Spring Flowers

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HOORAY! It’s FINALLY Spring!!!!!!

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: and then it’s spring by Julie Fogliano OR Sunflower by Miela Ford
*Flannel: Little Mouse
Read-aloud #2: What Does Bunny See? by Linda Sue Park
**Flannel: Here is a Spring Flower
Read Aloud #3: Fran’s Flower by Lisa Bruce
***Flannel: Three Little Tulips
****Fingerplay: Flowers for Mom
Fingerplay: Beehive
Read-aloud #4: My Garden by Kevin Henkes
Flannel: The Enormous Turnip
Read-aloud #5: It’s Spring! by Else Holmelund Minarik
(“Dancing” Song: “The Wiggle Song” from Carole Peterson: Sticky Bubble Gum and Other Tasty Tunes)

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

*Little Mouse
Little Mouse, Little Mouse, Are you in the [insert color] house?
(Underneath different colored flannel houses, I place different flannel animals. Using a cat puppet, we go in search of the mouse flannel…)

**Here is a Spring Flower (using flannels of flowers with emotional faces)
Here is a spring flower who’s happy
Here is a spring flower who sighs
Here is a spring flower who’s sleepy
Here is a spring flower who cries
Here is a spring flower who’s angry
Here is a spring flower who’s sad
Here is a spring flower who’s noisy
And here is a spring flower who’s glad!

***Three Little Tulips (using 3 tulip flannels; the red one has a longer stem)
Three little tulips I once grew,
A white one, a pink one, a red one too.
One little tulip grew, grew, grew.
It grew taller than the other two,
The other two, the other two.
It grew taller than the other two!
[Credit: Arlea Kittredge]

****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

SPLASH!

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A splashy storytime (to go along with our rainy weather we’ve been having in Chicago…)

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1 (Story Cards): Mrs. Wishy Washy by Joy Cowley
Action Song: Itsy Bitsy Spider
Read-aloud #2 (Big Book): Mrs. McNosh Hangs up Her Wash by Sarah Weeks
Action Song: If You’re Wearing Red Today
Fingerplay: Ten Little Fingers
Read Aloud #3: Split! Splat! by Amy Gibson
Fingerplay: Rain is Falling Down
Read-aloud #4: Big Red Tub by or The Great Dog Wash by Shellie Braeuner
Flannel: Five Elephants in the Bathtub
Read-aloud #5 (Big Book): King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood
(“Dancing” Song: “Coconut Soap” from Frank Leto’s Time for Music)

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

April Funny!

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Silly Librarian’s Silly Stories storytime! (That’s a lot of “S”s!)

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: I’m Bored by Michael Ian Black
*Song (with actions): “Hi, My Name is Joe”
Read-aloud #2 (Big Book): Silly Sally by Audrey Wood
Song: Silly Hat Song
Read-aloud #3: A Boy and His Bunny by Sean Bryan
Song: Little Bunny Foo Foo (with finger puppets) (Here’s me doing a snippet of the song!)
Read-aloud #4: Lazy Daisy, Cranky Frankie by Mary Ellen Jordan
Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Read-aloud #5: Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems
(“Dancing” Song: “Shake My Sillies Out” from Raffi’s More Singable Songs)

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

ADDITIONAL BOOKS (used with a slightly older group): Catalina Magdelena… by Tedd Arnold, Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds
(I also did the flannel/song BINGO with this group)

*Hi, My Name is Joe
(I learned this from Sharon, Lois and Bram when I was a kid.)
(Have kids join you in movements. For my younger kids, I sang “hand/foot” and “other hand/foot” instead of “left” and “right”.)

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!”

Egg-cellent!

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: The Most Wonderful Egg in the World by Helme Heine OR Big Fat Hen by Keith Baker OR Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (I cut out most of the fingerplays and flannels for the older group that I read Green Eggs and Ham to…)
*Fingerplay: Ten Fluffy Chicks
Read-aloud #2: Roly-Poly Egg by Kali Stileman OR Whose Chick are You? by Nancy Tafuri
Song (with motions and giant prop egg and bird): The Green Grass Grew All Around
Fingerplay: Blackbirds
(Fingerplay: Where is Thumbkin?)
Read-aloud #3: Eggs 1-2-3 by Janet Halfman OR That’s Mine! by Michel Van Zeveren
Flannel: Whose Baby am I? by John Butler (Template)
Flannel: This Little Chick
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them
(Fingerplay: If You’re Wearing Red Today)
Read-aloud #4: The Easter Bunny’s Assistant by Jan Thomas
(“Dancing” Song (with shakers!): “I Know a Chicken” from Laurie Berkner’s Whaddaya Think of That?)

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

*Ten Fluffy Chicks
Five eggs (hold up 5 fingers)
And five eggs (hold up 5 more fingers)
That makes ten
Sitting on top is the mother hen (lock fingers, knuckles up)
Crack, crack, crack, what do I see? (wiggle fingers apart)
Ten baby chicks as yellow as can be (hold up 10 fingers)

Lucky Leprechauns

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Lucky Tucker by Leslie McGuirk
Flannel poem: Five Green Shamrocks
Fingerplay: Ten Little Fingers
Read-aloud #2: Good Luck Bear by Greg Foley
*Flannel poem: 5 Little Leprechauns
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them
Read-aloud #3: Pot O’ Gold by Kelly Green and/or Duckie’s Rainbow by Frances Barry
**Flannel: Baa, Baa Colored/Black Sheep
Read-aloud #4: The Luckiest St. Patrick’s Day Ever! by Teddy Slater
Fingerplay: Fun with Hands
(“Dancing” Song: “Tempo Marches On” from Jim Gill Sings Do Re Mi on His Toe Leg Knee)

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

*Five Little Leprechauns
Five little leprechauns playing in the sun.
The first one said, “Oh, my! We’re having fun!”
The second one said, “We need to spread some joy!”
The third one said, “Let’s find some girls and boys.”
The fourth one said, “There’s gold to be found!”
The fifth one said, “Let’s look all around!”
Then out came a rainbow, shining bright and bold.
So, five little leprechauns ran to find some gold!

**Baa, Baa Colored/Black Sheep
[I made visuals (could have been flannels) of sheep of various colors. On the back of the black sheep, I put three bags. I found a clipart that had three bags labeled “master”, “dame” and “little boy”.]
Baa, baa “blue” sheep,
Have you any wool?
No sir, no sir,
No bags full (turn visual around to show there’s nothing there)
…(Continue with other colored sheep)…
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir, (turn visual to show the three bags)
Three bags full;
One for the master,
One for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, sir, yes, sir,
Three bags full!

Valentine, Be Mine

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All about LOVE to get excited about Valentine’s Day!

Panera Storytimes have started back up… and I also started a brand NEW storytime over at our NEW Randall Oaks Branch Library! A very exciting time! (See the library calendar for information about storytime dates and registration.)

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Be Mine, Be Mine, Sweet Valentine by Sarah Weeks
Song (with finger puppets): Old MacDonald
Read-aloud #2: Snog the Frog by Tony Bonning
Song/Fingerplay/Props: Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Flannel: The Little Cockroach Martina (from The Flannel Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra)
Read-aloud #3: A Kiss Like This by Mary Murphy
Read-aloud #4: Stop Kissing Me! by Ethan Long
(For older kids, I might replace #3 and #4 with A Kiss for Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik)
*Fingerplay: Valentines (from Cobb’s I’m a Little Teapot book)
Read-aloud #5: Valentine Surprise by Corinne Demas
(“Dancing” Song: “Animal Action” from Greg and Steve’s Kids in Motion)

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

*Valentines
Valentines, valentines, how many do you see?
Valentines, valentines, count them all with me
One for father, one for mother (count on fingers)
One for grandma, too
One for sister, one for brother
And here is one for you! (make heart with thumbs and index fingers)

It’s Frosty Cold Out!

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BRR! Come in to the library where it’s nice and warm… and listen to some fun winter stories! So far, I’ve done this storytime (some variation of it) with 3 preschool groups, 2 kindergarten classes, and a family literacy group. I’m also planning on using it for my regular Panera storytime and my new storytime over at the Randall Oaks branch 🙂

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: All You Need for a Snowman by Alice Schertle OR Snowmen at Night by Carolyn Buehner
*Flannel Rhyme: Cute Little Snowman
Read-aloud #2: Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London OR Ten on the Sled by Kim Norman
Action Song: If You’re Wearing Red Today
Read-aloud #3: Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett
Song: Silly Hat Song
Storytell: The Mitten (You can use beautiful visuals as props from Jan Brett’s website here.) (I also used Heather Forest’s musical refrain from her version on her Tales Around the Hearth cd.)
Read-aloud #5: Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson OR Ten on the Sled by Kim Norman OR Oh! by Kevin Henkes OR Pip and Squeak by Ian Schoenherr
(Song: “Silly Dance Contest” from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song)

CLOSING:
Closing Song: We Wave Goodbye

*Cute Little Snowman
A cute little snowman
Had a carrot nose
Along came a bunny,
And what do you suppose?
That hungry little bunny,
Looking for his lunch,
Ate the snowman’s carrot nose,
Nibble, nibble, crunch!

Happy Christmas

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A festive storytime to lift the spirits!

Opening Song: If you Want to Hear a Story
Book (Sung): Frosty the Snowman by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins, version illustrated by Richard Cowdrey
*Flannel Rhyme: Cute Little Snowman
Book: What Could Be Keeping Santa? by Marilyn Janovitz
**Flannel: Rudolph! Rudolph!
Song: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Book: The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore (illustrated by Gyo Fujikawa)
Song: If You’re Wearing Red Today
(Book: Just Right for Christmas by Birdie Black)
Song: Raffi’s Christmas Album (Jingle Bells) (with bells, of course!)

*Cute Little Snowman
A cute little snowman
Had a carrot nose
Along came a bunny,
And what do you suppose?
That hungry little bunny,
Looking for his lunch,
Ate the snowman’s carrot nose,
Nibble, nibble, crunch!

**Rudolph! Rudolph!
At the last Lincoln Story League meeting, Kim from Crystal Lake Public Library shared this great flannel poem she found on Pinterest from the Library Quine. The Library Quine got the poem/idea from Crafty Chic Mommy’s blog.

Five Golden Songs

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On the fifth day of December, Ms. Jennifer gave to all…
FIVE GOLDEN SONGS!!!!!

At yesterday’s Lincoln Story League (our local kiddie librarian idea swap), I shared five Silly Librarian approved action songs…

Let Everyone Clap Hands Like Me
from Pete Seeger: Children’s Concert at Town Hall (live version)
(Additional verses added here.)
Let everyone clap hands like me —(Clap clap)
Let everyone clap hands like me—(Clap clap)
Come on, join into the game.
You’ll find that it’s always the same.

Let everyone shout “Hooray!”—”Hooray!”…
Let everyone sneeze like me —“Achoo!”…
Let everyone cry like me —“Boo Hoo”…
Let everyone laugh like me—”Ha Ha”…
Let everyone yawn like me—*Yawn*…
Let everyone snore like me—*Snore*…
Let everyone get up and turn around—(Turn around, then sit down!)…

Silly Hat Song
Tune: “This Old Man”
On my head, I wear my hat.
It is such a silly hat
That my head will wiggle waggle to and fro.
Where else can my silly hat go?
Repeat using foot, elbow, knee, etc.
Put hat on appropriate body parts and wiggle!

Hands up High
Tune: “London Bridge”
Move appropriately to words.
(Video presentation here.)
First we wave our hands up high,
Hands up high, hands up high.
First we wave our hands up high.
Then we clap them.
Then we shake our hands down low,
Hands down low, hands down low.
Then we shake our hands down low.
Then we hide them.

If You’re Wearing Red Today
Tune: “Muffin Man”If you’re wearing red today,
Red today, red today,
If you’re wearing red today,
Stand up and shout “Hooray!”
Repeat for other colors

Fun with Hands
Tune: “Row, Row, Row your boat”
Suit actions to words.
Roll, roll, roll your hands,
As slowly as can be.
Roll, roll, roll your hands,
Do it now with me.
Roll, roll, roll your hands,
As fast, as fast can be.
Roll, roll, roll your hands,
Do it now with me.
Clap, clap, clap your hands…
Shake, shake, shake your hands…
Stamp, stamp, stamp your feet…

I’m Still Hungry!

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I can’t get enough Thanksgiving/Holiday food… or enough food stories. I’ve done all of these stories before… but never in this combination 🙂

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

PROGRAM:
Storytelling Activity: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (using story props)
Read-aloud #1: The Enormous Potato by Aubrey Davis
*Fingerplay: The Quiet Mouse
Read-aloud #2 (Big Book): The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood
Action Song: Peanut Butter and Jelly
Read-aloud #3: Chicks and Salsa by Aaron Reynolds
Song (with shakers!): “I Know a Chicken” from Laurie Berkner’s Whaddaya Think of That?

(Could have also told “The Little Red Hen”…)

*The Quiet Mouse
Once there lived a quiet mouse
(Hold out fist with index finger extended)
In a quiet little house.
(Insert index finger into other fist)
When all was quiet as can be,
Out Popped He!!
(Throw arms and hands apart)

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