Tag: storytime

Hoppy Bunny

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Twice a month, I visit ESL families to do an hour long program with them. Sometimes, we do storytimes with a craft, sometimes we do writing workshops, sometimes we do mini-lessons, etc. Here is my Bunnies Outreach Family Literacy Visit from last week. (FYI: I will be doing a slightly different bunny storytime again at Rakow Branch library in Elgin on Wednesday, April 16 at 10:30 a.m.)

I also let them know and am now letting YOU know about our upcoming Día de los Niños event at the Dundee Library Tuesday, April 29, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. We’ll have stories, music, puppets, crafts, and prizes! A fun bilingual event for the whole family 🙂

PROGRAM
Opening Song: If You Want to Hear a Story
Book: It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny by Marilyn Sadler
Flannel: The Wind and the Clothes (from Waiting for Spring Stories by Bethany Roberts)
Book: Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming
Rhyme: Bunny with Ears So Funny
Book: Hurry Up and Slow Down, L. Marlow
Song: Little Bunny Foo Foo (with finger puppets)(See a sample of me performing here.)
Book: Conejito by Margaret Read MacDonald (A colleague and I will be doing a puppet show of this funny folktale at our Día de los Niños event!)

CRAFT
Bunny Foo Foo Finger Puppets
(I also handed out a lyric sheet to help teach them the song and so they could practice at home.)

Mellow Yellow

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Here comes the sun FINALLY! And here comes a happy YELLOW storytime. Don’t forget to join us for our last storytime of the session next Monday!

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Little Quack by Lauren Thompson
Action Song: Five Little Ducks
Fingerplay: Ten Little Fingers
Read-aloud #2: School Bus by Donald Crews
Song/Flannel: The Wheels on the Bus
Action Song: If You’re Wearing Red Today
Read-aloud #3: In My New Yellow Shirt by Eileen Spinelli
Action Song: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
*Fingerplay: Beehive
**Flannel: Here is a Spring Flower
Read-aloud #4: Lemons Are Not Red by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Song/Fingerplay: Hands Up High
Fingerplay: Blackbirds
Dancing Song: “The Wiggle Song” from Carole Peterson: Sticky Bubble Gum and Other Tasty Tunes

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

*The Beehive
Here is a beehive
(Make a fist)
Where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees.
Watch as they come out of their hive—
One, two, three, four, five,
(Extend fingers one at a time)
They’re alive! Buzzzzzz!
(Wiggle your fingers)

**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!

all around you have green

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Well, no green grass quite yet… but there’s the hope of a spring around the corner with lots and lots of GREEN. Green stories today in honor of ST. PATRICK’S DAY! I hope everyone has a lucky week 🙂

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: and then it’s spring by Julie Fogliano
Song (with motions and prop egg and bird): The Green Grass Grew All Around
Flannel: Teasing Mr. Crocodile (Words can be found here. Felt board set available from Artfelt.)
Read-aloud #2: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover! by Lucille Colandro
Flannel poem: Five Green Shamrocks
Action Song: If You’re Wearing Red Today
Read-aloud #3: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Fingerplay: Five Fat Sausages
Storytelling Activity: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (using story props)
Fingerplay: Way Up High in the Apple Tree
Dancing Song: “My Energy” from Laurie Berkner: Under a Shady Tree

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

It’s Black, It’s White, Whoo

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The Spring Storytime Session has sprung! (Even if nice spring weather has not…) Ms. Susan started off the session at Randall Oaks Branch Library on March 3 while I was on vacation in Los Angeles (a nice break from cold Chicago!). I was here for the March 10 storytime, though, and we started off a “Colors” series with “Black and White.” The session runs through April 7.

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Black Meets White by Justine Fontes
*Fingerplay: Five Little Kittens
Flannel: It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw (Flannel pieces here.)
**Fingerplay: Rain is Falling Down
Read-aloud #2: A Pet for Petunia by Paul Schmid
Flannel Song: Little White Duck
Song/Fingerplay: Hands Up High
Song/Fingerplay: Blackbirds
Read Aloud #3: Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr
***Flannel: 5 Little Penguins
Action Song: If You’re Wearing Red Today
Read Aloud #4: Chu’s Day by Neil Gaiman
Song: “The Sneezing Song” from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song
Dancing Song: “Silly Dance Contest” from Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song

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

*Five Little Kittens
Five little kittens standing in a row (hold up 5 fingers)
They nod their heads to the children so (bend fingers)
They run to the left, they run to the right (run fingers to the left and then to the right)
They stand up and stretch in the bright sunlight (stretch fingers out tall)
Along comes a dog who’s in for some fun (hold up one finger from opposite hand)
MEOW! See those little kittens run (let fingers run)

**Rain Is Falling Down
Rain is falling down,
(Raise hands up high and flutter fingers down)
Splash!
(Slap floor with gusto)
Rain is falling down,
(Raise hands up high and flutter fingers down)
Splash!
(Slap the floor)
Pitter patter, pitter patter,
(Quietly. Flutter fingers delicately.)
Rain is falling down,
(Flutter fingers down.)
Splash!
(Slap floor with gusto)

***Five Little Penguins (Source unknown.)
Five little penguins walking by the shore,
One fell in and then there were four.
Four little penguins sliding fast as can be,
One slid away and then there were three.
Three little penguins with nothing to do,
One went home and then there were two.
Two little penguins looking for some fun,
One stopped to catch a fish and then there was one.
One little penguin playing all alone,
He fell asleep and then there were none.

Book Care

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For a family literacy visit last week, we read stories and talked about book care. And, we made some really fun monster bookmarks to help us take care of our books!

OPENING:
Opening Song: Let Everyone Clap Hands with Me (Pete Seeger)

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Never Let a Ghost Borrow Your Library Book by Karen Casale
Read-aloud #2: No, David! by David Shannon
Mini Book Care Lesson: see this post for a “No, David!” book care activity
Read-aloud #3: The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them
Read-aloud #4: That is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems

CRAFT:
Monster Bookmarks!!!

(New) Book Love

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I am sad to say that we are taking a indefinite break from our Panera Milk and Cookies storytime 🙁 To celebrate our last day (Feb. 17) and our happy run there, I shared some of my favorite new picture books (published within the last couple of years). This went really well! I especially liked acting out MOO!

Panera Families: Please join me over at Randall Oaks for our drop-in storytime Monday mornings at 10:30. Our next session runs March 3 to April 11 🙂

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: That is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems
Story/Song: Herman the Worm
Read-aloud #2: How to Hide a Lion by Helen Stephens
Action Song: Silly Hat Song
Read-aloud #3: Ding Dong Gorilla! by Michelle Robinson
Fingerplay: Five Fat Sausages
Read-aloud #4: Moo! by David LaRochelle
Flannel: It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw (Flannel pieces here.)
Read-aloud #5: Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses by James Dean

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

I Choo Choo Choose You…

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… to be my Valentine! For “Valentine’s Day” this year, I did a Train Storytime. And, I threw in a Valentine’s Day rhyme at the end so it was a festive Choo Choo Celebration 🙂

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: And the Train Goes… by William Bee
Song: A Peanut Sat on a Railroad Track
Action Song: Peanut Butter and Jelly
Read-aloud #2: I Love Trains! by Philemon Sturges
*Fingerplay: Choo Choo Train
Fingerplay: Ten Little Fingers
Read Aloud #3: Down By the Station by Jennifer Riggs Vetter
**Flannel: I Spy
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them
Read Aloud #4 (Big Book): Freight Train by Donald Crews
Action Song: If You’re Wearing Red Today
*Fingerplay: The Train
Prop Rhyme: Valentine Friends
“Dancing” Song: “There’s a Little Wheel A-Turnin’ in My Heart” from Laurie Berkner: Buzz Buzz

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

*I found these rhymes on childfun.com

**I Spy flannel (Source unknown)
I spy with my little eye
And you can hear with your little ear…
A yellow school bus go beep beep beep
And we all go traveling by by by
And we all go traveling by!
—>Other vehicles to add: a shiny red truck go rumble rumble rumble, a shiny black train go choo choo choo, a bright pink bike go ding ding ding, a little blue boat go row row row

Other Great Train Books: Trains by Patricia Hubbell, A Train Goes Clickety-Clack by Jonathan London, The Goodnight Train by June Sobel, Shark Vs. Train by Chris Barton, and Hey Mr. Choo-Choo, Where Are You Going? by Susan Wickberg

Bodacious Body

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Everyone, I am 3 posts behind! I’ve been very busy at the library as well as buried in the IL snow. It’s been a crazy winter. Can’t wait for spring!!!

Here’s the “Body” storytime that I did 2/3 at my Panera and Randall Oaks storytimes. I also did a version for my Family Literacy Connection library visit at Golfview School on 2/6. I’m not posting the order of stories, rhymes and songs since I switched it up for the three different visits. (And since it’s been 2 weeks, I hardly remember exactly what order I did everything in!)

Stories:
We’ve All Got Bellybuttons! by David Martin
I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont
Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley (Puppet available here.)
Head to Toe by Eric Carle (Flannel patterns can be found here.)
The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss
Henny by Elizabeth Rose Stanton
All of Me! by Molly Bang
Do You Ears Hang Low? by Caroline Jayne Church
It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr

Rhymes and Songs:
If You Wanna Hear a Story
Fun with Hands
Ten Little Fingers
I Wiggle My Fingers
My Name is Joe
Sometimes
Tony Chestnut
My Hands Say Thank You
Head Shoulders Knees and Toes
We Wave Good-bye Like This

Music:
Me and My Bean Bag (Take that Bean Bag)

Sleepy Storytime

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I was so sleepy yesterday, I almost wore my pajamas to storytime! It would have been appropriate since it was a bedtime-themed storytime 😉

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1 (Story Cards): A Sleepy Story by Elisabeth Burrowes OR Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker
Song/Fingerplay: Tommy Thumb
Read-aloud #2: Tiger Can’t Sleep by S.J. Fore
Song/Fingerplay: Fun with Hands
Read-aloud #3: Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems
Song/Fingerplay (with finger puppets): Ten in the Bed
Read-aloud #4: How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen OR Waking Beauty by Leah Wilcox
(Action Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
(Action Song: Hands Up High)
(Action Song: Where is Thumbkin?)

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

A Colorful Day

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Storytime is back in session!

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1 (Big Book): Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Action Song: If You’re Wearing Red Today
Flannel: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. (Templates available here.)
Read-aloud #2: I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont
Song/Fingerplay: Hands Up High
Song/Fingerplay: Blackbirds
Read Aloud #3 (with flannel): I Dream of an Elephant by Ami Rubinger
Action Song: Fun with Hands
Read Aloud #4: Spicy Hot Colors/ Colores Picantes by Sherry Shahan
(“Dancing” Song: “Dancing Scarf Blues” OR “The Freeze” from Carole Peterson: Dancing Feet)

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

Other Options: Dog’s Colorful Day by Emma Dodd; Counting Ovejas by Sarah Weeks; A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni