Display: Blind Date with a Book

My director decided for the month of February to create a "Blind Date with a Book" display upstairs in the adult area. All staff are to pick five books and wrap them up, and write the barcode on the outside. I thought it would be fun to do something similar with the kids books downstairs!

I chose 16 books to start, all from my "J" (chapter books) section, and I tried to choose ones that are part of a series or at least have more available by the same author. This will hopefully get kids interested in a new author they might never have tried before. Some of the ones I chose are Frindle by Andrew Clements, Redwall by Brian Jacques, Magyk by Angie Sage, and Clementine by Sara Pennypacker.

Inside each book is a "Rate Your Date" bookmark for kids to fill out and let me know what they thought of it. As an incentive for kids to participate in this, each time they turn in a bookmark their name will be entered into a drawing for a prize on or around March 1.

There was quite a bit of prep work for this display, in choosing the books, looking and typing up read-alikes, wrapping them, setting their status to "display", creating the header. But I really like making displays, and I think this one will be lots of fun!

"Don't judge a book by its cover!"

"Check out a wrapped book, take it home, and unwrap it. Show it your favorite spots to read. Get to know each other. If you hit it off, introduce it to your friends! There won’t be any awkward feelings if you don’t like your date, but you might find the match of your literary dreams!"

"Fill out the “Rate Your Date” card inside the book, and turn it in by March 1 to be entered to win a prize!"

Lots of ideas for this display were found on Pinterest.


Edited to add: Two days after putting up this display, 14 of my 16 books are already gone... Guess I have to find some more!!! 

Storytime: M is for Moon and N is for Night

Age: 18-36 months (coloring page instead of craft), 3-5 years (with craft)
Time: 30 minutes

This school year in storytime I decided to use the alphabet to give me inspiration for themes. I'm needing to double up a few weeks so that we finish when we're supposed to... This week, M is for Moon and N is for Night!


1) These Are My Glasses - Laurie Berkner
My current opening song that we sing acappella every week. I start by asking them to show me their glasses and their book so that they remember the signs. We sing it through twice, then I'll ask them to quietly put their "books" in their lap.

These are my glasses (make the letter o with each hand)
And this is my book (hands together)
I put on my glasses (put "glasses" over eyes)
And open up the book (open book hands)
Now I read read read (hold book up in front of face like reading)
And I look look look (put glasses over eyes and look around room)
I put down my glasses and… (lower glasses)
WHOOP! Close up the book. (clap as if closing a book quickly)


2) Mystery Box
This week I printed a picture of the moon that I put in the box.

3) Kitten's First Full Moon - Kevin Henkes

You can't really go wrong with a Caldecott winner like this one. I think it went over the heads of the younger kids, but at least they stayed focused on it since it was our first book.

4) Song - Moon Moon Moon - Laurie Berkner

This one is on Laurie's Victor Vito CD. I started with the motions from Sunflower Storytime, and then changed a few...

Moon, moon, moon (form arms in circle over head) 
Shining bright (wiggle fingers like they are sparkling) 
Moon, moon, moon (form arms in circle over head) 
My night light (act like turning off a light) 
Moon, moon, moon (arms in circle over head) 
I can see (point to eyes)
Moon, moon, moon (form arms in circle over head)
You’re taking care of me (hands over heart) 

Look up, it’s the moon (point up with right hand and look up) 
Look up, it’s the moon (point up with left hand and look up) 
Look up, it’s the moon (point up with both hands)
Up in the sky (wave arms back and forth over head)
It’s big and round (make circle with arms over head) 
And I have found (thumbs to chest)
That it looks just like a pizza [lemon] pie! (make circle with hands in front of you, then take a bite)

5) When You Look Up at the Moon - Allan Fowler

I wish this book was a little bigger in size, but it has great photos of the moon, astronauts, and earth, with easy-to-understand text.

6) Hey Diddle Diddle

I have this classic rhyme as a flannelboard, so I handed out the pieces to the kids and had them come up when we said their part. Then we said it a second time while I pointed at the pictures. When we said the line "the cow jumped over the moon", I stopped and asked them, "can a cow really jump over the moon?!" and they all said no. So I said "haha that's just silly! and look, the little dog laughed..."

7) Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

"What else do you see up in the sky at night along with the moon? Stars!"

8) Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! I'm Off to the Moon! - Dan Yaccarino

This was probably my favorite book of the day. Only a sentence or two on a page, simple rhymes, and somewhat-real pictures (a lunar rover, the capsule's splashdown, etc. all in cartoon form). We had some older kids with us because it was a snow day for the schools, so I even had 3rd grade boys laughing at things (mostly the pictures of the kid's spacesuit...).

9) Song - Wimoweh (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) - Laurie Berkner

From her Whaddya Think of That CD. I asked the kids what they usually did when it was dark/night time. Sleep of course! So we found comfy spots on the floor to sleep during the slow verses, and then jumped up and danced with egg shakers during "wimoweh".

10) Goodnight Moon - Margaret Wise Brown

Ahh, every parent's favorite bedtime book. (well, it actually took this parent awhile to warm up to it [I preferred her Big Red Barn for the longest time with my first child]). No storytime about both the moon and night would be complete without this one.

11) M/N is for Moon/Night coloring page (18-36 mo.) or M/N is for Moon/Night craft (3-5 yrs)
I found a Goodnight Moon coloring page for the younger kids. For the older ones we just stuck with gluing for their craft. A black piece of paper, white M and N, wax paper moon (which looked really cool if it got a little crinkly during gluing!), and little stars from a previous craft.

Other moon/night ideas:
Papa Please Get the Moon for Me - Eric Carle
And If the Moon Could Talk - Kate Banks
I Took the Moon for a Walk - Carolyn Curtis
Moongame, Moondance, etc. - Frank Asch
Good Night Gorilla - Peggy Rathman
The Moon Might Be Milk - Lisa Shulman
The Moon - Seymour Simon
The Very Lonely Firefly - Eric Carle


**Side note about this storytime -- my husband and I are big astronomy buffs, so this has been my favorite storytime yet this year! Unfortunately it was also my smallest attendance (yucky weather, snow day at the schools), so I was really bummed I didn't get to share it with more kids. :(  BUT I'm excited for our science-themed summer reading program coming up, I am definitely going to do an astronomy storytime one of those weeks!

Storytime: L is for Ladybug

Age: 18-36 months (coloring page instead of craft), 3-5 years (with craft)

This school year in storytime I decided to use the alphabet to give me inspiration for themes. So this week, L is for Ladybugs!


1) These Are My Glasses - Laurie Berkner
My current opening song that we sing acappella every week. I start by asking them to show me their glasses and their book so that they remember the signs. We sing it through twice, then I'll ask them to quietly put their "books" in their lap.

These are my glasses (make the letter o with each hand)
And this is my book (hands together)
I put on my glasses (put "glasses" over eyes)
And open up the book (open book hands)
Now I read read read (hold book up in front of face like reading)
And I look look look (put glasses over eyes and look around room)
I put down my glasses and… (lower glasses)
WHOOP! Close up the book. (clap as if closing a book quickly)


2) Mystery Box
This week I had a Beanie Baby ladybug that I put in the box.


3) The Very Lazy Ladybug - Isobel Finn

The longest of our books today, this one kept the kids' attention with the bold pictures of different animals.


4) Song – We are the Dinosaurs - Laurie Berkner
This song has nothing to do with ladybugs. But the kids love it. Even my 18-month-old walks around at home, stomping her feet and saying "march! march!"


5) Let's Read About Insects: Ladybugs - Susan Ashley

Hurray for toddler-friendly non-fiction books! I did paperclip and skip the pages on the ladybug's life cycle... but it was good for the kids to see real photos, since it's currently winter and they probably have no clue what a ladybug looks like!


6) The Lovely Ladybug
This was a fun little rhyme I found from Kathryn. I've never done folder stories before, I think I need to add more to my collection! The younger kids had fun telling me the color name when I showed it to them, and I had the older kids guess the color based on the rhyme before revealing it.

Let’s play a ladybug color game, I’ll give you rhyming clues 
If you know it, say the name of each color that I use! 

The first color for our buggy fellow 
Is the color of sunshine - it’s the color yellow. 

Frogs in the pond and a fresh snap bean 
Did you guess the color green? 

The sky above and the ocean too 
Such a beautiful color, it's the color blue. 

Strawberry ice cream, come on now, think. 
You are right! It’s the color pink! 

Grapes for jelly on a P B & J
Purple is the color we say! 

 Pumpkins or basketballs rolling by 
 Orange is the color that we now spy. 

Fluffy clouds and the moon at night 
Did you say the color white? 

Roses that grow in a garden bed 
Are this beautiful color, the color red. 

Ladybug, ladybug up in the sky 
Thanks for the fun and now we say, “Goodbye!”


7) Can You Make a Scary Face? - Jan Thomas

I think the parents got more of a kick out of this book than the kids (especially the younger group), but they all did what the book said!


8) Song & Rhyme Cube
This week we rolled I'm a Little Teapot, the Itsy Bitsy Spider, and If You're Happy and You Know It.


9) Ten Little Ladybugs - Melanie Gerth

Love love love this book. My copy at my house has a broken spine from being read (and stepped on...) so often. I'll admit (and I said this to the parents too!), the very first time I read this book I wondered what the heck was happening to the ladybugs...


10) L is for Ladybug coloring page (18-36 mo.) or L is for Ladybug craft (3-5 yrs)
I found on Pinterest the exact look I was going for with this craft. I didn't put it on a background though, and used a brad to attach the wings to the body so they could move. The dots are fingerpaint!

Other ladybug ideas:
The Grouchy Ladybug - Eric Carle
Ladybug Girl - David Soman
Five Little Ladybugs - Karen Henley (too much like 10 Little Ladybugs above)
Little Ladybug flannel 
Pretty Ladybug flannel song

Storytime: K is for Kangaroo

Age: 18-36 months (coloring page instead of craft), 3-5 years (with craft)

This school year in storytime I decided to use the alphabet to give me inspiration for themes. So this week, K is for Kangaroos!


1) These Are My Glasses - Laurie Berkner
My current opening song that we sing acappella every week. I start by asking them to show me their glasses and their book so that they remember the signs. We sing it through twice, then I'll ask them to quietly put their "books" in their lap.

These are my glasses (make the letter o with each hand)
And this is my book (hands together)
I put on my glasses (put "glasses" over eyes)
And open up the book (open book hands)
Now I read read read (hold book up in front of face like reading)
And I look look look (put glasses over eyes and look around room)
I put down my glasses and… (lower glasses)
WHOOP! Close up the book. (clap as if closing a book quickly)


2) Mystery Box
I have a big stuffed kangaroo puppet (complete with a pouch and joey), but of course it was too big to fit in my little mystery box. So I put a note inside instead: "I'm too big to fit in this box, but I hope you'll think I'm cute. You'll find me with my baby underneath the parachute!" The parachute was on the counter, covering a box of stuffed animals that I used later.

3) I Love It When You Smile - Sam McBratney

A cute book about a grumpy baby kangaroo. The kids were all giggling at the silly antics of the mother kangaroo.


4) Song – Shake Your Sillies Out - the Wiggles
Jump like a kangaroo! :)


5) Kangaroo Magic for Kids - Judith Logan Lehne & Life Cycle of a Kangaroo - Angela Royston (non-fiction books)

I wanted to show the kids some photos of real kangaroos. I ended up choosing only 3-5 pages from each of these books (didn't get into the entire life cycle...) and narrated them myself.


6) iPad videos - Kangaroos Hop, Blue Mountains National Park & Baby Kangaroos Thinking Outside the Pouch
Since there's nothing like seeing a kangaroo really hopping, I brought down our library's iPad and chose a couple of short videos from Youtube. The kids were fascinated! I'll have to find more uses for our iPad in storytime...


7) Pouch! - David Ezra Stein

I first discovered this book when I received it for my own kids as part of the Imagination Library. It was probably my favorite one of the entire storytime. I elaborated a few words here and there, especially for the younger group, to help them understand what was going on in the pictures.


8) Hop, Hop, Hop Kangaroo
Found here, to the tune of Skip to My Lou.  We hopped/skipped around the room of course. :)

Hop, hop, hop, kangaroo 
Hop, hop, hop, kangaroo 
Hop, hop, hop, kangaroo 
Hopping around Australia. 

Baby in a pocket safe and snug 
Baby in a pocket safe and snug 
Baby in a pocket safe and snug 
Hopping with her mama.

(repeat first verse)


9) Boing - Nick Bruel (3-5 yr only) 

I discovered I had every animal from this book in puppet form! I took the kangaroo puppet in the picture above and pre-filled her pocket with small stuff like crayons, yarn, paper clips, batteries... basically anything I could find around my desk that fit! I had all of the animals in a big box and pulled them out as I read the book.


10) Who Ate All the Cookie Dough? - Karen Beaumont

I think I've mentioned before how I'm a sucker for good rhyming books, and I love a lot of Karen Beaumont's. All the kids in both age groups got a kick out of this one -- they were so into it, and everyone thought the monkey really had eaten all the cookie dough! (one kid burst out "he's lying!!" when the monkey denied it :)


11) K is for Kangaroo coloring page (18-36 mo.) or K is for Kangaroo craft (3-5 yrs)

Hurray for Pinterest! I found the exact idea I was looking for here, and generally did the same thing. I pre-cut all the pieces and just had the kids glue it together, then decorate with crayons.

My 3.5-year-old's version

Other kangaroo ideas:
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother Too? - Eric Carle
Little New Kangaroo - Bernard Wiseman
Who Are You, Baby Kangaroo? - Stella Blackstone
Joey - Jack Kent

The Great Book Character Hunt

I've been doing a little searching about ideas for passive programming -- where I set something up and then the program essentially runs itself. Working only 20-22 hours each week, and overseeing all youth services (babies through teens), I don't have a ton of time for active programs (though I'm getting better and my weeks are running more and more efficiently!).

A scavenger hunt seemed to be an easy place to start. I found lots of ideas online, and ended up going with a children's book themed hunt.

"Hidden around the bottom floor of the Alvah N. Belding Library are 10 pictures of book characters. Find each one, write their name on the paper below, and turn it in. Correct guesses will win a prize from our treasure box!"

"*All pictures can be found on the bottom level of the library, in places accessible to everyone while the library is open (not in the bathrooms, club room, etc.)* This edition of the hunt ends on November 30."

(all of our kids books are on the lower level of the library and the adult books are on the main level)

Then I hid ten pictures of common book characters! They were in easy spots like on the shelf endcaps, and in hard spots like under a table. I included the location/call number of each character, so kids could go and look up the character's name if they didn't know it already.

I ran this hunt for a month. Whenever I was working I just let the kids turn in their forms directly to me and choose a prize (old Summer Reading trinkets) right away. When I wasn't there, the kids put their forms in a big container by the display.

When the day came that the hunt was over, I removed all of the character pictures and re-designed the display.

"THANK YOU to all who participated!!! If your list is taped up on the window, please take it down and bring it to a library staff person to get your prize! "

Those who had turned in their form to the container while I wasn't around got their paper taped to the window. They could then still turn it in and receive a prize from the treasure box.

Overall I think this passive program went amazing. I had about 40 kids turn in a paper, which is huge for us. Even though it was geared toward elementary age kids, it was fun to see even the teenagers get into it just so they could get a prize. I was always willing to give hints if needed ("you're looking for number 3? she's hiding on one of the bottom shelves in non-fiction...").

I will probably do this again in the spring, maybe in April or May during our transitions from school-year to summer reading. Or maybe I'll do it throughout our Summer Reading Program. It only took a little bit of prep work, and then I got to enjoy some interactions with kids that I normally wouldn't have.

What are some of your favorite passive programs?

Storytime: J is for Jingle Bells

Age: 18-36 months (coloring page instead of craft), 3-5 years (with craft)

This school year in storytime I decided to use the alphabet to give me inspiration for themes. This was our last week of storytime before our holiday break, so J is for Jingle Bells! (I really stretched this one... There was really only one book truly about jingle bells, and we sang the song. Other than that, this was just a chance for me to read some Christmas-y books. :)


1) These Are My Glasses - Laurie Berkner
My current opening song that we sing acappella every week. I start by asking them to show me their glasses and their book so that they remember the signs. We sing it through twice, then I'll ask them to quietly put their "books" in their lap.

These are my glasses (make the letter o with each hand)
And this is my book (hands together)
I put on my glasses (put "glasses" over eyes)
And open up the book (open book hands)
Now I read read read (hold book up in front of face like reading)
And I look look look (put glasses over eyes and look around room)
I put down my glasses and… (lower glasses)
WHOOP! Close up the book. (clap as if closing a book quickly)


2) Mystery Box
This week I put one of the jingle bells we play with during songs in the box.

2.5) J is for Jingle Bells craft (3-5 yr olds)
Because this week's craft involved tacky glue that I wanted to make sure got dry enough for them to transport home, my 3-5 year olds created their craft at the beginning of storytime. I had pre-cut white J's and had the kids glue it to red paper. Then they could decorate with red and green crayons and Christmas-y stickers. Finally I put a dot of tacky glue on each end of the J for them and they stuck the little jingle bells on.

3) Jingle-Jingle - Nicole Smee

I pointed out to the kids how the horse had bells on him so everyone could hear him when he ran.


4) Jingle Bells song
I have large jingle bells strung together in pairs that I handed out for the kids to dance with during the song. They pretended they were like the horse in the book and we could all hear them coming!


5) Counting Christmas - Karen Katz (18-36 months)

I only did this book with the younger class. It's very simple, with bright pictures, counting up Christmas-y things as the kids get ready for Christmas Eve and presents on Christmas Day.


6) Five Little Christmas Trees
A really simple flannelboard rhyme. I started by asking the kids if they had their tree up yet, and if it was one they had gone out and chopped down. Found this at Mollie's site.

Five little Christmas trees, standing all alone. 
Their hearts were very sad, 'cause they hadn't found a home. (hand over heart)
Then chop went the ax, (chopping motion with hand at the bottom of a tree)
And down fell a tree, (take tree off board)
And off he went with a happy family! ("walk" him away)

(continue from 4-1 Christmas Trees)
No little Christmas Trees standing all alone 
Their hearts were very happy 'cause they all found a home!


7) Christmas Tree, Christmas Tree, What Do You See?
Then I asked if the kids wanted to help me decorate a tree. I found this at Reading Chick. I discovered a flannel tree and mini lights in my storage room. But I also have a giant felt tree, circle "ornaments", and rectangle "presents" at my house, that I created last year for my own kids (toddlers) to "decorate" and leave my real tree alone. So I brought in my big tree, used the lights I'd found, and quickly made a candy cane and Santa hat. I handed out the different pieces to the kids, and had them bring them up when it was their turn in the story.

Christmas tree, Christmas tree, what do you see?
I see some Christmas lights blinking at me.
Christmas lights, Christmas lights, what do you see?
I see ornaments looking at me.
Ornaments, ornaments, what do you see?
I see a candy cane looking at me.
Candy cane, candy cane, what do you see?
I see a yellow star shining at me.
Yellow star, yellow star, what do you see?
I see Santa Claus coming toward me.
Santa Claus, Santa Claus, what did you bring?
A bagful of presents for underneath the tree!


8) Pete the Cat Saves Christmas - Eric Litwin

Did you know you can download Pete the Cat songs for free?? I put them all on a cd that I can now play in my storytime cd player. The Christmas one is actually the entire book being read (I think by Litwin), and has the song throughout too. So I let the kids listen to this one while I turned the pages and pointed out the things the author mentioned. Pretty neat to have someone else read a book for a change!


9) If You Take a Mouse to the Movies - Laura Numeroff

I absolutely love Numeroff's mouse/moose/pig/dog/cat books.


10) Snacks
We had had our monthly movie night a few days before, and we had leftover popcorn, so after the book above I just had to give the kids small bags of our leftovers! :) I also handed out candy canes, and showed them how if they turned it upside down it looked like the letter J!


11) J is for Jingle bells coloring page (18-36 months)



Other Christmas ideas:
Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear - Don & Audrey Wood
The Night Before Christmas - Clement Moore
How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas? - Jane Yolen
It's Christmas, David! - David Shannon
I Love Christmas - Anna Walker

Storytime: Ice & Igloos

Age: 18-36 months (coloring page instead of craft), 3-5 years (with craft)

This school year in storytime I decided to use the alphabet to give me inspiration for themes. So this week, I is for Ice! (I'd really wanted to do a whole storytime about igloos, but couldn't find nearly enough books. So we expanded the idea.)


1) These Are My Glasses - Laurie Berkner
My current opening song that we sing acappella every week. I start by asking them to show me their glasses and their book so that they remember the signs. We sing it through twice, then I'll ask them to quietly put their "books" in their lap.

These are my glasses (make the letter o with each hand)
And this is my book (hands together)
I put on my glasses (put "glasses" over eyes)
And open up the book (open book hands)
Now I read read read (hold book up in front of face like reading)
And I look look look (put glasses over eyes and look around room)
I put down my glasses and… (lower glasses)
WHOOP! Close up the book. (clap as if closing a book quickly)


2) Mystery Box
This week I kept my box in the kitchen (right next door to my club room) so I could claim to have "forgotten" the box. I would run in and quickly take a small sandwich bag of ice (that I had put together ahead of time in the freezer), toss it in the box, and come back in. When I showed it to the kids, I put it against each of their hands so they could feel how cold it was!


3) Bunnies on Ice - Johanna Wright 

I did paperclip a few of the pages together in this one. I didn't think the images would capture my kids attention very well, but wanted the main part of the story to still come through. It was a good one for the introduction to "ice".


4) Jingle Bells 
I have large jingle bells strung together in pairs that I handed out for the kids to dance with during the song.


5) Geography lesson
I brought in a globe and showed the kids where we live, then explained how way up north it's cold and snowy ALL the time, and some people live in special houses made out of snow and ice!


6) Look Inside an Igloo - Schuh

One of the few books I was able to find that's about igloos and is kid-friendly! The kids thought these houses were pretty neat. I also pulled out Building an Igloo by Ulli Steltzer, and showed one specific page with a picture of lots of ice/snow blocks lined up and ready to be put together.


7) Build an igloo feltboard
I took a piece of flannel, made the general shape of an igloo (including a door), then cut it into eight pieces and numbered them with a Sharpie. I handed them out to the kids and had them help me build an igloo!

8) 5 Little Eskimos
From Step by Step Childcare. I printed out five identical Eskimos and gave them some flannel backing. I lined them up underneath our igloo, near the door, to start.

Five little Eskimos by the igloo door. 
One went out to feed the dogs, then there were four. 
Four little Eskimos rowing out to sea, 
One jumped on an iceberg, then there were three. 
Three little Eskimos making fish stew, 
One burned his finger, then there were two. 
Two little Eskimos hunting for fun, 
One chased a baby seal, then there was one. 
One little Eskimo all his work was done, 
Went home to supper, then there were none.


9) 5 Little Penguins Slipping on the Ice - Steve Metzger

The kids really wanted to say no more monkeys penguins jumping on the bed...


10) Parachute play 
It had been awhile since we'd played with the parachute. We bounced a little stuffed penguin around for awhile, then lifted it up over our heads for them to go under. It was kind of like an igloo. :)


11) I is for Ice coloring page (18-36 mo.) or I is for Igloo craft (3-5 yrs)
I told the kids how impressed I was with their cutting abilities during last week's H is for house craft, so I also traced the I on black paper for them to cut out. Then I had pre-cut some white address labels into squares (just really roughly cut with a paper cutter, no measuring), and they took them off like stickers and put them on their I like ice cubes on an igloo. Finally they glued a little black door on their I-igloo.

My 3.5-year-old daughter's version

Other ice ideas:
Seven Little Mice Have Fun on the Ice - Kazuo Iwamura
Callie Cat, Ice Skater - Eileen Spinelli
Ice skating indoors - use squares of wax paper under feet (I ended up using this in my Olympics storytime!)

Storytime: Houses

Age: 18-36 months (coloring page instead of craft), 3-5 years (with craft)

This school year in storytime I decided to use the alphabet to give me inspiration for themes. So this week, H is for Houses!


1) These Are My Glasses - Laurie Berkner
My current opening song that we sing acappella every week. I start by asking them to show me their glasses and their book so that they remember the signs. We sing it through twice, then I'll ask them to quietly put their "books" in their lap.

These are my glasses (make the letter o with each hand)
And this is my book (hands together)
I put on my glasses (put "glasses" over eyes)
And open up the book (open book hands)
Now I read read read (hold book up in front of face like reading)
And I look look look (put glasses over eyes and look around room)
I put down my glasses and… (lower glasses)
WHOOP! Close up the book. (clap as if closing a book quickly)


2) Mystery Box
This week I built a tiny Lego house to put in my box.

3) The Three Little Pigs - James Marshall

This was one of the best versions of this story I could find, even if some of Marshall's humor is over the heads of my kids. I ended up paperclipping together everything between the third pig and the chimney scene. It's a pretty long story for my toddlers.


4) Song – Shake Your Sillies Out - the Wiggles


5a) Building a House - Byron Barton (18-36 mo)

I love Byron Barton's bold, simple pictures. This one was neat for the kids to see how a house gets built! I'd wanted to also read it with my older group, but I was afraid I'd run out of time and I really wanted to do the next story with them...

5b) Little Orange House story (3-5 yrs)
This is on Scholastic's site. I practiced first and could totally see where it was going. When I asked the kids if they wanted to see inside the house, they were SO into it. I opened it up and watched their faces light up as they realized what I'd made. :) Even the parents liked it!


6) Shape house
Found this at Read Sarah Read, originally from Finger Tales by Joan Phelps. Since we'd just built a house in #5, I asked if they could help me build a house too! I handed out the pieces and asked them to bring them up when I said their shape. I added the colors of the pieces when I read it to help the kids know which pieces were which.

Some houses are wood, and some are stone.
But let's build one with shapes alone!
Start with a square, but we won't stop.
Add a triangle up on the top.
Then a rectangle for the door.
Now square windows 1, 2, 3, 4!
A little circle just for fun.
Now our shape house is all done!


7) Purple Little Bird - Greg Foley

A cute little book that has potential for being read in lots of different storytime themes!


8a) Bird Houses Flannel 
I found this at Erin's Falling Flannelboards. I made four houses of different colors with different shaped doors, just like she did. The kids did a great job of telling me with words which house the bird belonged in, and I made sure we mentioned both the color and the door shape.

8b) Little Mouse
It was so easy to include the Little Mouse game with the bird houses flannel. I simply put the mouse behind one of the houses before I hung them up. "Little Mouse, Little Mouse, are you in the red/green/orange/blue house??"


9) Do Lions Live on Lily Pads? - Melanie Walsh

The kids thought this was a really silly book. They enjoyed guessing the correct animal each time before I turned the page.


10) H is for House coloring page (18-36 mo.) or H is for House craft (3-5 yrs)
Got this idea from Crystal. If you stick a triangle on top of the letter H, it really does look like a house! I traced an H on three different colors (so the kids could choose the color of their house), then actually had them practice cutting the straight lines. The other pieces I pre-cut for them, and put out crayons for them to decorate their house.

My 3.5-year-old daughter's version

Other house ideas:
Bunny Bungalow - Cynthia Rylant
A New House for Mouse - Petr Horacek
The House that Jack Built - Diana Mayo

Storytime: Giraffes

Age: 18-36 months (coloring page instead of craft), 3-5 years (with craft)

This school year in storytime I decided to use the alphabet to give me inspiration for themes. So this week, G is for Giraffe!


1) These Are My Glasses - Laurie Berkner
My current opening song that we sing acappella every week. I start by asking them to show me their glasses and their book so that they remember the signs. We sing it through twice, then I'll ask them to quietly put their "books" in their lap.

These are my glasses (make the letter o with each hand)
And this is my book (hands together)
I put on my glasses (put "glasses" over eyes)
And open up the book (open book hands)
Now I read read read (hold book up in front of face like reading)
And I look look look (put glasses over eyes and look around room)
I put down my glasses and… (lower glasses)
WHOOP! Close up the book. (clap as if closing a book quickly)


2) Mystery Box
This week I put in a little plastic giraffe.


3) Giraffes Can't Dance - Giles Andreae

I discovered this book a number of years ago when I was shopping for a gift for a friend's new baby. I think I've mentioned before how I'm a sucker for good rhyming books... this one has great rhymes, big bold pictures, and a wonderful message.


4) The Monkey Dance - Wiggles
The kids had fun with this one, I might have to incorporate it in other weeks.


5) Giraffes Up Close - Carmen Bredeson (non-fiction)

I paper clipped a page or two in this one, and mostly just described the pictures. It was cool for the kids to see real photos of giraffes.


6) Five Giraffes in the Bathtub
Found this at The Door 2 Door Librarian, a modified version of Five Elephants in the Bathtub. I found a simple giant bathtub that I printed on cardstock and attached to felt, then found a giraffe head clipart to print and attach to felt. I always paused before the next verse and asked "how many giraffes are in the tub now?"

One Giraffe 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 Giraffes in the bathtub...  
Three Giraffes in the bathtub...
Four Giraffes in the bathtub...  

Five Giraffes in the bathtub going for a swim. 
Knock, Knock, Splash, Splash, 
It all fell in! (knock everything off flannelboard)


7) Carlo Likes Colors - Jessica Spanyol

I pulled out my shape monster felt pieces and handed out different colors to the kids. Then I only read the pages in this book that the kids had, and they brought up their shapes to the flannelboard when their color was called.


8) Zoo Animals song
Found this from the Madison Public Library, originally from the Whatcom County Library.

If you want to be a monkey, jump up high 
If you want to be a monkey, jump up high 
If you want to be a monkey If you want to be a monkey 
If you want to be a monkey, jump up high 

parrot… flap your wings 
elephant… swing your trunk 
lion… roar out loud 
giraffe… stand up tall


9) Saffy - Paola Opal (18-36 mo.), Abigail - Catherine Rayner (3-5 yrs.)

A couple of cute, simple books about the adventures of a giraffe. Saffy was a boardbook and just the right length for my younger group. Abigail was a bit longer. After storytime I took the Abigail book home to read with my own 3-year-old Abigail... :)

10) G is for Giraffe coloring page (18-36 mo.) or G is for Giraffe craft (3-5 yrs)

The base idea came from Get 'er Done Momma. I found a different giraffe head and left off the mane. I also just used a piece of yellow yarn for the tail, and googly eyes. The kids colored spots (or stripes or scribbles) on their giraffes in whatever crayon color they wanted.