Princes and Princesses

Hear ye! Hear ye! A Royalty Storytime! (Thank you, Princess Evelyn for coming to visit me…)

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: George, the Dragon and the Princess by Christopher Wormell
*Flannel: Little Mouse
Read-aloud #2: King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood
Storytelling (with finger puppets): Mrs. Wishy Washy by Joy Cowley
Read-aloud #3: Snog the Frog by Tony Bonning
Song/Fingerplay/Props: Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Read-aloud #4: Foggy, Foggy Forest by Nick Sharratt
Flannel: Queen of Hearts (a shape story by Jean Warren)
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them
(“Dancing” Song: “Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands” from Carole Peterson: Sticky Bubble Gum and Other Tasty Tunes) (I wanted to use Nancy’s Stewart’s “Clapping in the Castle”, but I was having computer issues… Good thing I had a back-up song!)

CLOSING:
Closing song: We Wave Goodbye

*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…)

Who Wants a Pet Dragon?

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of presenting a “pre-show” storytime for a family movie night in the park showing of “How to Train Your Dragon”. Of course, I chose dragon stories. It was a nice ending to the “A Midsummer Knight’s Read” theme we had going on here.

Oral Storytelling:“Book! Book! Book!” (This is a well-loved librarian anecdote about a chicken that comes into the library. One version, “The Well-Read Frog” can be found in Margaret Read MacDonald’s Three Minute Tales. There is also a picture book, Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss that expands this tale. This was not about dragons, but I often use it as a library introduction.)
Read-aloud #1: Me and My Dragon by David Biedrycki
Song/Fingerplay: Fun with Hands
Read-aloud #2: The Tale of Custard the Dragon by Ogden Nash and Lynn Munsinger
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them
Read-aloud #3: The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
Action Song: Let Everyone Clap Hands with Me

Afterwards, I handed out leftover summer reading activity sheets from the library.

Thanks,Gail Borden Public Library, for allowing me to volunteer this summer… and helping me keep up my mad librarian skills! 🙂

Royal Ribbit

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 Rover (& Other Pets!)

If you’re hoppy and you know it, you’re a bunny… or a happy storytime kid! It’s been a fun summer for me. I’ve really enjoyed doing storytimes again, and I hope that I can find a way to continue in the fall. Sadly, though, Summer Royal Reading is coming to a close. My last storytimes this summer in Elgin will be next Wednesday, August 17th 10:30 am at the Rakow Branch and 5:00 pm at the McDonald’s on Larkin. I intend to “live it up”!

Here’s this week’s pet storytime…

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Me and My Dragon by David Biedrycki
Fingerplay: Ten Little Fingers
Read-aloud #2:  If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff
*Fingerplay: Five Little Kittens
Read-aloud #3: Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey
Song/Fingerplay: BINGO (used flannel pattern from Flannel Board Storytelling Book by Judy Sierra) OR If You’re Happy and You Know It
Read-aloud #4: Peanut by Linas Alsenas OR If You’re Hoppy by April Pulley Sayre

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

*Five Little Kittens
Five little kittens standing in a row, (Hold up five 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.)
ME-OW! See those little kittens run! (Let fingers run.)

Royal Roaming

Another “transportation” storytime… Only three more weeks of “royal reading”. My, has the summer flown by!

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Arthur’s Tractor by Pippa Goodhart (I’m not sure that I’d use this for storytime again. It was kind of confusing to read-aloud… and may be more suitable for one-on-one sharing as the illustrations tell a lot of the story. I was being stubborn and insisted on continuing my summer trend of combining royalty AND the week’s theme into one story.)
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them
Read-aloud #2:  Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
Song (with puppets): Five Little Ducks
Read-aloud #3: The Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort
Song/Fingerplay: The Wheels on the Bus
Read-aloud #4: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

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

Royal Roost

I can’t get enough of chicken stories 🙂

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: The Most Wonderful Egg in the World by Helme Heine
*Fingerplay: Chook-Chook-Chook
Read-aloud #2:  Stuck in the Mud by Jane Clarke
Song (with finger puppets): Old MacDonald
Read-aloud #3: Chicks and Salsa by Aaron Reynolds
Fingerplay: Five Fat Sausages
Read-aloud #4: The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza

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

*“Chook-Chook-Chook”
Chook, chook, chook
Good morning, Mrs. Hen. (Hold up both thumbs)
How many chickens have you got?
Madam, I’ve got ten. (Show ten fingers)
Four of them are yellow. (Show four fingers on one hand)
And four of them are brown (Show four fingers on the other hand)
And two of them are speckled red (Show two fingers)
The nicest in the town.

Royal Rodents

SQUEAK! These mice were welcome at the restaurant:)

Also: FYI, in addition to my Wednesday storytime at McDonalds… next week, I will be presenting storytime at the Rakow Branch on Wednesday (July 20) at 10:30 am!!! Hooray for storytime! Hooray for libraries!

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: George, the Dragon and the Princess by Christopher Wormell
*Fingerplay: Bella and Beau
Read-aloud #2: A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker
Song/Fingerplay: Hands Up High
Song/Fingerplay: Where is Thumbkin?
Read-aloud #3: A New House for Mouse by Peter Horacek
Fingerplay: Way Up High in the Apple Tree
Read-aloud #4: The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood
Storytelling (with flannel): The Enormous Turnip

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

*Bella and Beau (Thank you, Youth Services Staff at Gail Borden for this adaptation)
Once upon a time…
A little prince lived in this castle (Show right thumb, put in fist)
A little princess lived in this castle (Show left thumb, put in fist)
The little prince came out of his castle
He looked up and down the kingdom
He didn’t see anyone, so he went back into his castle
The little princess came out of her castle
She looked up and down the kingdom
She didn’t see anyone, do she went back into her castle
The next day, the little prince came out of his castle
And looked all around
The little princess came out of her castle
And looked all around
They saw each other!
And they played and they played and they played
Until darkness came and
The little prince went back into his castle and
The little princess went back into her castle.

Royal Rest

Princes and princesses need to catch their Zzzzzzzzzs just as much as the rest of us! (I need to catch UP on Zzzs AND posts!) Despite being about bedtime, this storytime didn’t put anyone to sleep…

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: Waking Beauty by Leah Wilcox
Read-aloud #2: Stop Kissing Me! by Ethan Long
Song/Fingerplay: Tommy Thumb
Read-aloud #3: Tiger Can’t Sleep by S.J. Fore
Song/Fingerplay: Fun with Hands
Read-aloud #4: Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems
Song/Fingerplay (with finger puppets): Ten in the Bed
Read-aloud #5: How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen

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

Royal Rinse

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.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! A Royal Storytime

Boys and girls from all over the land of Burbank came to dream of being princes, princesses, knights, queens and kings today. After listening to stories, we made darling crowns (cut from Ellison dies and decorated with “jewel” stickers discovered at Lakeshore Learning in Pasadena). Pictures will be posted on my Flickr by the end of the weekend!

Nursery Rhyme of the Week:
Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Stories Shared:
King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood
Do Knights Take Naps? by Kathy Tucker
Ballerina Princess by Melissa Lagonegro (a Disney Princess story)

Rhymes (Can be found on Toddler Storytime Rhymes Sheet. We started a NEW “Spring” rhyme sheet this week!):
Where is Thumbkin?
Open, Shut Them
Five Little Monkeys
Five Little Sausages
If You’re Happy and You Know It

Bonus Rhyme:
“Five Elephants in a Bathtub” felt board rhyme
(My Five Elephants in the Bathtub felt board set came from Artfelt.)

One elephant in the bathtub going for a swim.
Knock, Knock,
(Clap twice with “Knock, Knock.”)
Splash, Splash,
(Slap knees twice with “Splash, Splash.”)
Come on in!
(Motion with both hands to come in.)

Two elephants…
Three elephants…
Four elephants…

Five elephants in a bathtub
Going for a swim.
Knock, Knock,
Splash, Splash,
They all fell in!

Music:
Raimond Lap: Baby Classics
Jim Gill Sings the Sneezing Song and Other Contagious Tunes (Silly Dance Contest)