Tales for Fours and Fives, 8/18

Only one child in the intended age group showed up today for the final Tales for Fours and Fives. The other 10 or so kids in attendance were ages 3 and under. But it was worth it to bore them with these longer books to see the way just that one little boy's face lit up. I'll be saving all three of the books below for school visits and story times for the local preschools!


Opening Song: Hello, how are you?

Book: Peter Spit a Seed at Sue by Jackie French Koller, illustrated by John Manders(2008)
The rhyme in this is sometimes difficult to read correctly, but the humor of the story is worth it. Silly, summer fun.

Song: Shake My Sillies Out

Book: If I Built A Car by Chris Van Dusen (2005)
In the style of Dr. Seuss, Van Dusen relates one boy's imaginings about the perfect car. This book won the 2006 E.B. White Read Aloud Award.

Song: The Wheels on the Bus (Raffi version)

Book: Prudence Wants a Pet by Cathleen Daly, illustrated by Stephen Michael King (2011)
Prudence wants a pet so badly, she begins adopting household objects and trying to teach them tricks.

Song: ABCD Medley

Song: Chickadee

Song: Skinnamarink

6 Cumulative Picture Books

	This is the House that Jack Built by Simms Taback I loved this book as a child, and Simms Taback's illustrations make me love it even more.
	Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema An African shepherd ends a severe drought.
	Drummer Hoff by Barbara and Ed Emberley This rhyming story is about a troop of soldiers and the steps they take to build and fire a cannon.
	Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman The witch has grown a pumpkin, but it's too big for her to pick.
	The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood Everyone's asleep in the napping house until the bed collapses!
	The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams Disembodied clothing follows a plucky old woman home.

Flannel Friday: Five Enormous Dinosaurs

Just a simple one this week, adapted from here. I plan to use this until it's time for all the apples, pumpkins, and fall leaves ideas I'm working on!

Five enormous dinosaurs letting out a roar.

One stomped away (stomp, stomp, stomp stomp)

and then there were four.

 

Four enormous dinosaurs knocking down a tree. Clunk!
One stomped away (stomp, stomp, stomp stomp)

and then there were three.

Three enormous dinosaurs eating tiger stew. Ew!

One stomped away (stomp, stomp, stomp stomp)

and then there were were two.

Two enormous dinosaurs sitting in the sun.

One stomped away (stomp, stomp, stomp stomp)

and then there was one.

One enormous dinosaur left all alone.

He stomped away (stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp)

and then there were none.

Full-size clip art for this rhyme is available here. This week's Flannel Friday host is Tracy at 1234 More Storytimes.

Baby/Toddler Story Time, 8/16

Opening Song: Hello, how are you?

Book: Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett (2008)

I've decided to start recycling books that have worked really well. I'm slowly transitioning from trial and error to actually knowing that a book will be a success before I read it. This is one of my favorites because of the rhythmic repetitive text, and the way that the illustrations hint at what the monkey and little girl will see on the next page, through their movements and expressions. Great stuff. 

Song: One Little Finger

Song: Cuddly Koalas

Book: Kitty's Cuddles by Jane Cabrera (2007)
I find it somewhat difficult to read books that are written as a list of questions. My voice tends to get higher and higher and squeakier and squeakier as the book goes on. But I couldn't resist this one. Which animal is Kitty's favorite to cuddle? Not the peacock, the armadillo, or the porcupine, but her own baby brother! Perfect for this audience where there are lots of baby siblings.

Song: I'm a Little Teapot 
During session three, a child climbed up on the steps where I sit and pressed stop on the CD player. I had to ask her nanny twice more after that to stop her from touching it. Thankfully I know it so well I could sing it in my sleep.

Song: Head and Shoulders

Book: The Babies on the Bus by Karen Katz  (2011)
We sang this book in lieu of our usual Wheels on the Bus. And it was awesome! I spoke the unfamiliar verses before we sang them, and introduced some wonderful new motions. I want to make a flannel board for this one so I don't need to have the book on hand every week. 

Song: Where is Thumbkin? 
I only did this song in the first session because I forgot how singing-intensive it is. There are no instrumental breaks! So I couldn't do it three times in a row.

Song: You Are My Sunshine

Song: Mary Had a Little Lamb

Song: ABCD Medley

Song: Chickadee

Song: Skinnamarink