All posts by Children's Staff
Books for 4-6 year olds on Tuesday, November 15
This week we had some brand-new books to read! The first one was called Panda Pants; its young protagonist desperately wants to wear pants, even though Mama insists that pandas never wear pants. How to resolve this little argument?? Read the story to find out!
Next we read Billions of Bricks: a Counting Book About Building. This story did have lots of bricks in it, but fortuntely we didn’t have to count them all! Bricks are used in so many ways and in so many places; they are so common that we never think about how they’re made or who puts them all in place. Lots of action-packed illustrations show us how those billions of bricks are put to good use. Rhyming and repetitive text had us all chanting the words!
Swallow the Leader is another new counting book, and follows the fate of some little fish who are playing a game, but then get a bit more than they bargained for. Not to worry, it all has a happy ending. Sharks are always a surefire hit in picture books, and this one was no exception!
Thunder Boy Jr. isn’t a new title, but it was new to me! It’s about a young boy who’s been named after his father, but wishes he had his own name that truly reflects who he is. The boy thinks about what he might like to be called, and in the end he and his dad solve the problem in a way satisfactory to all. Large, beautifully expressive illustrations add to the enjoyment of this story of a loving family. We did have some fun coming up with new names for ourselves that reflect what we like to do or how we think of ourselves; one child was “Runs Fast;” another “Swings High!” What about you? If you could change your name, what would you want it to be?
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Play With Your Child!
Encourage your child to create stories by imagining he/she is in another place or pretending to be someone else.
Books for Preschoolers on Friday, Nov. 4 and Monday, Nov. 7
I celebrated my birthday last week, so I decided to extend the festivities with a storytime about birthdays, cake, parties, and other festivities.
We started things off with If You Give a Pig a Party. This installment in the “If You Give…” series features an enthusiastic pig who gets carried away with her party planning.
I shared two books by author/illustrator Jan Thomas last week, and they were so popular that I decided to throw in another. This week we read A Birthday for Cow. Pig and Mouse are busy baking a cake for Cow’s birthday, but Duck is certain that the celebration should also include a turnip. Pig and Mouse try to explain that turnips are not typical birthday fare, but Duck doesn’t listen.
Children tend to think the presents are the most exciting part of a birthday, so our next book was The Magic Box. When Eva unwraps this birthday present, she finds that the box does not contain a gift. Instead, it is the gift, and when she climbs inside she becomes a master magician!
Our last book was I Am Invited to a Party!, part of the popular Elephant and Piggie series. Piggie is thrilled to be invited to a party, and asks Gerald the elephant to go with her. As always, Gerald frets about the details and won’t rest until he is sure he and Piggie are thoroughly prepared.
~Amy
Toddler Storytime, Friday, November 4
Last week everyone really enjoyed Ed Emberley’s Go Away Big Green Monster. This week we read another book by him called Nighty Night Little Green Monster. Similar to Big Green Monster, in Nighty Night, the little monster appears page by page and then disappears as the stars come out and it is time for bed. The die cut illustrations are very appealing and can really capture an audience.
Once again, the grownups joined in with song and movement, being amazing role models for the little ones and helping to create a fun and exciting storytime. Thank you!
Baby Storytime, Friday, November 5
A wonderful group of babies and their caregivers (moms, dads, aunts, grandparents, nannies, friends) joined together today for a boisterous storytime. It was awesome to watch the babies settle into hearing the rhymes and songs. We read a very long board book today but the rhythm and sounds of everyone’s voices attracted the babies’ attention. It was pretty impressive.
Board books are a great addition to your home, whether you own some or borrow them from a library. We have a large selection of board books and encourage you to come in and find some that appeal to you and your baby. Reading to your baby is truly a gift that will serve your child well in the future.
Today’s book was the classic Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown. She is the same author who wrote the popular Goodnight Moon book and many others.
Books for Toddlers Wed., Nov. 2
At Toddler Rhyme Time today we read three books! We usually read only one or two in the middle of all of our rhymes, fingerplays, and marching, but our small group was rather subdued today and we had time for a third! I was really impressed that the little ones made it through three books in one session! After reading Nancy Tafuri’s All Kinds of Kisses, we read two books by the same author, Toni Yuly: Cat Nap & Night Owl.
Thanks for joining me for storytime – see you next week!
~*Nicole
Books for Preschoolers Wed., Nov. 2
We started Preschool Storytime with a flannel board reading of Pat Hutchins’s Ten Red Apples. As the animals ate the apples off the tree, we took them off the board, fiddle-dee-fee!
Adding a visual or tactile element to a reading of a book can help bring the book alive and aid in processing. Story extenders, such as crafts related to the story, are also great!
Next we read a book using the same repeated line from our first book, Will Hillenbrand’s version of Fiddle-I-Fee. Nonsense words and musical language are so much fun!
Bear is Not Tired by Ciara Gavin was our third book. Poor Bear doesn’t want to sleep through the winter and miss all the fun his duck family is having! He can’t escape being a bear, though, and ultimately settles in for his winter hibernation.
We looked at a nonfiction book next, learning that bears use fallen leaves to line their dens and stay warm during hibernation. We also learned that other things fall from trees, like acorns.
Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson was our next book. We pretended that our arms were tree trunks with our fingers being branches and acted out the book’s directions. We tapped, blew, and clapped away with our trees! This beautiful, interactive book looks at a year of seasons on one tree.
Finally, we read Dot & Jabber and the Great Acorn Mystery. We learned how acorns move away from their parent oaks to become oak trees themselves, then acted it out with a song (to the tune of “London Bridge”):
- All the acorns are falling down, falling down, falling down [stomp your feet like plopping acorns]
- All the acorns are falling down all around the town
- Squirrels come and scoop them up, scoop them up, scoop them up [pretend to be a squirrel collecting acorns]
- Squirrels come and scoop them up all around the town
- Squirrels take acorns and bury bury bury, bury bury bury, bury bury bury [pretend to be a squirrel burying acorns quickly]
- Squirrels take acorns and bury bury bury all around the town
- Acorns will grow into trees, into trees, into trees [stretch up into a tall tree with arms spread overhead]
- Acorns will grow into trees all around the town
Thank you for joining me for storytime – see you next week!
~*Nicole
Sing With Your Child!
Make up a song that is meaningful to you and your child.
Books for 4-6 year olds on Tuesday, November 1
Today we read some stories about cats and kittens. Like dogs, cats are popular subjects in children’s picture books, since they are adorable, furry, and (mostly!) cuddly. And it’s lots of fun to pretend you are a kitty stretching in the sun, or curling up for a nap! We started with Wanda Gag’s classic, Millions of Cats, where a quest for the perfect pet has some unintended consequences. This book has a rhythmic refrain that’s perfect for repeating with your child; hand-lettered text and detailed pen-and-ink drawings are simple yet appealing. We also read these other kitty-cat tales:
Books for Preschoolers on Friday, Oct. 28 and Monday, Oct. 31
Happy Halloween! For this week’s storytimes we read non-scary books about monsters and other spooky creatures. You can click on the book covers below to find each title in our catalog.
We began with Pumpkin Trouble, in which a duck tries to carve a jack-o-lantern, but ends up trapped inside it. His friends are terrified by the “pumpkin monster” who calls their names, but it all works out in the end.
There were plenty of giggles for Tickle Monster, as we tickled the various parts of the monster to make it go away. The adults in the audience helped out by tickling their children as well.
Can You Make a Scary Face? has always been one of my storytime favorites, and this week was no exception. I was very impressed with the scary faces I saw during storytime, and enjoyed hearing about the different faces of the jack-o-lanterns many families have carved at home.
If You’re a Monster and You Know It follows the familiar tune of the song “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” but instead of clapping our hands and stomping our feet, this book had us smacking our claws, stomping our paws, roaring, and growling like monsters.
After all these books about scary things, the Monday storytime ended with The I’m Not Scared Book. This title is one of many by Todd Parr that offer reassurance and comfort to children. The world can be a scary place, especially when you’re small. Have a safe and happy Halloween!
Amy