Rhyme Time for Littles Videos

Oh, wow, it’s been a while! How has everyone been?

I’m on another library/storytime hiatus… and I miss storytime sooooo much! I was able to work from home the first couple of months of the pandemic. I enjoyed making little videos for my library. Due to copyright, I’m no longer posting the links to most of my read-aloud videos on this website; but I am posting my Action Songs and Fingerplay Series links below! These are some of my favorites to share with littles and their families, so I hope you enjoy 🙂

Unfortunately, due to health reasons, I had to leave my library last summer… but I’m hoping new and fun and exciting and challenging opportunities will soon head my way. Best Wishes to all, and Happy Storytiming!

Rhyme Time for Littles: Action Songs and Fingerplays Series:

Burbank Adult School

Once a year, I visit the Burbank Adult School to speak with parents about some good books for toddlers as well as other resources we have available at our library. Here are some of the titles that I recommended during my visit yesterday:

Characteristics of Good Books for Toddlers
*Stories they can relate to: animals, body, clothes, home, holidays, familiar situations
Example: Peekaboo Bedtime by Rachel Isadora
*Stories with rhyme and rhythm
Example: Who Ate All the Cookie Dough? by Karen Beaumont
*Predictable stories with phrase or repeated happenings
Example: Napping House by Audrey Wood

Formats
*Picture Books
Examples: What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by Jan Thomas; Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day (wordless)
*Folktales, Fairy Tales & Nursery Rhymes
Example: My Very First Mother Goose by Iona Opie and Rosemary Wells
*Board Books—thick sturdy cover and pages; small size for little hands; bright colorful pictures; simple shapes; clear pictures; pictures of human faces; few words; nursery rhymes
Example: Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton
*Toddler Collection—Concept books (ABCs, 123s, Shapes, Colors, etc.)
Example: ABC: a Child’s First Alpabet Book by Alison Jay

Parent Collection—Books written for parents as well as books written for children dealing with various “growing up” topics (potty training, new sibling, discipline, education, etc.)
Examples: What to Expect the Toddler Years by Arlene Eisenburg; What to Expect When Mommy’s Having a Baby by Heidi Murkoff

Book Sets (with cd)
Example: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

Books for Toddlers

Today, I visited the Burbank Adult School to speak with parents about some good books for toddlers as well as other resources we have available at our library. Here are some of the titles that I recommended:

Characteristics of Good Books for Toddlers
*Stories they can relate to: animals, body, clothes, home, holidays, familiar situations
Example: Here Are My Hands by Bill Martin Jr.
*Stories with rhyme and rhythm
Example: The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani
*Stories with phrase or repeated happenings
Example: Napping House by Audrey Wood
*Predictable stories
Example: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.

Formats
*Picture Books
Examples: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle; Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day (wordless)
*Folktales, Fairy Tales & Nursery Rhymes
Examples: Neighborhood Mother Goose by Nina Crews; My Very First Mother Goose by Iona Opie and Rosemary Wells; The Three Bears by Paul Galdone
*Board Books—thick sturdy cover and pages; small size for little hands; bright colorful pictures; simple shapes; clear pictures; pictures of human faces; few words; nursery rhymes
Examples: Clip Clop by Nicola Smee; Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton; Mary had a Little Lamb by Salley Mavor
*Toddler Collection—Concept books (ABCs, 123s, Shapes, Colors, etc.)
Examples: Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd; Max’s ABC by Rosemary Wells; Count and See by Tana Hoban

Parent Collection—Books written for parents as well as books written for children dealing with various “growing up” topics (potty training, new sibling, discipline, education, etc.)
Examples: Once Upon a Potty by Alona Frankel; The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease; The Mother of All Toddler Books by Ann Douglas

TumbleBooks and Virtual Storybooks

Looking for something to do this summer? Looking for different ways to share books with your child? Do you miss storytime? (I do…)

The Burbank Public Library (as well as many other public libraries across the nation) offers its patrons an excellent electronic resource that can help get kids excited about books and reading: TumbleBooks!

By clicking on the library’s website and then following the link for “TumbleBooks” found on the homepage, our library users can gain access to an online collection of animated, talking picture books and games. From the comfort of your own home, you can gain unlimited remote access to this FREE program. [This is available to Burbank Public Library cardholders. People in other communities will have to check with their own local libraries to see if this service is available.]

**Here are some of the great features of TumbleBooks…**

Story Books: This is the collection of animated picture books that include favorite titles such as “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “The Paperbag Princess” and “Dairy of a Worm”. Users have the option of having the book read aloud to them or reading the book independently (without audio narration). (This collection is especially geared for toddlers, preschoolers and beginning readers.) There are also corresponding electronic puzzles and games to go with the books.

Tumble Readables: For older, more established readers, there is a collection of e-book classics such as “Anne of Green Gables” and “Black Beauty” for students to read independently (without the bells and whistles of animation and sound effects).

Language Learning: There is also a growing collection of books in Spanish and French as well as bilingual titles. (You also have the option of viewing the website in these languages.) This collection could be useful for ESL, bilingual, Spanish and French language learning and instruction.

Audio Books: Also for older students, there is a collection of full length, unabridged, streaming audio books for listening.

**Another website for free Virtual Storybooks**

Storyline Online: Online videos of actors reading picture books aloud.

NEW Storytime Resources Page

Hello Everybody, How Do You Do?

I just finished writing a new page for my blog. Under Pages, you’ll find “Storytime Resources”. Here, I share my favorite books and websites that I use for storytime planning including resources on program planning, puppets, flannels, props, nursery rhyme coloring sheets, Mother Goose, music, storytelling and early literacy. Throughout the years, I’ve received many questions from parents, teachers and fellow librarians about where I purchase my “toys”, how I get my ideas, and where one can find out more about early language development. Hopefully, this new page will help answer some questions and also inspire more fun with language. Storytime is a wonderful way to help get young children excited about books, reading and learning…not to mention it’s a lot of fun! I am sure that I will continue to update this Resources page as new resources come to my attention.

Five Easy Steps for Sharing Books with Your Toddler

Today, I went over to the Burbank Adult School to talk with parents of two-year-olds. I talked with them about all the wonderful library materials and programs that are available at the library FREE of charge:) I also shared with them Five Easy Steps for Sharing Books with Your Toddler.

Five Easy Steps for Sharing Books With Your Toddler

1. Pick the best time
A time when you and your toddler are in a good mood. Snuggle up and make this a quality time to spend together.

2. Pick a special spot to read
Find a place free from distractions (such as TV, radio or computer) where you and your child can both be comfortable reading together.

3. Show your child the book
Point to the pictures and talk naturally and cheerfully. Talk and have fun. Encourage your child to interact with you and the book.

4. Watch what your child does
Let your toddler play with the book if he wants to and stop for now if he gets upset.

5. Share a book with your toddler everyday
Even just a few minutes a day is important.