Ducks

Last week we learned about ducks. I was sure that we had done it before but apparently we had not! 

Books:
Splish, Splash, Ducky! - Lucy Cousins
Across the Stream - Mirra Ginsburg
Cold Little Duck, Duck, Duck - Lisa Westberg Peters
Lucky Ducklings - Eva Moore
Quackers - Liz Wong


Repeat Activities:
1. Little Duck Behind the Truck (from previous Trucks storytime)


New Activities:
1. 5 Little Ducks
One little duck went out to play,
on a bright and sunny day.
He had such enormous fun,
he called for another duck to come!
QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!

2. If You're a Duck and You Know It (Tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")
If you're a duck and you know it, flap your wings,
If you're a duck and you know it, flap your wings,
If you're a duck and you know it and you really want to show it,
If you're a duck and you know it, flap your wings.
Repeat with: waddle, quack

3. "Do You Have My Quack?"
Puppet show based on book by Keith Faulkner
In the book, a little duckling cannot quack she only "peeps". She leaves her mother and goes off to ask other animals if they have her quack. It lends itself perfectly to being made into a puppet or flannel show. You can improvise when needed and can substitute any of the animals that were in the original story with ones you have in your puppet stash.

Bathtime

This week we learned all about bathtime!

Books:
Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure - Derek Anderson
Get Out of My Bath - Britta Teckentrup
Harry the Dirty Dog - Gene Zion


Repeat Activities (from previous Bathtime storytime):
1. 5 Elephants in the Bathtub


New Activities:
1. This is the Way We Wash Our Hands (Tune: Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush")
This is the way we wash our hands,
Wash our hands, wash our hands.
This is the way we wash our hands,
So early in the morning!
Repeat with: wash our face, brush our teeth, brush our hair, etc.
Source: Jbrary


2. Dog's Colorful Day
Flannel story based on book by Emma Dodd.

I shortened my version to only have 6 different 'spots' to add to Spot the dog over the day. I added actions for them so that the kids would be able to recall them better.

I made up my own script based on the book so I could simplify the story for presenting it. 

1. I had Spot get splashed with red jam and 2. orange juice during my breakfast (the kids 'ate' a biscuit and made motion like they were drinking). 
3. Then Spot went outside and ran into a bumblebee (buzzzz went the kids) and left a spot of yellow pollen. 
4. He rolled in the grass (the kids rolled their hands) which left a spot of green grass on him.
5. Spot came back inside where we were painting (the kids made up and down motion with one arm like they were painting with a brush) and got a spot of blue paint on him.
6. Lastly, we were all coloring (the kids made a motion like they were using markers) and, oops, we left a purple spot of him.

After Spot was covered in colorful dots, we gave him a bath! I had the kids pretend they were washing him off as we went through what each of the colors came from. 

Construction

Last week we revisited one of my favorite storytime themes - Construction!

Books:
Mighty Dads - Joan Holub
The Construction Crew - Lynn Meltzer
Busy Builders, Busy Week! - Jean Reidy
The Mixed-Up Truck - Stephen Savage


Repeat Activities (from 2015 Construction and 2016 Construction storytimes:
1. Construction (vehicles) song
2. Bumping Up and Down - Raffi (recorded song)
3. Duck Behind the Truck (from previous Truck storytime)


New Activity:
1. Tip Tip Dig Dig
Flannel story based off of book by Emma Garcia.

I cannot take credit for the flannel - it was made by one of my lovely library assistants. But it is awesome! I used the exact script from the book. We are running out of in-print copies at our library system currently and are waiting for an order of replenishment copies soooo I used this video to make the script. 

Home

'Home' is always a nice, cozy, topic in the dead of winter which is why I decided to return to it. Plus, there are always so many great picture books about houses and homes.

Books:
Room for Bear - Ciara Gavin
Nest - Jorey Hurley
Welcome Home, Bear - Il Sung Na
The Napping House - Audrey Wood


Repeat Activities (from previous Home storytime):
1. Whose House? 
2.  Little Mouse 
3. The Napping House Flannel Storytime 


New Activity:
1. A House is a House for Me
Flannel story from book by the same title by Mary Ann Hoberman
*each insect/animal in the story has Velcro backing so they stick to their homes and you can add them as you tell the story

A hill is a house for an ant.

A hive is a house for a bee.

A hole is a house for a mole or a mouse,

and a house is a house for me!

A web is a house for a spider.

A bird builds its nest in a tree.

There is nothing as snug as a bug in a rug,

and a house is a house for me!

Rabbits

We did the theme of rabbits earlier in January.

Books:
Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! - Candace Fleming
The Wonderful Habits of Rabbits - Douglas Florian
Bear & Hare: Snow! - Emily Gravett
Ninja Bunny - Jennifer Gray Olson
Everybunny Dance! - Ellie Sandall


Repeat Activities:
1. Mr. Rabbit (from previous Rabbits storytime)
2. Five Rabbits in the Bathtub (from previous Rabbits storytime)


New Activities:
1. White Rabbit's Color Book 
Flannel story based off of book of same title by Alan Baker.

Anyone that knows the story knows that White Rabbit comes upon different colored jars of paint. He jumps into them and turns into different colors. And, of course, he has to wash off between some of the colors. 

I simplified the story, especially at my toddler storytimes, and only used the red, yellow, and blue rabbits. Our rabbit took a bath between each jar and never mixed colors. I did not use a script, although there is a script kept with our flannel, I just performed the story ad lib. 

Snowmen

We did snowmen (and snow) a couple weeks ago. Some of the elements were very similar to a winter theme I did a few years ago.

Books:
No Two Alike - Keith Baker
Snowmen at Work - Caralyn Buehner 
Snowballs - Lois Ehlert
Snow! Snow! Snow! - Lee Harper


Repeat Activities:
1. 5 Snowmen (from previous Winter storytime)
2. Polar Friends (from previous Polar Animals storytime)


New Activity:
1. Snowman, Snowman, What Do You See
Flannel story based off of "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"
Snowman, snowman, what do you see?
I see a carrot nose in front of me.
Repeat with: black hat, yellow scarf, purple buttons, green mittens, and red boots

Opposites

There were quite a few new elements to my first storytime back, even though I have already done a storytime on "opposites", that I will share all the books and activities for this one.

Books:
Marta! Big & Small - Jen Arena
A Hop is Up - Kristy Dempsey
You Are (Not) Small - Anna Kang
The Opposite Zoo - Il Sung Na
Big Bear, Small Mouse - Karma Wilson


Repeat Activities (from previous Opposites Storytime):
1. Bread and Butter - Jbrary
2. Open, Shut Them - Hap Palmer (recorded song)
3. Stops Says the Red Light - Jbrary


New Activities:
1. The Tortoise and the Hare [with sign language]
The tortoise went slow.
The hare went fast.
The tortoise kept going.
The hare took a nap.
Although the tortoise went slow, 
And the hare went fast,
The tortoise came first,
And the hare came last.
Source: Read Them Stories
*I decided to only use the signs for "fast" and "slow" at our storytimes.