can open it, we must sing…
Song: Happy Birthday
Open up the present (be dramatic and throw the paper everywhere while shaking the box). Inside there are stickers for everyone! Hand out stickers individually (a good time to do a count) and wish each boy and girl a “Happy Birthday”. Play “Unbirthday Song” again (and/or Raffi music) while doing this as audience leaves.

Make a Cake
Mix the batter, stir the batter
(make a stirring motion with one arm/hand)
Shake some flour in
(make a shaking motion with one arm/hand)
Mix the batter, stir the batter
(make a stirring motion with one arm/hand)
Place it in a tin
(pretend to pour)
Sprinkle in some raisins in
(pretend to sprinkle)
Pop it in the oven
(open both hands, palms up, and slide them forward)
Open wide the oven door
(pretend to open door)
And out comes the cake!
(open both hands, palms up, and slide them forward)

Birthday Cake
Ten candles on a birthday cake
(hold up hands with palms facing out and fingers extended)
All lit up for me
(wiggle fingers)
I’ll make a wish and blow them out
Watch and you will see.
(blow and bend fingers down)

And, now for the video! Clap your hands!

Why didn’t Tom Turkey want dessert?

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Wow, I can’t believe that I did the following storytime six years ago! Time flies when you’re having fun! I hope that everyone has a very happy Thanksgiving:)

Thanksgiving Funfare with Jennifer: November 18, 2004

OPENING:
Discuss Thanksgiving, turkeys, feasts, etc.
Tell joke: Why didn’t Tom Turkey want dessert? He was stuffed!
*Opening song: If you’re happy and you know it/Hello Mr. Turkey
**Warm up fingers: Ten Little Fingers
Opening fingerplay: Ten Fat Turkeys
Are you ready for storytime?!
Gobble, gobble, gobble

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson
Poem: “Leftovers” from It’s Thanksgiving! by Jack Prelutsky
Felt board: food galore-put on the board food felt pieces and talk about all the different yummy food you can have at a feast
Song: Thanksgiving Dinner (in Jane Cobb’s I’m a Little Teapot…)
Read-aloud #2: This is the Turkey by Abby Levine
***Fingerplay: A Turkey is a Funny Bird
Fingerplay: Mr. Turkey Went Out One Day (see fall rhyme sheets)
Read-aloud #3: Hungry Hen by Richard Waring

CLOSING:
****Song: Turkey Jurky
Song: Shake My Sillies Out, Raffi
Song: Turkey in the Straw (play while handing out stickers)

WORDS & LYRICS:
*“Hello Mr. Turkey” (to the tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It):
Hello, Mr. Turkey
Hello Mr. Turkey, how are you?
Hello Mr. Turkey, how are you?
With a gobble, gobble, gobble
and a wobble, wobble, wobble
Hello Mr. Turkey how are you?

**Ten Fat Turkeys
Ten fat turkeys standing in a row
(hold up ten fingers)
They spread their feathers and tails like so
(spread fingers)
They strut to the left
They strut to the right
(move fingers left and right)
They Gobble, gobble, gobble
in the bright sunlight!

***A Turkey is a Funny Bird
The turkey is a funny bird,
His head goes wobble, wobble.
All he know is just one word,
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble.

***“Turkey Jurkey” (to the tune of The Hokey Pokey):
You put your wing in
You put your wing out
You put your wing in
And you flap it all about
You do the Turkey Jurkey and you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about!

You put your other wing in
You put your other wing out
You put your other wing in
And you flap it all about
You do the Turkey Jurkey and you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about!

You put your beak in
You put your beak out
You put your beak in
And you shake it all about
You do the Turkey Jurkey and you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about!

You put your tail feathers in
You put your tail feathers out
You put your tail feathers in
And you shake them all about
You do the Turkey Jurkey and you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about!

Soup’s On!

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It’s a great time of the year to slurp some delicious homemade soup. A “soup” themed storytime is also appropriate for Thanksgiving-time. It’s all about the food! Yum!

Soup’s On! Preschool Storytime with Jennifer: January 30, 2007

OPENING:
Play “Animal Crackers in my Soup” as audience enters
Have alligator puppet “eat” various ingredients of Stone Soup
Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza
Rhyme (with puppet): Alligator Pie
Read-aloud #2 (big book): Mean Soup by Betsy Everitt
Flannel: Stone Soup poem (template found here)
Read-aloud #3: To Market, To Market by Anne Miranda
Flannel/Song: Barnyard Gate [version available on Ed McCurdy: Children’s Songs: the Greatest Hits (I Had a Little Rooster)]
Song: “I Feel Crazy So I Jump in the Soup” from Laurie Berkner’s Victor Vito

VIDEO:
Chicken Soup with Rice (5 minutes)

CLOSING:
Closing Song: We Wave Good-bye Like This