Category: Preschool Storytimes

What’s Your Name?

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I am settling in to my new library. Perhaps the hardest part is remembering everyone’s name!

Names Outreach Class Visit with Jennifer: September 19, 2008

OPENING:

Introduction
Name song: Pig on Her Head (Laurie Berkner: Buzz Buzz)
Opening song: If You’re Happy and You Know It
Opening fingerplay: Ten Little Fingers

PROGRAM:

Fingerplay: Two Little Blackbirds
Read-aloud #1: Catalina Magdelena… by Tedd Arnold
Flannel song: BINGO
Read-aloud #2: Mommy Doesn’t Know My Name by Suzanne Williams
*Song (with actions): “Hi, My Name is Joe”
Read-aloud#3: Silly Sally
Flannel song: “Aiken Drum”
Read-aloud #4: No, David by David Shannon
Song: Fun with Hands

CLOSING:

Closing song: We Wave Goodbye

*“Hi, My Name is Joe”
(I learned this from Sharon, Lois and Bram when I was a kid.)
(Have kids join you in movements.)

Hi. My name is Joe and I work in a button factory..
I got a wife and a dog and a family.
One day, my boss comes up to me. He says,
“Hi Joe, are you busy?”
I say “No”
He says,
“Okay, turn the button with your right hand.””
(make the motion with your right hand)

You repeat this with…
…turn the button with your left hand.
…turn the button with your right foot.
…turn the button with your left foot.
…turn the button with your head.

And then the next time he says…
”Joe, are you busy?”
You shout – “YES!”

Featuring Heather Forest

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Yesterday, I got to go out and play with other librarians at a story-swap meeting (Lincoln Story League)!!!

There, I shared my love of musical storyteller Heather Forest. I plugged two of her wonderful cds, Sing Me a Story and Tales Around the Hearth as well as her picture book version of The Little Red Hen. These cds (as well as mp3s of individual stories from the collections) are available from such sites as CD Baby, iTunes, and Amazon.

I’ve adopted catchy musical refrains from her versions of The Mitten, The Turnip and The Little Red Hen into my own storytelling at the library. Adding these refrains is a great way to perk up the presentation and to get the kids singing along.

I also talked a little about how I tell The Little Red Hen. In addition to using Heather Forest’s singing refrain (“If you want some cake to eat, who will help me plant this wheat, etc.?”), I often use audience participation in the form of choosing some kids to work puppets or wear special headbands to act out the parts of the dog, the cat and the mouse. I wear a crazy chicken hat and act as the little red hen. Everyone else gets to be my little chicks. So, when the dog, the cat, and the mouse all say “Not I”, I ask my little chicks if they will help me. They all nod and agree, and we act out planting the seeds, harvesting the wheat, etc. And, of course, the little red hen and her chicks all get to mime eating delicious cake at the end! For my youngest audiences, I usually use flannels and visual cards to tell the story. I still have the kids be chicks, but I don’t select anyone to be a specific part.

The Little Red Hen was a part of a chicken folktale program that I geared for a K-3rd grade audience (and their families). I also used it in my storytime best practices presentation for the California Library Association Conference in 2009. (Please note my email address and blog URL have changed since then.) For that presentation, I also included a template for a fun chicken craft. Other chicken storytimes I’ve done can be found here, here, and here. (Can you tell it is one of my favorite themes?)

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

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“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
–Dr. Seuss

Readers across America today (and all this month) are celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday and all of his great contributions to children’s literature. Are you doing anything special?


Dr. Seuss Outreach Class Visit with Jennifer: March 4, 2009

OPENING
Talk about Seuss and Read Across America
Fingerplay: Rain is Falling Down
Fingerplay: The Itsy Bitsy Spider

PROGRAM
Book: The Cat in the Hat
Song: Silly Hat Song
Book: Ten Apples Up On Top
Action Rhyme: Apples
Book: Green Eggs and Ham
Fingerplay: Five Little Sausages

CLOSING
Read more Seuss books at home/library this week!

HANDOUT or CRAFT
Cat in the Hat Coloring Sheet

–For information about Read Across America Day, you can start by clicking here or here.

Royal Ribbit

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I am currently on storytime “hiatus” again (until I find another storytime opportunity… hopefully, a paying gig!). However, I still have a couple of storytime posts to catch up on 🙂

OPENING:
Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Snog the Frog by Tony Bonning
Song (with finger puppets or flannel pieces): Down on Grandpa’s Farm
Read-aloud #2: Froggy Eats Out by Jonathan London
Song/Fingerplay: Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Read-aloud #3: The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner (pop-up book)
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them
Read-aloud #4: Bad Frogs by Thacher Hurd

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

Royal Rinse

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Sorry for the lack of posting! I’m adjusting to getting back into “storytime mode”. It’s been a blast! This past Monday, I read at Culvers on Randall Road in South Elgin… I’ll be back there for more royal reading Monday, July 11 at 5:30 pm… come join me for food and stories! I’m also at McDonald’s on Larkin in Elgin on Wednesdays at 5:00 pm!!!
Last week, we had a fun storytime about baths/washing up!

OPENING:
*Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood
Song: “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”
Poem: “Take Me Out of the Bathtub” from Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs by Alan Katz
Read-aloud #2: The Great Dog Wash by Shellie Braeuner
Song/Fingerplay: Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Read-aloud #3: Froggy Learns to Swim by Jonathan London
Storytelling (with finger puppets): Mrs. Wishy Washy by Joy Cowley
Read-aloud #4: To the Beach by Thomas Docherty

(BONUS BOOK: For some of the families, I also read If… by Sarah Perry. It doesn’t really go with the theme but is a fun imagination-stretcher especially for the older kids.)

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

*If You Want to Hear a Story
Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”
If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!
If you want to hear a story, clap your hands!
If you want to hear a story,
if you want to hear a story,
if you want to hear a story, clap your hands!

Other verses:
“nod your head,”
“rub your tummy,”
“sit real still,” etc.

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)