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

Oh what Fun… Holiday Time

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Merry Christmas, Everyone 🙂 See you next year! (Storytimes start back up Monday, January 6.)

Opening Song: If you Want to Hear a Story
Read-aloud #1: Dream Snow by Eric Carle OR If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff
(Song with finger puppets: Old MacDonald)
Action Rhyme: If You’re Wearing Red Today
(Action Song: Cap, Mittens, Shoes and Socks)
Read-aloud #2: Deck the Walls by Erin Dealey OR The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jane Cabrera
(Fingerplay: Sausages)
Fingerplay: Open, Shut Them
Read-aloud #3 (Sung): Frosty the Snowman by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins, version illustrated by Richard Cowdrey
Flannel: Six Little Snowmen
Fingerplay: Snow Fell Softly
*(Flannel: Five Ringing Bells)
(Read-aloud #4: Santa Duck by David Milgrim)
(Dancing Song: “Jingle Bells” from The Wiggles: Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas (with bells, of course!))

*Five Ringing Bells
5 little bells hanging in a row.
The first one said, “Ring me slow.”
The second one said, “Ring me fast.”
The third one said, “Ring me last.”
The fourth one said, “I’m like a chime.”
The fifth one said, “It’s Holiday Time!”

Penguins and Polar Bears

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They may be polar opposites… but both are a lot of fun!

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

PROGRAM:
Read-aloud #1: The Puzzled Penguin by Keith Faulkner (pop-up book)
Fingerplay: Two Little Penguins
Read-aloud #2: Baby Penguins Everywhere! by Melissa Guion OR Penguins by Liz Pichon
Song/Fingerplay: Tommy Thumb OR Where is Thumbkin?
Read-aloud #3: Arctic Waters by Laura Crawford OR My Little Polar Bear by Claudia Rueda
*Flannel: Five Little Polar Bears
**Fingerplay: Sometimes
Read-aloud #4: Santa Claus and the Three Bears by Maria Modugno OR/AND Polar Opposites by Erik Brooks
(Story Props: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin (Templates here))
(Dancing Song: “Doing the Penguin” from Sesame Street Hot! Hot! Hot! Dance Songs)

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

OTHER BOOKS TO CONSIDER: Sergio Makes a Splash! by Edel Rodriguez; If You Were a Penguin by Wendell and Florence Minor

*Five Little Polar Bears

**Sometimes
Sometimes my hands are at my side (Hold hands at side)
Then behind my back they hide (Put hands behind back)
Sometimes I wiggle my fingers so (Wiggle your fingers)
Shake them fast, shake them slow (Shake fingers fast and slow)
Sometimes my hands go clap, clap, clap (Clap hands)
Then I rest them in my lap (Rest hands in lap)
Now they’re quiet as can be.
Because it’s listening time, you see.