Toddler Storytime: Monsters

I absolutely love the month of October, because I get to do my favorite storytime - monsters!  Our library has a lot of great monster picture books, and because monsters fit in well with Halloween, there are always new books being published each year, so I'm never without great choices.  I try to pick stories that feature "non-scary" monsters.  Here is what I did:

BOOK:  Monster Needs a Costume by Paul Czajak

This is a new book and when I saw that it came in, I immediately grabbed it for storytime.  Monster can't decide what he wants to be for Halloween.  He tries on a variety of costumes, such as a cowboy, a ballerina, and a ninja.  In the end, he finds one that is just right.  The rhyming text makes this a fun read-aloud for toddlers.

SONG:  "Monster Boogie" by Laurie Berkner from the album Buzz Buzz

You can't do a monster-themed storytime without playing this song!  I play a Laurie Berkner song at least once every couple of weeks, because her songs are so fun.  Give the kids some shakey eggs or other musical instruments and boogie around the room.  Don't forget to growl!

ACTIVITY RHYME:  Shape Monster

Shape monster, shape monster, munch, munch, munch.

Would you like a ____________ (insert shape) for your lunch?

I found this rhyme a couple of years ago on PUBYAC (a great listserv for youth services librarians); I apologize for not knowing who it came from.  I made a monster out of a tissue box, covering it with construction paper, wiggle eyes, pom-poms, and other odds and ends craft supplies.  If you Google "tissue box monster," you will see some images that will give you inspiration.  I cut out circles, squares and triangles out of felt, passed them out to the kids, and when their shape was called, they came up and "fed" it to shape monster.  If you have older kids, you can also include the color; for the toddlers, I stuck with the shape, because they are still learning how to take turns and listen.

BOOK:  Nighty Night Little Green Monster by Ed Emberley

This is another new book that I wanted to share with the toddlers.  It's a smaller version of Emberley's Go Away Big Green Monster.  In this book, little monster's face appears in die-cut shapes as you turn each page.  When the stars come out, though, it's time for little monster to say good night.

BOOK/SONG:  If You're a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca Emberley

I decided to sing this book instead of reading it.  My crowd was also getting a little antsy, so I skipped some of the lyrics.  This is a great choice for storytime.  I love books that require sing-along participation!  Children can snort and growl, smack their claws, stomp their paws and more monster-y movements.  This is a great choice if you are looking for something to get them up and moving.

SONG:  "Horns, Fangs, Knees and Claws"

(tune: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes)

Horns and fangs,

Knees and claws,

Knees and claws.

Horns and fangs,

Knees and claws,

Knees and claws.

Eyes and ears and tails and paws,

Horns and fangs,

Knees and claws,

Knees and claws.

(Source: Youth Literature)

CRAFT:  Masking Tape Mummy

This was another Pinterest find - what a great source for finding craft ideas!  This was very easy to do with toddlers, especially if you cut out the mummies ahead of time.  Kids love things that "stick," so give them the task of putting the masking tape on their mummy.  Easy peasy!

Toddler Storytime: Owls

Another fun storytime idea for the fall is owls.  I was pleasantly surprised by the number of picture books in our collection that were about owls.  Here is what I did:

BOOK:  "I'm Not Cute!" by Jonathan Allen
A baby owl gets upset when all the other animals tell him he is cute.  He thinks he's a rough and tough fighter; thankfully, mama owl knows just what to say to her little guy.  The other books in this series about baby owl are fun, too.


FLANNEL RHYME:  Five Hoot Owls
Five hoot owls sitting in a tree
One flew away! How many do you see?
Four hoot owls sitting in a tree
One flew away! How many do you see?
Three hoot owls...etc.
(Source:  Sunflower Storytime)

BOOK:  Bear's New Friend by Karma Wilson
There's a new animal in the forest, and Bear and his friends would like to play with him, but he is very shy.  What animal could it be?  Will they ever coax him out of his hole?  I love the Bear series, and knew I had to share this book!  This is great to share with toddlers and preschoolers because of the rhyming text.

ACTION RHYME:  Wide-Eyed Owl
There's a wide-eyed owl     (circle eyes with fingers)
With a pointed nose            (make a beak with your fingers)
Two pointed ears                (make ears with your fingers)
And claws for toes              (make claws with your fingers)
He lives way up in the tree   (point up/reach up)
And when he looks at you   (point to children)
He flaps his wings                (flap your arms)
And says, "Whoo! Whoo!"
(Source:  King County Library System)

SONG:  "Owl's Hokey-Pokey"
You put your right wing in, you put your right wing out,
You put your right wing in, and you flap it all about.
You do the owl hokey pokey and you fly yourself around.
That's what it's all about.  Hoo-hoo!
Additional verses:
left wing
right claw, left claw
beak
whole, feathered self
(Source:  Ms. Hegna's Storyroom)

BOOK:  Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Little Hoot doesn't like to stay up late, like he is supposed to.  He wants to go to bed and begs his parents to let him.  (When does that ever happen?!)  A fun take on the bedtime story.



CRAFT:  Hand-Print Owls
I saw this idea on Pinterest and my initial thought was "Painting with 2 year olds?  Jen, what are you thinking?"  It worked fine!  Crayola washable paint and lots of baby wipes are a must.  I also had a smaller group that morning.  If it was bigger, you could forego the painting and glue feathers onto the owl.  I also had an awesome helper who helped me cut out all the pieces the night before storytime.  Pretty cute, huh?

Toddler Storytime: The Color Orange

To celebrate the season, I decided to a storytime on the color orange.  The inspiration came from Storytime Katie's blog.  I took her advice and matched rhymes with the stories I read, rather than trying to come up with activities about the color orange.  I think it worked well.  Here is what I did:

BOOK:  Where is Tippy Toes? by Betsy Lewin
Tippy Toes is a cat who spends his day doing fun things, but what does he do at night?  This is a great book to share with toddlers, because of the flaps hiding the cat.  Children had fun telling me what Tippy Toes was doing.  I included this book because Tippy Toes is bright orange.


FINGERPLAY:  Kitten Was Hiding
Kitten was hiding under a chair
I looked and I looked for her everywhere
I looked under the table
I looked under the bed
I looked in the corner
And then I said,
"Here kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty.  Here kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty.
I have a bowl of milk for you."
And then the kitten came running, saying "mew, mew, mew, mew."
(Source: King County Library System)

BOOK:  How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow? by Wendell Minor
You can't have an orange storytime without a book about a pumpkin!  This is a new picture book we have at the library, and I wanted to share it with the kids.  I love the illustrations and that it's about the concept of "big."  Children get to see how the pumpkins get bigger and bigger on each page.

ACTION RHYME:  Pumpkin, Pumpkin
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground     (crouch down)
How'd you get so big and round?     (stretch arms to make a big circle)
Once you were a seed so small        (pretend to hold a seed)
Now you are a great big ball            (make a big circle with hands)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground     (crouch down)
How'd you get so big and round?     (stretch arms to make a big circle)
(Source: King County Library System)

BOOK:  Little Owl's Orange Scarf by Tatyana Feeney
This is another new picture book, and when I read it I knew it would be perfect for an orange storytime.  Little Owl dislikes his orange scarf for many reasons, but mainly because orange is not his favorite color.  This is a really cute story, and would also be perfect for an owl-themed storytime.

FLANNEL RHYME:  Five Hoot Owls
Five hoot owls sitting in a tree
One flew away.  How many do you see?
Four hoot owls sitting in a tree
One flew away.  How many do you see?
Three hoot owls, etc.
(Source:  Sunflower Storytime)

For a craft, we made pumpkin collages, which is an easy craft to do with 2 year olds.  I printed out a pumpkin shape onto cardstock paper (or you can use construction paper).  I gave them crayons, Halloween stickers, and orange tissue paper squares which they could glue onto their picture with a glue stick.  Easy-peasy!

Preschool Storytime: Superheroes!

Books about popular superhero characters fly off our library shelves.  I thought it would be fun to do a Superheroes storytime.  I told the kids the week before, so they could come dressed up, if they liked.  Here is what we did:

BOOK:  The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man by Michael Chabon; illustrated by Jake Parker
If you couldn't tell by the title, Awesome Man is just awesome.  He has amazing powers, which he uses on evil villains.  He has a trusty sidekick, his awesome dog Moskowitz.  And, like most superheroes, he has a secret identity.  Can you guess who he is?  You'll be surprised!

SONG:  "Chicken Impossible" from the album Songs Inside the Radio from the Greasy Kids Stuff radio program
The theme song to "Mission Impossible" sung by chickens?  Oh, we are so playing this song during storytime!  This was perfect to use with shakey eggs as the chickens cluck along to the theme.  I had the kids pretend to fly around the room and jump up and down.

BOOK:  Super Hair-O and the Barber of Doom by John Rocco
This is a new picture book at my library and when I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for this storytime.  A young boy fears he lost his super powers when a villain (the barber) captures him and cuts his hair!  Egads!  The boy believes his hair is the source of his strength - how will he ever be a superhero again?

RHYME:  Superman
Put your hands way up high,
Like Superman flying across the sky.
Fly to the left.  Now fly to the right.
Now show me your muscles with all your might.
Now Superman's putting his suit away,
So he can go flying another day.
(Source:  Pubyac)

BOOK:  Superhero ABC by Bob McLeod
Different superheros from A to Z are described in this fun book.  I love the illustrations and some of the wacky superheroes.  Kids will love reading about Bubble-Man, Goo Girl, Laughing Lass, and The Volcano.  Full of alliteration, with the description of each superhero matching the letter, this is fun to read aloud.

RHYME:  Superhero, Superhero
Superhero, superhero, turn around.
Superhero, superhero, touch the ground.
Superhero, superhero, put on your suit.
Superhero, superhero, put on your boots.
Superhero, superhero, jump up high.
Superhero, superhero, fly, fly, fly!
(Source:  Pubyac)

CRAFT:  Superhero Masks
This is an easy craft, especially with a template you can print out.  I found mine here.  Kids color, cut out, decorate, and add some string to put on their heads.  Instant superhero!

OTHER BOOKS TO SHARE:
Charlie's Superhero Underpants by Paul Bright
Max by Bob Graham
Superhero School by Aaron Reynolds
The Superheroes' Employment Agency by Marilyn Singer
The Amazing Adventures of Bumblebee Boy by David Soman
Mighty Max by Harriet Ziefert

Preschool Storytime: Summer Fun!

Even though Mother Nature seems to be a bit confused about what season it is, it's summer in storytime-land.  To get everyone in a summer-time mood, here is what I did:

BOOK:  The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant; illustrated by Stephen Gammell
We talked about some of the things families did during the summer, and someone mentioned going on trips, so this was the perfect book to start out with.  A family from Virginia packs up their car for a long trip up north to visit their relatives during the summer.  While they are visiting, they have fun spending time together having picnics, playing games, and just spending time together.  This is a great story about families and the joy that comes from having them visit.

FINGERPLAY:  Happy Summer
Five little ladybugs napping a tree     (close eyes and pretend to sleep)
Wake up to the sound of a bumblebee,     (BZZZZZZZ)
A little bunny's feet go hop, hop, hop,     (bounce up and down)
A shower of raindrops go plop, plop, plop.     (pat hands on legs)
Then a silly little bird sings loud and clear     (TWEET, TWEET, TWEET)
And the ladybugs say, "Summer must be here!"
(Source: King County Library System)

BOOK:  What Can You Do With a Paleta? by Carmen Tafolla; illustrated by Magaly Morales
Most kids screamed out "ice cream" when I asked what they like to eat during the summer.  This is a good multi-cultural choice to share with kids.  A paleta is a popsicle, and this story tells the joy of eating a cold, yummy paleta during a hot summer day, and the fruity choices available.  Okay, now I want one.

FLANNEL GAME:  Ice Cream Cones
For this game, I have a cone and several colors of ice cream made out of felt.  The kids help me "build" an ice cream cone by shouting out flavors (for smaller children, you can put the scoops on the board and see if they can guess the color and flavor).  If you have a smaller group, you can hand out the scoops of ice cream and call up children based on what flavor they have in their hand.

BOOK:  Froggy Learns to Swim by Jonathan London; illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz
It wouldn't be summer without swimming, and you can't go wrong with Froggy.  Froggy is afraid of the water, but with a little encouragement and help from his mom, he learns to swim.

SONG:  "If You're Going to the Pool" (tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")
If you're going to the pool, wear your suit.
If you're going to the pool, wear your suit.
If you're going to the pool, then a suit will keep you cool.
If you're going to the pool, wear your suit.
...wear your hat
...wear your flip flops
...wear your sunglasses
(also, you can ask children for suggestions)
(Source:  Mel's Desk)

OTHER BOOKS TO SHARE:
Marshmallow Kisses by Linda Crotta Brennan
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee
One Watermelon Seed by Celia Barker Lottridge
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli
Beach Day by Karen Roosa
Mouse's First Summer by Lauren Thompson
The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog by Mo Willems
Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems

Toddler Time: How Does Your Garden Grow?

Today was the last day of Toddler Time for the Spring.  The weather has been a bit odd the past week (even for Central New York standards), going from temperatures in the 80s to the 40s!  This week is supposed to be nice, so in honor of Spring and all the beautiful things that grow during this time of the year, I thought a garden themed storytime fit the bill.  Here is what we did.

I started out by asking the children what things grow in gardens.  I got a lot of good responses like carrots, peppers and pumpkins.  So we started out by pretending we had a garden.

FINGERPLAY:  Dig a Little Hole
Dig a little hole,     (pretend to dig)
Plant a little seed,  (pretend to plant)
Pour a little water, (pretend to water)
Pull a little weed.   (pretend to weed)
Chase a little bug,  (shoo with hands)
There he goes!      (wiggle fingers away)
Give a little sunshine, (arms circle overhead)
Grow a little rose.   (pretend to hold a flower)
Source:  Perry Public Library

BOOK:  Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
This is a great book to share with toddlers.  The text is short and the illustrations are bright and bold.  Ask them to identify colors and then share the names of the different flowers on each page.

By this time, the kids were quite wiggly, so we broke out the shaky eggs and got up and danced.

SONG:  "Shake My Sillies Out" by Raffi (from his album More Singable Songs)

FLANNEL RHYME:  Five Little Flowers
One little flower growing just for you.
(hold up 1 finger)
Up came another and then there were two.
(hold up 2 fingers)
Two little flowers growing near a tree.
Up came another and then there were three.
(hold up 3 fingers)
Three little flowers growing more and more.
(move hand up)
Up came another and then there were four
(hold up 4 fingers)
Four little flowers growing side by side.
Up came another and then there were five.
Source:  King County Library System

BOOK:  My Garden by Kevin Henkes
After she helps her mother water and weed their garden, a little girl imagines a garden of her own complete with chocolate rabbits, jellybeans, flowers of all colors and tomatoes the size of beach balls.  A cute story!

PUPPET RHYME:  There's Something in My Garden

There’s something in my garden,
Now what can it be?
There’s something in my garden
That I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound....
RIBBIT - RIBBIT - RIBBIT.
A FROG is what I found!
RIBBIT - RIBBIT - RIBBIT.

There’s something in my garden,
Now what can it be?
There’s something in my garden,
That I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound....
THUMP - THUMP - THUMP.
A RABBIT is what I found!
THUMP - THUMP - THUMP

There’s something in my garden,
Now what can it be?
There’s something in my garden,
That I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound....
SQUEAK - SQUEAK - SQUEAK.
A MOUSE is what I found!
SQUEAK - SQUEAK - SQUEAK.

There’s something in my garden,
Now what can it be?
There’s something in my garden,
That I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound....
CAW - CAW - CAW.
A CROW is what I found!
CAW - CAW - CAW.

Source:  SurLaLune Storytime

Toddler Storytime: Sweet Treats

I'm not sure if it was best idea to do a storytime based upon sugary, yummy things with a bunch of hyper two-year olds, but I went with it, because that's how Miss Jenny rolls!  Here is how you can have sweet storytime, too.

BOOK:  Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum by Lisa Wheeler; illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith
I found this gem while weeding the picture book section.  When I read it, I knew it would be perfect for storytime.  Full of rhymes and fun noises, this book is a great read-aloud.  Starting out with a toad, a variety of animals get stuck in a big wad of bubble gum melting in the road.  They must try to get out of the way of a big blue truck and a mean bear coming down the road.  We had fun yelling out the different animals and I had fun making the noises.

SONG:  "Shakin' Down the Sugar" by Laurie Berkner (from her album Victor Vito)
My toddlers love using the shakey eggs, so whenever I can bring them out for a song, I do.  This song fits perfectly into the theme as well as being a great outlet to shake and dance around!  I love that they get to shake left, right and up and down.

FINGERPLAY:  Making Cookies
I am making cookie dough,                       (point to self)
Round and round the beaters go,               (rotate hands over each other)
Add some flour from a cup,                       (pretend to pour flour in)
Stir and mix the batter up,                          (pretend to stir)
Roll them, cut them, nice and neat,             (pretend to roll out cookies)
Put them on a cookie sheet,                       (hold hands out flat in front of you)
Bake them, count them...one, two, three,   (count with fingers)
Then serve them to my friends for tea!        (pretend to pass cookies out)
Source:  Avon Lake Public Library

BOOK:  The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willems
I love the Pigeon books and couldn't wait to share this book with the toddlers.  They loved it!  Seriously, can Mo Willems write a bad children's book?  I think not.  This is a great choice because you can talk about asking for things politely, sharing, and why throwing a fit is not a great option to get what you want.

FLANNEL RHYME:  Five Gingerbread Men
Five little gingerbread men laying on a tray,
One jumped up and ran away,
Shouting, "Catch me, catch me, catch me if you can...
I'm really quick, I'm a gingerbread man!"
Four little gingerbread men... (count down the numbers repeating the above rhyme)
No more gingerbread men laying on a tray,
They all jumped up and ran away.
Oh, how I wish they had stayed with me to play.
Next time I'll eat them before they run away!
Source:  King County Library System

FINGERPLAY:  Good Things to Eat
Will you have spaghetti,    (wiggle fingers up and down)
Or a piece of pie?             (make a triangle with your fingers)
How about a cookie?        (make a circle with your hands)
Then so will I!                   (pretend to eat cookies)
Source:  Avon Lake Public Library

OTHER BOOKS TO SHARE:
If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff
Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar? by George Shannon
The Donut Chef by Bob Staake
Whopper Cake by Karma Wilson