I had a lot of transportation books hanging around my desk this week, so I combined them into a themed story time. Both sessions were identical with the exception of one song. Session one had about 20 children, and session two had 32.
Opening song: Hello song
For the verses, we clapped our hands, tapped our heads, and wiggled our fingers.
Song: The Wheels on the Bus
Song: Drive, Drive, Drive Your Car (session 1);
If You'd Like to Read a Book (session 2)
Book: The Bus for Us by Suzanne Bloom
The text on every page of this story is the same. A little girl named Tess asks, "Is this the bus for us, Gus?" The illustration shows just the bumper of a vehicle, and the audience has the chance to guess whether they think it's a bus or something else. After a taxi, a garbage truck, an ice cream truck, and various other vehicles pass by, the bus finally arrives and Gus says, "Let's go!" During the first session, there wasn't much of a reaction to this book, but the second group applauded when the bus arrived.
Song: There's a Little Wheel A-Turnin' in my Heart
Book: Trucks Go Pop by Bob Staake
This is a really short pop-up book with not many words, but it was neat and a great crowd-pleaser. Some of the details - like the slow truck being labeled "molasses" and the "green" truck being used for recycling - would be better viewed up close, and only funny for the adults or older kids, but it's fun to share a pop-up book every now and then. I was very careful to hide it between sessions, and afterwards, though, because toddlers and pop-up books don't mix up close.
Song: Five in the Truck
This song was a bomb the first session, and a wonderful hit during the second. I brought out my stuffed hen both times, and that seemed to get the kids' attention, but I wish I'd had a truck or a feltboard to go with it. If I keep using this one, I'll have to make one.
Song: Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Book: Down by the Station by Jennifer Riggs Vetter, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz
This book takes the traditional "Down by the Station" song and extrapolates it to include all other types of transportation, from buses, to trucks, to construction vehicles, to airplanes, and rockets. Animals take the place of people as drivers, passengers, and workers. I sang the entire book, and really enjoyed the positive reactions people had to it. I would definitely do it again.
Song: I'm a Little Teapot
Song: One, Two, I Love You (Numbers Are Our Friends)
Book: Window Music by Anastasia Suen, illustrated by Wade Zahares
I never do 4 books, but this week we had the pop-up, and one book that was more like a song with pictures, so I went for broke. This book shows what a passenger on a train might see from her window, and also introduces some of the sounds associated with travel by train. One little girl in the first session loved it so much, she repeated every line after me - for that alone, it was worth it.
Song: Monkeys on the Bed
Closing song: Skinnamarink
