Storytime from the Liberry: Food Glorious Food

Nothing like a back to back storytimes about food...right before lunchtime...

I feel like this storytime has a curse on it. Not because its bad, but because it's busy. Rewind to 4 years ago when I first did this storytime and had a craft to go with it. Wouldn't you know it, 80 people showed up to the first one and the kids and parents would not share the supplies, even though they could see the place was a mad house. So I had sad kids with no materials to make their crafts and selfish parents (I won't call the toddlers selfish, that's their nature)

But, I decided to make a craft (a different one) and present this storytime again. I had about 35 prepped hoping that would cover both morning groups.

Of course I had 60 people show up to the first one! I got wiped out and had to print off more, cut them out and prep more supplies for the next group 20 minutes later, and clean up the mess the first group has made. And it was the day my co-worker was on vacation! She certainly would have helped me with the cutting and chaos if she were there, but alas I was flying solo.

Disclaimer: You might want to forgo a craft on this storytime if you don't want to end up jinxed like me.

Welcome Song: The Wheels on the Bus

Welcome:  Our Ready to Read Skill this week is Playing

Book: Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal- A story about a pea who dreads dinner every night...because he has to eat candy! Cheesiness and laughs all around.

Song: Way up High in an Apple Tree

Way up high in an apple tree
Two little apples did I see
So I shook that tree as hard as I could
Down came the apples
Ummmmm They were good.

Book: How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food by Jane Yolen- Another crowded pleaser.

Song: Popcorn Kernels- A scarf song that induced lots of giggles and smiles. Check out this epic playlist from the gals at jbrary.com of all types of songs to use in food-theme storytimes.

Book: Go Go Grapes by April Pulley Sayre- I told the kiddos to keep their scarves and pretend that they were cheerleaders. They could shout and wave their scarves when the book mentioned their favorite fruit. Obviously, they were really excited about this book.  If only they would get this excited about real fruits and veggies! There is a companion book Rah Rah Radishes just for vegetables.

Dancing Song: Shake Your Sillies Out- with scarves (because we can)

OK, time to put the scarves away. Give ourselves a big squeeze to make us calm and sit on our bottoms for one more story

Book: Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett- A book comprised of only 4 (5) words, so feel free to read it straight or make observations with your group.

Literacy Tip: Books like Go Go Grapes with it's many different types of fruit (lychee, durian, mangosteen etc.) are great for improving vocabulary, but simple books (Orange Pear Apple Bear) are also a good tool helping young reader gain confidence. With only 4 words to identity with pictures, young readers can quickly identify picture to words and might be able to help you read the story after only a few times through. Find a balance that works for your child.

Closing Song: The Wheels on the Bus


Craft: (If you Dare!!)  I actually had a very simple craft of  cupcakes printed out on colored paper. The kids decorated it with left over stickers as "sprinkles" Promoting fine motor skills? Yes! Healthy eating habits? Uh no...

Storytime from the Liberry: Look Your Best

This storytime is a combination of getting dressed and bath time themes.

Welcome Song: The Wheel on the Bus

Welcome: Our Ready to Read Skill this Week is Reading

Book: Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom. An oldie but a goodie!

Song: One Two, Buckle My Shoe

Book: Animal Baths by Bob Banner. The last pages go through all the actions of animals covered in the book and is a good segue into a motion activity for your group. Or you can always skip it if the crowd isn't feeling it.

Flannel Board: Five Elephants in the Bathtub You can download a template for this flannel song here you make up your own

Book: Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin

Dancing Song: Shake Your Sillies Out

Book: Small Elephants Bathtime by Tatyana Feeny- A new book just published this year. I read another one of her titles and they are pretty cute. As a small detail, I appreciated the typography in this book.

Craft: Decorate a Shoe- Just like Pete, the toddlers decorated their own white shoes in whatever color they wanted. We used markers and yes I punched the holes laced, and tied every single craft I handed out. I told the grown up that I wasn't expecting the toddlers to know how to tie their shoes at this stage in their development, but a lacing craft was good practice for them and their fine motor skills.

Craft Template from ZiggyZoom

Somehow my theme accidentally became heavy on the elephant theme. So might use some of these books again if I want to do an elephant storytime.

Storytime from the Liberry: Avast! Pirates!

When I was told in my new job that I was going to eventually take over for toddler storytime, I made of list of themes I wanted to talk about.

Pirates! was the first thing on the list.

September 19 is National Talk Like a Pirate Day. And this usually happens at the start of our fall storytime schedule. The best thing about this storytime is 90% of the picture books about pirates I find enjoyable, hilarious and really entertaining. Can't say that about every theme (I'm looking at you "getting dressed" books)

Also as I was prepping for storytime and gearing up for a new season, I did something new. I actually timed how long it took me to read each book, to make sure I wasn't going too slow or too fast. I discovered that I book that I thought was short, was actually the longest read in my set and therefore should not be used as the last story after the kids had been hyped up by shaking their sillies out.

timing how long it actually takes me to read a picture book to help plan storytime...because I'm crazy? #librarylife #storytime

— J. J. M. (@fromtheliberry) September 14, 2015

I also took a tip from the world of the restaurant kitchen. Make your last plate (book) as good as your first. (or in my case books) Service/Storytime can take a lot out of you, and you don't want to be close to the finish stuck with a book you really don't want to read. It will drag and you will drag. Even if you are exhausted you still have to finish strong. The last book you read should have as much enthusiasm as the first book you read. That just my way of seeing it. ( My inspiration mainly comes from  an awesome read about the industry Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line by Michael Gibney which I highly recommend)

Welcome Song: The Wheels on the Bus

Ready to Read skill this week is Talking. We practiced out best pirate voices with "Yo, ho ho." and "Arrrr"

Book: Peg Leg Peke by Brie Spangler - Lots of wonderful literacy opportunities in this unassuming book. As the reader you have to act as the voice of the narrator and the dog. You can break the fourth wall and engage with your group to talk back to the dog or answer questions. It has great words for vocabulary development (sextant, anchor and pekingese). Plus it's just really cute and about a dog who becomes a pirate. What else do you want? This is one of my favorite storytime books that I own in my personal library. We read it so much at home, my daughter has it practically memorized.

Song: My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean

Book: Pirate Nap: A Book of Colors by Danna Smith

Song: Row Row Row Your Boat- the pirate edition!

Row, row, row your boat
Gently cross the sea
Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily
A Pirate's life for me

Swap, swap swap the deck...
Walk, walk, walk the plank...
Hoist, hoist, hoist the flag....

Book: Pi-Rat by Maxine Lee- This book is just fun and silly for little ones and grown-ups. Full of puns and lots of pirate phrases


Dancing Song: Shake Your Sillies Out

Book: I love my Pirate Papa by Laura Leuck- A good "awwww" book to end storytime. Very sweet.

Closing Song: Wheels on the Bus

Our activity was a treasure hunt. I taped red "X"s under tables and on low book shelves and placed a handful of plastic pirate coins. The kids had to find the x, and bring me back one coin in order to get a sticker. I let them keep both the coin and the sticker. This was an exercise in following directions as for my first two groups, I had many paper x handed to me instead of coins.

Enjoy me hearties!!

Storytime from the Liberry: The Color Yellow

 Back to school means the yellow buses will soon be cruising your streets. Even if your toddler or preschooler doesn't ride a school bus, they still might find them fascinating! Especially if they have a big brother or sister who does ride. On the sly side, it’s a good chance to talk about experiences; mainly other people’s experiences. In my small city, not many of the toddlers and caregivers are coming to story time on a bus or have ever ridden a bus, but in place like Washington D.C. or NYC, it very common.

To be fair, most kids have and never will ride in a rocket ship, but we still read and talk about them.

Reading about buses is a good transition to talk about going back to school with the whole family, school age and preschool alike. Plus if you are trying to check your local library now for the typical "back to school" books, you will most likely find them all checked out. (Don't blame me! Blame the teachers!)

Or if you are wanting a whole storytime/lesson plan about the color yellow, here is what I did. We talked about buses and bananas 

Opening Song: Wheels on the Bus (How fitting! )

Talk and Engage: Ask about what things are yellow? Or have pictures, or flannel pieces with suggestions if your group needs help

Book: Yellow is my Color Star by Judy Horacek  - A charming book about the color yellow that I did not expect to find.

Song: Two Little Blackbirds

Book: Pete the Cat and the Bad Banana by James Dean

Song: Go Bananas

This can be done two ways. If you have a really energetic group that loves to dance and can do it for a while, I recommend The LearningStation’s song Go Bananas

For my toddlers, I did a shorter song. We also talked before we sang, what it meant by “going bananas”

Go Bananas

Ready? OK!

Bananas unite! (Put hands over head)

Bananas split! (hands at side)

Go bananas!

Go, go bananas!

Go bananas!

Go, go bananas!

(Turn in circles, dance and move your arms)

Bananas to the left!

Bananas to the right!

Peel your banana and, mmmmm, you take a bite!

Go bananas!

Go, go bananas!

Go bananas!

Go, go bananas!

Go bananas!

Go, go bananas!

Go!

This song was the perfect transition to our next book!

Book: Betty goes Bananas by Steve Antony – This book will defiantly strike a chord with the parents of toddlers and preschoolers and make you laugh. When Betty the gorilla wants to eat a bananas, the struggle leads to a full blown tantrum. The maddening frustrations of doing a simple task with a toddler, now in storybook form. Also,  the Mr. Toucan character is quite sassy, I like his style.

Dancing Song: Shake Your Sillies Out

Book: The Little School Bus by Margery Culyer

Flannel Board: Little Mouse, Little Mouse- I do this at every story about colors and the kids love it.

Closing Song: Wheels on the Bus

Other book recommendations about school buses: The BusStop, I’m your Bus, Hello School Bus.

There are also plenty of other things that are yellow that you could talk and read about.

Doing a storytime for spring? Read about the sun, bumblebees and yellow flowers.

For fall, corn, squash, changing leaves and harvest theme are easy to work in with the color yellow.

Blog Updates!

If you are looking for the links to my storytimes, I have added a page that links all the posts about storytimes. Please feel free to use or share in your library, school or home! 
<--- Right there on your left -In the side bar


Also this tale from the liberry

Patron: So I have a dumb question.
Me: No, nothing is a dumb question to me.
Patron: Ok so the letters on the side of the books, those are for the reading level right? Because you don't have many V's
Me:... No those letter labels stand for the author's last name...

Summer Reading Storytimes

I'm emerging from the fog that is summer reading. I think my mind still hasn't registered that it's over.

We've had an awesome summer at my library with great programs, storytimes and activities. I will say the odd raining and cool weather might have played a part in driving people into the building.

We did the Collaborative Summer Reading program "Every Hero has a Story" and I created 5 toddlers storytimes for "Super Toddlers" I kept my same format, but in the summer time my group is a lot smaller and I can usually rely on my regulars, so I added a craft to every storytime.

Super Toddlers- Superheroes

I took inspiration from Literary Hoots' Ninja Storytime . Not all superheroes wear capes!

Books Read : Do Superheroes have Teddy Bears (Coyle), Ninja Ninja Never Stop (Tuell) Hoot Owl Master of Disguise (Taylor) and Hero Mom (Hardin)

For our craft, we decorated blank superheroes with markers and scrap paper. I ordered some per-made craft sticks from Oriental Trader that were really too small for toddlers. So I made up something else on card stock and let them decorate both of them.

Super Toddlers- American Heroes

Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. So when I get a chance to do a storytime about it, I go for! While it's not a great choice for a read aloud at this age group- John, Paul, George and Ben by Lane Smith is a must read at this time of year. Books about parades and summer picnics are also good choice to round out a Fourth of July storytime.

I reused a firework  flannel from Chinese New Year storytime

Books Read: Yankee Doddle (Hoberman), Fourth of July Mice (Roberts) Red White and Blue (Wardlaw)

Firework painting was our craft. It was very impressive! Most of kids were very focused on creating the fireworks while only a few treated it as a finger painting craft. I created firework stampers out of pipe cleaners and let them dip them in red, blue and silver paint. You can make a fire work shaped brush out of forks, straws or q-tips. Defiantly doing this again!

Super Toddlers- Construction Heroes 

Construction always seems a crowd pleaser regardless of age or gender.  You should do a mud/dirt/sand sensory bin. However you can also be like me who did enough of those already this summer and make a three little pigs sensory bin out of craft sticks, red LEGO bricks, and straw. 

Early literacy tip for parents: Most of these construction story often involve building something. Clues are hidden in the text so see if you and your child can guess was the "surprise" building at the end of the story. (A park, pool, roller coast etc.)

Books Read: B is for Bulldozer (Sobel) Huff and Puff (Rueda) Tip Tip Dig Dig (Garcia) Machines at Work (Barton)

Including playing with the story/sensory bin, I also let the kids doddle with white chalk on blue construction paper to create their own "blue prints"

Super Toddlers- Community Heroes

Can't forget our firefighters, mail carriers and sanitation workers! As an activity, I played Oscar the Grouch's "I love Trash" and literally scattered trash on the floor for the kids to pick up. Surprise, they love it! So I made them promise to their homes and pick up all the trash all the time.

Books Read: Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do (Heling)*, Smash! Mash! There Goes the Trash (Odanaka) Shhh! Everyone is Sleeping (Markes) This is the Firefighter (Goodwin)

Reading tips: With the book Shhh! Everyone is Sleeping- all the community helpers are sleeping in their work places. Ask you group if a librarian sleeps/lives in the library, etc. Most people do not, but some do (firefighters, the president etc.)

For our craft we made a community hero belt. Each kid got several coloring pieces of hammers, toothbrushes, police badge and brown construction paper to make a belt. I knew this was a bigger and more time consuming craft than others. I offered the craft as a take home for anyone who wanted it. 

(P.S. This author has a similar formatted book about sports. Planning ahead for SRP 2016! )

Super Toddlers- Storybook Heroes

This is a general theme less storytime. I used a selection of fairy tale, nursery rhyme books as well as some classic favorites. Chose what ever books, rhymes and fingerplays that suite you!

For our craft, we made simple paper plate crowns and covered them with loads of stickers, foam pieces and stick on jewels

We like many other libraries take a break in the month of August. So now I face with the awkwardness of parents asking me why I don't have story times and activities this month. What is the most efficient way of tell them we are on break without making the staff seem like we are lazy?

Storytime from the Liberry: Get the Giggles

My success story! I recently went a a refresher workshop on Every Child Ready to Read. I learned a lot of new information and got to visit my favorite bubble tea place afterwards so it was a win-win for everybody. One of the more awkward parts of a job is a storytime presenter is talking to the parents on how they can carry on with reading and other activities at home to help their child learn. It's also a reminder to them that what library staff do when we present a storytime; we are doing it to benefit and teach our preschool patrons. We aren't just putting on a show because we love to perform and hear ourselves talk.(All though my degree is in theater and I often joke to myself that I pull off a one man show 3 times a week)

It's hard having to calm the chaos of a rowdy room to insert a literacy tip that you pray that it sticks. Last week I had one of my co-workers tell me a patron stopped in and asked for interactive picture books, a tip I had mentioned at my last storytime. My response! "They listened! Someone actually listened!"

Get the Giggles Storytime for Toddlers

Early Literacy Tip: Grown-ups, you'll notice that all of the stories I picked today aren't the traditional ones with beginning, middle and end. They are interactive, which is great to engage your child in "reading" with you. Kids this age aren't going to sit still the entire book of Make Way for Ducklings, and that is okay. Ask me later about some other interactive stories that will make reading book more fun for the both of you.

Opening Song: The Wheels on the Bus

Book: Don't Push the Button by Bill Cotter- Interactive as the story and pictures change as the child helps the grown up reader push the button. Similar to Press Here by Herve Tullet

Song: Do Your Ears Hang Low?

Book: The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli- Our crocodile friends swallows a watermelon seed. Can we guess what will happen? Will it grow inside of him?

Song:Walking Walking
Great for wiggly kids- Tune is Frere Jacques

Walking, walking, walking, walking
Hop, hop, hop, hop. hop. hop
Jumping, jumping, jumping
Jumping, jumping, jumping
Now we stop! Now we stop!

(Other actions- swimming, swaying, flying, skipping etc)

Book: The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone- If you never read this book or had it read to you as a kid, go read it right now!

Dancing Song: Shake Your Sillies Out

Book: Can you make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas -Interactive because this book speaks to the kids, instead of just being something read to them. Lots of opportunities for jumping, moving and using your imagination. Kid that won't sit still for a storybook? Read them this!

Closing Song: Wheels on the Bus

When you choose a great selection of books, it really shows in your presentation of storytime. Many people have said it over and over again so I'll add my voice to the chorus, choose books you love to read! It helps you get exicited for storytime to start and motivated as you read and process. All these books I consider my A-Team, book that I enjoy reading, possibly over and over again.

The patron in question did actually find me when I was working at the desk and I gave her some more suggestions for interactive stories.

I Spy Book or Spot it Books
Counting Books (What comes before or after...)
Press Here by Herve Tullet
Mo Willems Books
Jan Thomas Books
Any book that the narrative asks the reader to guess what will happen next
Any book that the character breaks the fourth wall and addressed the reader directly
Books with comic book bubbles
Chester by Melaine Watt
Tickle the Duck by Ethan Long
Huff & Puff by Claudia Rueda
Going on a Bear Hunt or similar action stories
Lift the flap, touch and feel for babies and toddlers.

And more that I can't think of right now. Have any Early Literacy success stories or favorite interactive picture books to share. Leave them in the comments!

Go Green Week: Storytime-The Color Green

I had two very energetic sessions of toddler storytime yesterday. It was one of the those times it was hard to tell who is more excited about storytime; me or the kids.

This was a new storytime for me I hadn't tried before, talking all about the color green.
I used my "flannel" props from this post here to get the kids talking about what they see in their world. Thankfully, we finally have a hint of spring weather so we could look outside and actually see green grass instead of snow. Plus I get to read some of my favorite books!

Opening Song: Wheels on the Bus

Welcome: Talking about green in our world
Grass and flowers are green; spring is coming. Shamrocks are green. It’s St. Patrick’s day soon. Having a green thumb means you are a good gardener. Lots of animals are green especially frogs, lizards, and snakes, Lots of green food is good for you like lettuce, spinach, avocados and peas!

Book: Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson- Be still my heart. Could this be a possible replacement for Brown Bear Brown Bear? I think so!

Song: Five Little Leprechauns 

Book: Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal - I love this book and it always gets me and the grown ups giggling. I always look for an opportunity to read it. Little Pea loves being a pea, except for dinner time. Because when your a pea, you have to eat candy for dinner and Little Pea hates candy!

Song: Freeze Dance Song - Green Light Go by the Not-Its
This works great because the command for stopping is built into the song, so no need to awkwardly reach behind and stop a CD to signal it's time for freeze. I had a sign with Go in Green and Stop in Red that we used to to help the kids. I also gave them a choice. They can get up and dance with me or they can just watch me dance like a fool for the next two minutes. Thankfully they joined with me.

Book: The Wide Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner- Another one of my all time favorites. Obviously, the key in reading this out loud is not to just rely on the pop ups. Open your mouth real wide and speak slowly. Be as comical as possible.

Dancing Song: Shake Your Sillies Out

Book: Green by Laura Seeger 

Closing Song: Wheels on the Bus

I gave my kids the assignment to go and find something green this week and tell their grown ups about it.  As an added bonus, lots of the books I pulled to be checked out after storytime went out!