Baby/Toddler Lap Time, 9/16

I haven't done this story time in three weeks. It's so good to be back!


Opening Song: Hello, how are you?
There is no greater feeling than sitting in a room and leading a group of people in song - especially people who want to be there, and clearly love it. 

Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big (twice)

Rhyme: Dance Your Fingers (twice)

Book: The Little Red Hen by Byron Barton (1993)I don't even like this story that much, but I love this version. I especially love that the illustrations show the three lazy animals - the pig, the cat, and the duck - doing other fun activities instead of helping out. 

Song: I'm a Little Teapot

Song: Head and Shoulders

Song: Mary Had a Little Lamb

Book: Potato Joe by Keith Baker (2008)
I always get strange reactions when I read this book. I love Watermelon Moe, but I think some people think the whole thing is too bizarre.

Song: You Are My Sunshine

Song: Tommy Thumb

Song: The Wheels on the Bus (Raffi)

Flannel Board Song: Five Little Acorns
I needed something simple, tried to learn it at the last minute and then butchered it. Next time, I'll get it down.

Song: ABCD Medley

Song: Chickadee

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This

A full description of this, and all my weekly story time programs can be found here.

Pre-K Class Visit, 9/15

I have a couple of Pre-K groups that plan to come to the library for story times on a monthly basis throughout this school year. This morning, I did my first one for the month of September, and I used a theme of apples. I've decided to start doing themes for preschool story times, because it makes my life easier, and - in theory, at least - makes the story time more organized. We'll see how it goes.

In the meantime, here is today's order of events:

Opening Song: Hello, how are you?
 
Song: If You'd Like to Read a Book

Book: Applesauce Season by Eden Ross Lipson, illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein

Rhyme: Blue is the Lake

Book: Ducking for Apples by Lynne Berry, Hiroe Nakata (2010)


Song: Hands Are For Clapping 

Flannel Board Rhyme: Five Little Apples
 (I did  the version with the animals, not with the angry wind.)

Song: ABCD Medley

Song: Chickadee

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This

6 Train Picture Books

	Freight Train by Donald Crews Learn the colors and the parts of a freight train from this wonderfully illustrated classic picture book.
	Window Music by Anastasia Suen This book explores what can be seen from the window of a moving train.
	Two Little Trains by Margaret Wise Brown An actual train and a toy train take parallel journeys.
	And The Train Goes... by William Bee This great read-aloud is filled with wonderful sounds that a train might make.
	I Love Trains! by Philemon Sturges An introduction to trains for the littlest learner.
	1, 2, 3 to the Zoo by Eric Carle A simple counting book counts all the animals as they travel by train to the zoo.

Baby/Toddler Story Time, 9/13

Opening Song: Hello, how are you?

Book: Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming (1998)
This was a huge and unexpected hit. Mama Cat has three kittens - two do what she does, and one naps all day. One-year-olds were walking up and pointing at the book even before we started, and several moms said it was a new favorite for their little ones.



Rhyme: This is Big, Big, Big

Rhyme: Blue is the Lake

Book: Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins (2000)
Too long for toddlers. I should have switched after the first session, but I didn't leave myself enough time to choose a back-up. This would be much better for twos and threes.

Song: Shake My Sillies Out

Song: I'm a Little Teapot (Sessions 1 and 2 only)

Song: Hands Are For Clapping

Flannel Board Rhyme: Down Around the Corner by the Big Oak Tree
I made some changes to this. I put some Velcro onto some large craft sticks and attached the squirrels to them. Then I had each squirrel literally come along and take the acorn then disappear behind the flannel board. I put them all back on at the end, and added this new verse:

Down around the corner 

and down the trail

are five little squirrels

with big bushy tails!

Listen to them chew

with a nibble and crunch

as they eat their yummy little 

acorns for lunch!

This final verse brought down the house, but it took too long to get there. I think next time I'd do this one in place of  a second book. Maybe next week I'll try a book and two flannels and see how that goes.This will also be good to do with pre-K, maybe, or at preschool story time.


Song: One Little Finger (Session 1 only)

Song: Tommy Thumb

Song: The Wheels on the Bus

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This