Family Story Time, 7/19/19 (Moon Theme)

There were seven families (including mine) at this story time back in July, and our theme was inspired by the anniversary of the moon landing.

Opening Song: Story Time is Starting

Book: How To Be On The Moon by Viviane Schwarz

This was a review copy from Candlewick. The dialogue is wonderful for reading aloud, and it was great for my three-to-seven-year-olds. We had some babies in attendance who got a bit restless, but it wasn't a big deal.

Flannel Board Song: Five Astronauts Went Up in Space

My own toddler tried to sabotage my flannel board, and I immediately wished I hadn't bothered with it. It did seem to be a good attention grabber for some kids, but I had to enlist help from my 5-year-old to keep her sister from taking the whole thing down. I have a smaller flannel board that I can hold in my lap, and I think that's what I'll need to use for the remaining sessions of story time. 

Book: The Moon Jumpers by Janice May Udry, illustrated by 

This is my three-year-old's favorite picture book. I had never tried it with an audience, but this group seemed like it would be receptive. They mostly seemed to like it. 

Rhyme: Moon Jumpers, Moon Jumpers 

I took the words I use for Book Bear, Book Bear and modified them slightly to suit the "moon jumpers" concept. I repeated the jumping line in both stanzas to emphasize the jumping aspect of the story.

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

say hello! 

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

high and low.

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

Jump up and down

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

Turn around.

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

Clap clap clap

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

Tap tap tap

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

Jump up and down 

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

Sit right down.

Song with Ukulele: Stop and Go (originally by Ella Jenkins)

Song with Flannel Board and Ukulele: Aikendrum

I did this on the flannel board, and my five-year-old put all the pieces up for me. If I do this again, I'll just use the ukulele. The flannel board doesn't add much.

Book: Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

My own two girls were so sympathetic to kitten they kept saying "awwww!" on every page. 

Song: Moon Moon Moon

Book: Wynken Blynken and Nod by Eugene Field, illustrated by Giselle Potter
This was not a hit. I wish I had learned one of the tunes to which this poem can be sung because I think it would have done better as a singable book.

Closing Song: Story Time is Over

Moon-Themed "On the Road" Story Time #4, 7/30/12

This is the first in a backlog of story times I have yet to post about, and it's the last in the series of moon-themed story times I performed at other branches in my system this July. All of my experiences were wonderful, but this one especially impressed me because there were so many kids in the 3 to 5 age range and because they were so attentive and so engaged. I had a great time! 

Opening song (with ukulele): Hello, how are you?

Book: The Moon by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Tracey Pearson Campbell (2006)

Song: Moon Moon Moon

Song (with ukulele and flannel board): Aikendrum
This is the only group where everyone clapped and pretended to strum all the way through this song. I think this was partly because I have gotten way more comfortable playing it since the summer started. 

Song: Here We Go Up, Up, Up

Book: What's Up? by Mick Manning, illustrated by Brita Granstrom (1997)


Song: Five Little Martians (based on One Little Monster)

Song: Head and Shoulders, Baby

Book: Wynken, Blynken, and Nod by Eugene W. Field, illustrated by Giselle Potter (2008)

Song: Stars Shining Bright 

Book:  Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! I'm Off to the Moon by Dan Yaccarino (1997)
The best part of this story was having everyone count down with me from five.


Song: Five Astronauts Went Up in Space

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This

Moon-Themed "On the Road" Story Time #3, 7/26/12

This "on the road" story time differed greatly from the others for a few reasons. The children's librarian at the branch was unexpectedly not there, so when I arrived, I was asked to start right away (20 minutes early), and to repeat my story time for an additional group afterward. I had also prepared for a preschool audience, but saw many little ones during the first session for whom many of my books were too complex and long. Here's what I came up for that first session, and then for the second one, which skewed slightly older and included one group that had already sat through session one.

Session One 

Opening Song (with ukulele): Hello, how are you?

Book: What's Up? by Mick Manning, illustrated by Brita Granstrom (1997)
This is actually a science book for beginning readers, but without all the captions and sidebars, the text is perfectly appropriate for a younger audience. I wished for some more feedback from the kids each time the text posed a question, but even without a  response, the kids seemed to be engaged.

Song: Moon Moon Moon

Book: Higher, Higher by Leslie Patricelli (2009)
I didn't bring this book with me, but managed to grab it from the shelf just before story time started. I could have gone without it, as it turns out, but I panicked when I saw babies! 

Song: Here We Go Up, Up, Up

Song (with flannel board and ukulele): Aikendrum
The kids thought the broccoli was a tree, which was something I hadn't really anticipated, but they seemed to like the song. 

Book: Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (2004)
This was too long for a third book.  The kids were not interested. I actually think they didn't understand that the moon looked like milk to the kitten.

Song (with paper stars): Stars Shining Bright

Song (with ukulele): Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Song (with flannel board): Five Astronauts Went Up in Space 

Song: Tommy Thumb
I did this song because it takes a long time to sing all six verses, and I couldn't see the clock. I wanted to make sure I wasn't cutting myself too short! (I wasn't. I could have stopped way before this.)

Song: Chickadee 

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This

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Session Two
 
Opening Song (with ukulele): Hello, how are you?

Book: What's Up? by Mick Manning, illustrated by Brita Granstrom (1997)

Song: Moon Moon Moon

Book: The Moon Might Be Milk by Lisa Shulman, illustrated by Lee Hillenbrand (2007)
I was hesitant about reading this book because it is so long, but overall, it went over well. This is one I want to keep in mind for the future, especially as we start trying to do more "story breaks" rather than full-fledged story times, after school this Fall.


Song (with flannel board and ukulele): Aikendrum

Song: Here We Go Up, Up, Up

Book: Regards to the Man in the Moon by Ezra Jack Keats (1981)
This book is different, and that's what I like about it. I think I could have introduced it better, but I don't know if that would have helped the kids click with it or not. I might try it again to see what improvements I can make because I think the concept of flying to the moon with your imagination is great!

Song (with flannel board): Five Astronauts Went Up in Space

Song (with paper stars): Stars Shining Bright
By the end of the second story time, finally, the kids came out of their shells and practically shouted the name of each color. I actually had to start turning the star around and only revealing the color when I was ready to be assailed by shouts. 
 
Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This

Because of the chaos with the librarian not being there, I skipped the craft. I don't think either group was expecting a craft because they didn't say a thing about it.

Moon-Themed "On the Road" Story Time #2, 7/25/12

This week, my travels brought me to the main branch of my library system for story time. I had a wonderful time, and so did the kids!

Opening Song (with ukulele): Hello, how are you?

Book: The Moon by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Tracey Pearson Campbell (2006)
This group was pretty big, and the kids were interested in this book, but so talkative they wanted to tell me something about every page. I was thankful that the book was so short, or we might never have made it to the end!

Song: Moon Moon Moon 

Song (with flannel board and ukulele): Aikendrum
This was my best performance of Aikendrum so far. The more times I tell and sing his story, the more comfortable I become, and the more willing to take chances and be a bit more interactive. I asked the kids to clap as I played and - bingo! at least one daycare group did it! It's way more fun to play when people are enjoying it with me.

Song: Here We Go Up, Up, Up

Book: Higher, Higher by Leslie Patricelli (2009)
I couldn't get the group to join in on the refrain so this book was the weakest link this time around.

Song: Five Little Martians
I forgot to start with five martians, and started with just one. So we ended up singing the song counting up  to five, which basically ruins the whole concept. But I'm the only one who noticed, so I guess it's okay.

Five little martians
Five little martians

Five little martians

Beep! Beep! Beep!

One little martian
went home to bed
Now that martian's

fast asleep!

Rhyme: Hop Your Bunnies
I haven't had great luck with this next book as a  read-aloud, and I was losing the kids' attention by this point, so I threw this rhyme in here to get them excited about the  rabbit character. It mostly worked.

Book: Moonlight by Helen V. Griffith (2012)
I tried not to linger over the pages too much, as we were getting restless. I'm not going to use this  book for story time anymore, except maybe for the smaller pajama story time.

Song (with paper stars): Stars Shining Bright
This song is always a success, but this group really made me love it even more. I didn't have velcro on the stars, so I just held them up with my hand, reaching way up with each one as I sang about the star shining above the tree. There was one preschool class who called out the colors in a lovely little chorus which made the song so much fun for all of us.

Song: Head and Shoulders, Baby
I threw in the additional "do the twist" verse, and I saw at least one teacher get really excited about it and start rocking out right in her seat. (Why she was sitting, I don't know, but the kids did stand up.)

Book: I Want to be an Astronaut by Byron Barton (1988)
This one surprised me by going over really well for the first time this summer. I don't think I read it differently; it might just be the dynamic of this particular crowd that made it work.

Song (with flannel board): Five Astronauts Went Up in Space 
Since the kids loved calling out their colors for the star song, I incorporated the colors of  the astronauts into this one as well. Every time I put up a new one, we called out the color, and when we put them away, we reviewed the colors and said goodbye to each astronaut.

Song (with ukulele): Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
This is the first story time group ever where the kids actually sang the words along with me. I loved it!

Song: Chickadee

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This

I had a coloring sheet and stickers available at the end of story time. More on that after all the "on the road" story times are finished (early next week.)

Moon-Themed "On the Road" Story Time #1, 7/12/12

This summer, as part of our summer reading program, children's librarians in my system are traveling to each other's branches to perform story times. My theme is the moon, and today was my first of the four visits I have scheduled. I went to the library where Lucy from In the Children's Room works, and had a wonderful time with her story time crowd!

Here is what I shared with the kids:

Opening Song (with ukulele): Hello, how are you?
I played the hello song in C instead of A! This might not sound like an accomplishment, but for me it was.

Book: The Moon by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Tracey Pearson Campbell (2006)
What a delightful surprise it was to see everyone enjoy this book so much. On pages where I thought the poetry was confusing, I used the illustrations to keep the kids interested, pointing out the shape of the moon and the clock face, for example, and showing them the raccoons stealing veggies on the garden wall. I will definitely be using this book again at my own story times, and when I go "on the road" again later in the month.

Song: Moon Moon Moon 

Song (with flannel board and ukulele): Aikendrum
I redid my Aikendrum flannel board for two reasons: the pieces were too small, and none of the kids or nannies could identify spaghetti or meatballs when I held them up individually. For this set, I didn't bother making a ladel, but I made broccoli for the hair, two cookies for the eyes, a cheese nose and a banana mouth. They were all instantly recognizable foods, and the kids knew them all. I also managed to play the entire song without the chords in front of me, and I only made one mistake.  (I played this one in A - which is why the hello song was in C.)

Song: Here We Go Up, Up, Up

Book: Higher, Higher by Leslie Patricelli (2009)
I used to fear this book's small number of words. Now I embrace the lovely refrain and have so much fun building up the "high five" at the book's climax.

Song: Five Little Martians 

Remember One Little Finger? Remember One Little Monster? Well, Five Little Martians is yet another piggyback song on the same tune.

Five little martians
Five little martians

Five little martians

Beep! Beep! Beep!

One little martian
went home to bed
Now that martian's

fast asleep!

Book: Moonlight by Helen V. Griffith (2012)
This book is beautiful and poetic and flopped terribly at my own story time. This group seemed to enjoy it, however, especially because it had a bunny.

Song (with pop stick puppets): Stars Shining Bright
I love this song, and the kids loved it too. It was great to have some preschoolers who could name their colors without adult help. 

Song: Head and Shoulders, Baby 
I added in an additional verse this time - do the twist. I wasn't crazy about it, but it was nice to have some variety. 

Book: I Want to be an Astronaut by Byron Barton (1988)
This is another one that flopped with my group but was successful today. I think it worked well in this case because it had the context of the specific moon-centric theme. I also think it helps when the group is smaller and the kids can really see the pictures.

Song (with flannel board): Five Astronauts Went Up in Space 

Song (with ukulele): Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This

We did a craft at the end of story time - rocket launchers, inspired by this post on Pinterest. I'll make a separate post about the craft itself, once I've been to all four libraries.